Fast pace of development is ruining CBS, other towns

Dear Editor,

I am concerned about what is happening in Conception Bay South and many other municipalities.

Every year, more wilderness disappears. Entire hillsides are being stripped bare, forests are being clear-cut, natural landscapes are being levelled, and even wetlands are being filled and covered with subdivisions.

At what point do we stop and ask ourselves if this is really what we want for our towns?

I understand that people need places to live and that some development will happen. I do not believe that every available piece of land needs to become a subdivision, or that we should continue building at the expense of the natural environments that make the towns in Newfoundland a desirable place to live.

We seem to have accepted the idea that a growing population and more development are always signs of success. More homes do not only mean the loss of natural habitats, they also mean more traffic, more water systems, increased pressure on schools and healthcare, and other essential infrastructure.

Do our towns have the capacity to support this level of growth?

Growth is not free, and it is not necessarily progress. More development is not always better, and sometimes, the right decision is to slow down. This is something our elected MHAs and council members need to seriously consider. 

A wooded lot has value even if no house is ever built there. Forests help manage rainwater, protect wildlife, maintain natural drainage, and provide green space for residents. Once these areas are cleared and built on, we cannot put them back.

The CBS Municipal Plan speaks about protecting the environment and preserving the character of Conception Bay South. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see how those goals align with what is happening on the ground.

If we continue this way, what will be left of the town we are trying to protect?

CBS does not need to become another heavily developed suburb to be successful. Many people chose to live here because of its open spaces, wooded areas, rural feel, and connection to nature. Those qualities are part of what makes this community special. It would be a mistake to sacrifice them in the name of growth, only to discover that we have lost the very things that made people want to live here. We need to stop treating every development proposal as an opportunity that must be pursued. Sometimes a proposal may be profitable, but that does not mean it is in the best interests of the town or its residents.

Our Provincial government and town councils have an obligation to take a much stronger approach to protecting what remains of our natural environment. This should include meaningful changes to planning and development regulations, including: 1) increasing minimum lot sizes to curb density and excessive land destruction; 2) mandating the retention of natural environments and prohibiting clear-cutting; 3) protecting wetlands, wooded areas, hillsides, existing farmed land; 4) legally protecting substantial green spaces and natural buffers from future development; and most importantly 5) reviewing the cumulative effects of development across C.B.S. and other municipalities, rather than looking at each application in isolation and ignoring the bigger picture.

These protections need to be meaningful and enforceable. Simply referring to environmental stewardship in a plan is not enough if the rules still allow the natural features of our town to disappear.

There should be room within town limits for land to remain undeveloped. There should be room for trees to grow, for wildlife to live, and for residents to enjoy the natural surroundings that still exist. We should not have to wait until these things are almost entirely gone before deciding that they were worth protecting.

I recognize that slowing development may mean fewer subdivisions, fewer houses, and less growth than some would like to see. I am willing to accept that trade-off. I would rather see CBS grow more slowly and retain its character than watch it become increasingly built up, with each remaining natural area eventually viewed as the next development opportunity.

Council still has an opportunity to change direction, but that opportunity will not last forever. Once a forest is cleared and a subdivision is built, once every small, farmed plot is paved, once too many of our wetlands are filled, these decisions cannot easily be undone.

The success of towns like Conception Bay South should not be measured by how many houses we can fit onto the land. It should be measured by what we have managed to preserve.

Joni Mitchell had the foresight to highlight this problem over 50 years ago. “Don’t it always seem to go, That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. They paved paradise, Put up a parking lot.”

We still have a paradise worth protecting and I hope we will act while there is still time before it’s gone.

Lukas Stritt

C. B. S.