The Rural Voice, 1990-04, Page 32THE
LAND
AND ITS
FUTURE
The issue of severances in Grey
County is a difficult one, to say
the least — ask the executive of
the Grey County Federation of
Agriculture, which last month
held a briefing day as a means
to compile a position paper on
the subject. In the eye of an
ambitious developer, the hills,
wetlands, and woodlots of the
region might look like rocks,
swamp, and bush begging for a
bulldozer. But in the eye of a
farmer who has nourished the
land and inherited it through
generations, it is a valuable re-
source that sustains his family
and way of life. Then there are farmers who have been
discouraged — if not bankrupted — by low returns, and
see an opportunity to recoup their losses by selling out.
Understandably, they don't much like outsiders setting
Map courtesy of the Grey -Bruce Tourist Association
NEXT ISSUE
AN INTERVIEW WITH.;:
PEGGY HUTCHISON,
GARP PRESIDENT
the rules. Some figure that they
can have development and
protect farming too — some say
this can be done cautiously by
following the county plan;
others find it more effective to
amend the official restrictions.
Then there are the environ-
mentally conscious residents
who cherish and wish to
preserve the inherent value of
the natural landscape and its
wildlife. One consequence of
the controversy is clear and un-
fortunate: the issue is dividing
neighbour from neighbour.
When opportunity knocks, it
can also bring dissension to rural communities,
communities once known and valued for their co-
operation and tolerance. This issue and next, The Rural
Voice features the development issue in Grey County —
BATTLEGROUND FOR DEVELOPMENT
IN RECENT YEARS, THE
rolling hills, woodlots, and fields of
Grey County have become a battle-
ground for the issue of land use and
development in rural areas. The issue
has been as divisive as a severance
itself, but the range of opinions in-
cludes many shades of "grey," and
doesn't exclude those who can see it
both ways.
Prominent on one side of the
AN OVERVIEW
by Cathy Laird
debate, however, is Bill Murdoch, a
champion of those local farmers and
landowners who favour development
for the county and stress the principle
of property rights. Murdoch sees the
growth of industry, tourism, and rec-
reation as a sounder economic base for
the county than a faltering farm sector,
and wants outsiders to mind their own
business (see the following article,
"Local Hero or PoliticalBoss").
Vocal on the other side are
farmers, environmentalists, and non -
farming rural residents who say that
too many severances and too much
development not only threaten agri-
culture unfairly in the name of short-
term gain, but also eliminate wildlife
habitats, woodlots, and wetlands,
permanently defacing the natural
integrity of Grey County.
Land use — in Grey the issue is
28 THE RURAL VOICE