Seeing red over green issues

The recent pillaging of Sunnyside Park beneath the Summit lookout struck a raw nerve with many Westmounters, especially those who live in the area and saw first-hand how the City’s well-intentioned plan to refurbish the park ended with what was perceived as a “chainsaw massacre� by shocked residents. While City officials calmly defended the operation, pointing out that it was not only for the greater good but that everyone had been well informed of the City’s intentions long before the first truck arrived at the site, environmentally conscious residents could not help but express their outrage over the sudden loss of more than 100 trees.

Meanwhile, further down the hill, the

battle over Westmount Park continues—with no end in sight. Last fall, the City’s proposal to install artificial turf on the playing fields was met with an outcry of protest from local residents that has since grown into a grassroots (ouch!) movement to keep the park’s natural state intact.

By far the most vocal and visible is the campaign orchestrated by the highly organized group that calls itself Save the Park / Sauvons le Parc. They have shown remarkable dedication to the cause and have made it clear that they will not backdown. Even those who could not care less one way or another if the playing fields are covered with artificial turf—no doubt the vast majority of Westmount residents—must admit that the tenacity displayed by members of Save the Park is an excellent example of community activism at its best. Their current initiative, an online petition to amass support for their cause, may be a noble idea—but we must remember that the power of the petition is definitely on the decline.

Mayor Marks and the City administration have come under considerable pressure from residents on these two loosely related issues, and all eyes will be fixed on this Monday’s council meeting for what many expect to be the next round.