paisley Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 @ The Underground 41 Catharine St N, Hamilton 905.741.ROCK Warsawpack is donating a performance to help raise funds for members of Showstoppers, a community-based group that is actively opposed to the construction of the Red Hill Valley Expressway. The Red Hill Creek is a treasure I'm sure many of you are familiar with in east Hamilton. The area features prime forest, rare species of wildlife, and the last creek in the area that flows freely over the escarpment. The city of Hamilton is seeking $120,000 for costs relating to the on-going court battle between those who do not want the expressway built and developers. Come show your support for those fighting to preserve our irreplacable local environment and for one of the best Canadian bands whom we are truly so fortunate to have here in Hamilton. Sharing the bill with Warsawpack will be Greg MacPherson who is on G7 Records also. Warsawpack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarfmaster C Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 that's saturday oct 25 according to the undergrounds website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarfmaster C Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 guuhh guess that's what you meant by the whole 'saturday' thing... never mind me. hmmm still can't see how much this one costs. not that i'm going to make it, but i'm curious about the benefit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted October 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 whoops, thanks earthfreak trying to do 6 things at once yup, Sat. Oct. 25 I don't know if its going to be a donation basis to get in or possibly $8 or $10 (usual price in town) definately worthwhile, great tunes for a great cause Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarfmaster C Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by earthfreak: still can't see how much this one costs. not that i'm going to make it, but i'm curious about the benefit i guess that'll be $120,000/capacity of the underground. hope it's a big club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted October 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 One question: Just wondering whats goin happen now that the city of Hamilton gave the ok to the law to physically remove the protesters from the site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted October 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 well, I don't think Warsawpack is expecting to solely raise everything for them... there are other organizations around town involved as well as our local NDP party and personal business donations still 300 people x $10 is $3000 throw another $10 donation from 150 people and your up to almost $5000 not everything but better than nothing, and a good excuse for anti-expressway supporters to get together and share thoughts Esau: well, they can remove protesters but not natives... and though the law has changed no one has been removed yet... the main topic at the mayoral debate last night was the expressway and Christopherson (who most people are expecting to win) is fully against it... I guess we'll see if the protesters are as hard-core as in Tofino (chaining themselves to fences, bulldozers, etc.) its almost winter, no development is being done... its gonna get scrapped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 quote:Originally posted by paisley: its almost winter, no development is being done... its gonna get scrapped Well I know from my ex (Cree) that they have been successful in removing em before (in Hamilton wentworth that is),hopefully they won't be able to,I am in no way for this expressway,but if you head down the link you will see the new bridge well under construction for months now. Me & Kristen(my ex) made the journey down that way the other night and the vibe is promising but edgey,many were talking about violence(not all,but some if it comes to that),and also were rather pissed off that I was there,even with Kristen and food,go figure she was welcome to show support but I was not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted October 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 yeah, I've seen the bridge, thats been up for quite a while... they can play with that all they want... just stay out of the damn valley I grew up in, that all the European tourists who visit here are so impressed by!! crazy how Hamilton business people always want to ruin the best things here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briguy Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 From the Friends of Red Hill Valley Shortly after the last update, the news broke that City Council voted today to demand $123,000 from the six citizens who acted as defendants in the injunction court case. The motion was moved by Bill Kelly and seconded by Sam Merulla. It was supported by Larry DiIanni, Marvin Caplan, Chad Collins, Anne Bain, Frank D'Amico, Murray Ferguson, Bernie Morelli and Dave Mitchell. This vindictive move was opposed by Andrea Horwath and Dave Braden. Four councillors were not present at the time of the vote -- Margaret McCarthy, Russ Powers, Tom Jackson and Mayor Bob Wade. Friends issued the following press release in response to the Council decision. City Demands $123,000 from Expressway Opponents Hamilton City Council has decided to seek $123,000 in court costs from six citizens who oppose the construction of the Red Hill Creek Expressway. The decision was taken today in Committee of the Whole which authorized the City’s lawyers to make a written submission to Superior Court Justice Joseph Henderson. McMaster professor Jim Quinn, one of the six citizens, called the Council’s decision “vindictive” and “an attempt to silence opposition to the expressway and prevent discussion of need and alternatives as they’ve done since 1985”. The six citizens volunteered to present legal arguments against an application for an injunction made by the City in early August to stop protests at the site of planned construction of the proposed expressway. They were among several hundred people who picketed the site and blocked construction vehicles on August 5, 6 and 7. The protestors believed that the City had not received the permits and approvals required to allow construction to begin. They also pointed out that nesting migratory birds on the site were protected from disturbance by federal law. After filing the injunction application, the City released letters purporting to show that the three required permits were obtained on July 28, July 30 and August 5. However, they filed a report that migratory birds were still nesting on the site on August 21, thus showing that the protestors had actually saved the City from breaking the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. Court evidence also showed that the City still does not have other key approvals for the expressway project, including the authority to re-locate 7.6 kilometres of Red Hill Creek, and a permit to excavate 70,000 tonnes of the toxic Rennie