Let Down In The Highlands
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Kawartha Highlands Provincal Pak was meant to be the main attravtion in Ontario's new protected area plans and vitual link in conversationists dream of an "A2A" corridor. But the eleventh-hour compromise has lobbyists filled with anger at the political medding that let it happen. The Kawartha Highlands encompasses a 35,000-hectare jigsaw puzzle of granite ridges and serpentine water. In October 2001 a 12 member committee of stake holders recommended that the area be given full provincal park status. But when Natural Resources Minister Jerry Ouellette introduced insted a bill that put the Highlands under the category of a recreational reserve. Committee member Wally Hobbs, who has been skiing and hiking in the area since the early 60's, believes the popular conservation plan for the Highlands fell victim to lobbying local cottagers and hunters. "It's disgusting to me, that small voices collectively raised are not as loud as big voices individually raised."- Wally Hobbs.

This article brought to my attention that the government sucks because they let one person define the decision that affects hundreds. And that they should listen to the people that have cottages and stake holders because they spend the most time there and the decision affects them the most.

-Justine Maiz