Article in Whitehorse Star, June 5, 2009

By Julius Debuschewitz on June 5, 2009

As some of you know, quite some time ago, I wrote a column about the day my wife, Deborah, and I “discovered” McIntyre Marsh. I told of how we were simply overwhelmed by the beauty of the marsh, the canyon and the wetlands along Fish Lake Road near the Alaska Highway.
Since then, we have gone to that area about once a week, summer and winter, to see what is happening, spot birds and other wildlife, and take photographs.

This beautiful piece of wilderness - literally minutes away from our home - provides us with a place to relax and observe all kinds of creatures, usually in very peaceful surroundings.
We are, of course, not the only ones to take advantage of these amazing wetlands.
Every so often, we run into like-minded people, be they bird watchers, fellow photographers, outdoor enthusiasts, or just folks out for a leisurely walk.

Most of the time, these “users” of the area will stop to exchange not only pleasantries, but also to tell each other about birds and plants they have discovered while out there.
This exchange of information has enabled me to take some nice photographs I would otherwise not have been able to get.

You are probably wondering by now why I am telling you all this. Well, it appears that some folks are bound and determined to develop this area - ducks, birds, coyotes and nature lovers be damned.

Apparently, we have not enough room in the city to build more houses unless we encroach on the few unique wilderness areas we have left around town.

The current city council has already demonstrated its short-sightedness by wanting to build a road through existing greenbelts around Porter Creek to connect with a new housing development in the Whistle Bend area.

I gather broadening existing roads or building a proper connector road to downtown is not in the cards, so walking trails have to go instead.

Now our city fathers have their sights set on the so-called Fish Lake development, which will encroach on the same wetlands I mentioned at the beginning of this column.
The so-called “consultation with residents” is laughable.

Moreover, the city wants to do away with the Green Space Referendum Bylaw, claiming it prohibits changes in the existing Official Community Plan (OCP).
More importantly, Mayor Bev Buckway has apparently pointed out that the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce wants the bylaw to disappear.

Sadly, it seems that greed by developers may once again win out over common sense.
The latter would dictate that we must preserve certain parts of the city to enable wildlife to thrive and residents to recreate close to home.

The whole McIntyre Creek and McIntyre Marsh area teems with wildlife, big and small, and it is also a wildlife corridor. Should we really destroy such an important part of our local eco-system in order to slap up a few more housing units?

Change is inevitable, and our city continues to grow. Alas, growth should be controlled and channeled properly.

Surely there are less sensitive areas fit for development. There seem to be tracts of land along the Alaska Highway in both directions that could be developed with less impact on wildlife.
Why is it that developers have the ear of our city fathers, while the common citizen has to fight for the right to be heard?

Is the lure of a fast buck that tempting? Are citizens so unimportant that their concerns are simply ignored?

We all chose to make our home here in this beautiful part of the world and - for the most part - still beautiful city. Yet, there are some who cannot leave well enough alone.
Whitehorse is not a huge metropolis where park space is at a premium. We are surrounded by beautiful wilderness, which attracts most of us to live here and also is a boon to tourism.

Eroding that beauty, even little by little, might bring short-term gain to some, but in the long run, it will leave us with a much less desirable place to live and to visit.

I know that these pleas will most likely fall on deaf ears. City council has shown time and again that it gets what it wants, regardless of what the citizens of Whitehorse might think.
What our city fathers do forget, however, is the fact that they are elected to serve us.

Arrogance and ignorance will not carry the day, as some of them may find out to their detriment come civic election day this fall.

The writer is a Whitehorse resident.