Suburban Sprawl: My next letter to government

So even though the response I received from my provincial MLA wasn't that encouraging, I'm sticking with my plan to write all three levels of government about issues I think are important.

The next letter is to the mayor and counselors of my municipal county, on the topic of suburban sprawl and what amounts to the ruination of the prime food-growing land around here, in favor of bigger and bigger houses that fewer people can afford. Lately we've noticed some surveying going on in our area and we've heard from a few local people that certain large parcels of land are being considered for development. The area I live in is out of the city, but on the way to the Ft. McMurray tar sands and close to several planned tar sands upgrader sites. So it's considered an area where people can live the 'country residential' lifestyle, while still being close enough to oil sands employment companies. That way you get the best of both worlds right? You can work hard and then play hard on your days off.

Unfortunately, this means that the farmland around our older, treed, out of the way acreage subdivision could now have the topsoil around it stripped off to make way for at least two new and much bigger acreage subdivisions. So I've composed a letter trying to bring some of this stuff to the attention of our local politicians, while trying not to come across as a wing nut whose opinion is obviously "anti-capitalist" and "un-Albertan." It's for the latter reason that I thought I should talk about more than just suburban sprawl and food security, and why you see that first point about "peaceful enjoyment" issues. I thought it couldn't hurt to show that I do have some individualistic tendencies in addition to my communal concerns!

Here is the first draft of the letter - I gladly welcome feedback on it so I can tweak it just right before I send it out....

Photo courtesy this flickr website