We Oppose The Little Lake Development Proposal

PLEASE ONLY SIGN THIS PETITION IF YOU ARE FROM CANADA, and especially if you are a resident of the City of Peterborough and County of Peterborough who are in Peterborough Riding (the distribution area for the ballots).

We want the results to count!   PLEASE POST YOUR NAME.  To attain a high level of credibility for this petition, we will be deleting anonymous posts.  Your address will not be displayed but is a required field. 

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Peterborough's Member of Parliament, Dean Del Mastro, has brought forward a proposal to Peterborough City Council for the private development of federal land on the east shores of Little Lake on land currently occupied by the Parks Canada buildings and greenspace.  Given that:

• - The area for the proposed development is greenspace that is currently enjoyed by the Citizens of Peterborough for various outdoor activities, including walking, running, biking, inline skating, picnicking, team sports, swimming, canoeing and kayaking within areas of restored natural shoreline, and that the current trail corridor over the Federal property is a natural area connector to adjacent trails at Rogers Cove and Beavermead Park and a connector portion of the Trans Canada Trail;
  
  

• - The proposed development will have a detrimental impact on the environment, including the ecology of Little Lake, and that the proposed marina is of environmental and noise concern;
  
  

• - The proposed development is on federal land owned by all Citizens of Canada, not just the Citizens of Peterborough, and therefore MP Del Mastro has no ethical or moral right to propose that this land be leased or sold or any other legal arrangement made with a private developer without consulting with all Citizens of Canada;
  
  

• - There is already a municipal planning process underway for the City-owned area around Little Lake, and planning for development in the City of Peterborough should be driven by established municipal planning principles and processes rather than proposals from politicians and private developers;
  
  

• - While no city-owned land would be directly allocated for the proposed development, the development would significantly affect the Citizens of Peterborough by removing use of the land for public enjoyment, by increasing traffic, pollution and noise in the area, and by requiring substantial peripheral construction to service the area;
  
  

• - Any development of the greenspace area around Little Lake should consider proposals for public as well as private use of the land, and that any process for development proposals should be open to all businesses and citizens in Peterborough;
  
  

• - MP Del Mastro has brought forward a proposal as a result of apparent collusion with a private developer, without prior consultation with the Citizens of Peterborough or Peterborough City Council and outside of the established planning process;
  
  

• - MP Del Mastro is using his political position and taxpayer dollars inappropriately to influence public opinion on the merits of this proposal, without open and public debate through Peterborough City Council; and,
  
  

• - The "ballot" plebiscite process established by MP Del Mastro to gauge public support for his proposal is not scientifically valid, is not transparent, is not accountable, and has no legal standing under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996;
  
  

The undersigned Citizens of Peterborough and Citizens of Canada object to the proposed development plan and request that Peterborough City Council refuse to accept any further submissions from MP Del Mastro regarding this proposal for private development until such time that the City can consult and engage citizens directly in a democratic process on this specific development proposal.