Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Lipstick on a pig,’ Feb. 13.
I am writing on behalf of The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada (DSC), the animal rescue/animal welfare education charity, established in 1992 and located in Puslinch Township.
Along with the care that we provide to animals in need, the 200-acre DSC property is a working farm, serving as a model for sustainable agriculture and positive environmental stewardship.
Every year on our Open Days, thousands of people visit the farm to experience firsthand the many benefits of rural life and the great outdoors. Despite ongoing development pressure, we are grateful that Puslinch Township has succeeded in its goal to remain a largely rural community. This has allowed an organization like the DSC to thrive and establish an ideal home for its operations.
At the same time, we understand that new employment opportunities should be encouraged in the township and thus we support the effort to identify locations for additional industrial (employment) lands through the study, Puslinch by Design.
The study has committed to protecting farmlands, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas in the township by placing newly designated industrial zones away from rural residential pockets and instead to locate them near existing industrial lands where farmland and nature have already been compromised.
On Feb. 26 at 7pm at the Puslinch Community Centre in Aberfoyle, an Open House will be conducted by the consultants working on the study. This meeting will inform residents of the proposed land options for the new employment lands. Comments and suggestions regarding the findings of the study will impact the chosen lands. We have been assured that our contributions will be respected and included in the ongoing decision-making process.
We urge members of the Puslinch community to come out on Feb. 26 and provide your opinions. Together, we can do the right thing for our township and protect/preserve its priceless rural character.
Sandra Pady,
DSC Founder, Puslinch