Street dump which lies in the path of the proposed road. Justice Henderson approved the injunction request in a 23-page decision issued on September 12. Despite this, the City has not started work because the site has been occupied by citizens of the Haundenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy. On Friday, the City agreed to begin discussions with the Confederacy about treaty rights and aboriginal burial sites in the valley. City officials claim they ran up $235,000 in legal expenses in the injunction. The City was represented by the Toronto law firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson which fielded a team of seven lawyers in the day and a half of court hearings in early September. Court cost awards only allow for reasonable expenses, and make it impossible to recover excessive legal fees. The six citizens represented themselves and spent less than $500. They each stepped forward voluntarily to argue that the injunction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briguy Posted October 25, 2003 Report Share Posted October 25, 2003 Major Threat to Red Hill Valley Over the past three days, the City of Hamilton and a private company have fenced off a very large area of forest on the face of the escarpment west of Mt. Albion Road. The area includes several thousand trees and represents perhaps the finest forested area in the path of the proposed expressway. It includes a portion of the Bruce Trail and the main valley recreational trail. The fenced area appears to correspond exactly with the path of the proposed expressway. Many of the trees have been painted with “X”s or otherwise marked. Cutting trees here would likely be a first step to allow blasting of the escarpment to begin. The fencing and threat to trees appears consistent with the following “update” issued in late August by the City’s project director, Chris Murray: “Further, a request for quotations was issued for advance tree clearing north of Mud Street and west of Mount Albion Road along the escarpment face. The timing reflects the permitted window of opportunity to remove vegetation without impacting migratory birds and the southern flying squirrel. Staff is continuously working with our wildlife specialists to ensure that any concerns are mitigated.” While no contracts for construction have even been put out for tender for this area (unless this is being done secretly by the city), it is quite possible that actual tree cutting may start very soon. We will try to keep you informed. The escarpment crossing is Stage 7 of the expressway implementation plan released last March. No work has been done at this point on any of stages 3, 4, 5 or 6. The migratory bird restrictions apply from May to July. The restrictions on the flying squirrels are in February and March, and again in June and July. Therefore there is not even the slightest excuse for tree cutting to take place in advance of the city council elections on November 10. If it proceeds, it would appear that this provocation is designed to threaten the integrity of the elections process and try to make irrelevant the campaigns of anti-expressway candidates who are contesting nearly every seat on council. Friends of Red Hill has issued a notice to the media. It is reprinted at the end of this update. Salmon Run and Rescue Underway The annual fall migration of Chinook Salmon is underway in Red Hill Creek. Students from Churchill High School and members of Friends rescued more than 15 of the big fish earlier today. They netted the salmon in the pools below the concrete channel at Queenston Road, and ran them past this obstacle, reviving and releasing them further upstream. The run began yesterday and may continue through the weekend and possibly beyond, depending on the receipt of more rain. For Immediate Release – October 17, 2003 Expressway Tree Cutting Threatens Integrity of Hamilton Civic Elections The main issue in the Hamilton city council elections is the controversial Red Hill Creek Expressway which would remove over 44,000 trees from Hamilton’s largest park. Now, just three weeks before the November 10 vote, city officials appear determined to try to end the 50-year debate over the expressway by clearcuting thousands of the oldest trees in the path of the road. Over the past three days, fencing has been erected around the planned clearcut along the face of the Niagara Escarpment, even though construction in this area is not scheduled for several months. Last August, public opposition to the expressway stopped an earlier attempt to start tree removal in another part of the valley when several hundred people blocked construction vehicles near Greenhill Avenue in Hamilton’s east end. Around the same time, citizens of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy occupied the construction site. The aboriginal people have since constructed a traditional longhouse on the site and are now heading into the eleventh week of their occupation. Candidates opposed to the expressway are running for 13 of the 15 council seats up for grabs on November 10, and stand a reasonable chance of securing control over the council. Local media have identified the expressway as the major issue in the campaign. The acknowledged frontrunner for the mayor’s job, David Christopherson, opposes the expresssway. His main opponent is Larry DiIanni, the chairperson of the city’s Expressway Implementation Committee. DiIanni and the majority of the current council maintain that the expressway is “a done deal”, but the project has stalled in the face of the aboriginal protests and missing provincial and federal approvals. The city has been trying for over 16 months to obtain an authorization from the federal fisheries department to relocate and reconstruct 7.6 kilometres of Red Hill Creek. The city also requires a permit from the province to push the expressway through a closed toxic landfill. Clearcutting on the escarpment is part of Stage 7 of the 15-stage expressway implementation plan. It would be followed by blasting operations that would open an 80 metre by 15 metre cut in the face of the escarpment – the largest road cut in the history of the escarpment. The cut would extend back nearly half a kilometre into the escarpment, a provincially significant landform designed in 1990 as a World Biosphere Reserve. The city has also not obtained a permit for this blasting work. Instead it is relying on a 16-year-old permit for the expressway project that didn’t contemplate any cuts in the escarpment face. “The preparation for the clearcutting is clearly intended to influence the November 10 elections”, said Don McLean, chair of Friends of Red Hill Valley. “Apparently some people at the city are willing to play nasty games with the democratic process in hopes of convincing people that it’s too late to vote for the anti-expressway candidates who are poised to replace them.” For more information, contact Friends of Red Hill Valley Don McLean, Chair (905) 664-8796 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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