Last week, the City of Burnaby unveiled its plans for a new organic waste recycling facility that would be built on what's currently parkland at Fraser River Foreshore Park.
The Green Recycling Organic Waste facility, called GROW, would be able to process 150,000 tonnes of green waste like food scraps and yard trimmings from Burnaby and neighbouring areas. We asked you: Do you want to see an organic waste facility built at Fraser Foreshore Park? Are the city’s environmental efforts enough to offset the loss of park land?
And you responded — in spades.
Here are some highlights of reader comments received over the last week:
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Fraser Foreshore Park is our beautiful park!
We need to preserve this beautiful and irreplaceable park for future generations.
I do not believe that Fraser Foreshore Park is the right location for recycling and waste management.
Fraser Foreshore Park is our unique connection with nature: diverse wildlife and vegetation. Any removal of the natural environment in this area will harm the river and affect all wildlife.
Gabi Paslaru
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I don't think that this is a good fit for Burnaby. This should be part of a Metro Vancouver proposal and should be located near the Delta landfill.
Recently, the City of Coquitlam destroyed 20 acres of forest land to increase the size of their municipal operations yard; Burnaby should not be allowed to do this also, under the guise of "benefits to Burnaby."
Once you allow one excuse for the destruction of green space, there will be a hundred other requests by the city. Keep green space as green space.
Milt Hoffman
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Hands off Burnaby Foreshore Park! This park, at the eastern end, has a large (and unique) undisturbed tidal riverine ecology. Carving any-sized chunk of land from this park will compromise its biodiversity.
This "GROW" project somehow sees it is acceptable to steal land from parks. Parkland is not a "lazy asset" to be consumed for expediency or business cases.
Parks should be forever.
Paul McGown
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Destroying our wetlands for methane gas is insane. Our air is now so polluted, fresh air is a wish! Spending $25 million to make back $1.2 million a year? Not worth it.
More and more people are composting their green waste every year, getting back into gardening and wanting organic soil. Plus, what’s in it for the taxpayer?
You want to take our green parks to make money? Money for who? My taxes have skyrocketed. Taxpayers never see any relief from all this money you plan to make.
It’s a bad idea. Leave the parks alone!
Sonia Storness Kress
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Once this valuable ecosystem is lost, it's gone forever. We need these spaces protected and not further developed.
There already is a facility for this. Continue to use that.
Gerald Aston
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This is a bad idea. We need protected parkland over and above a facility that makes money for Burnaby. There must be a more appropriate place that this can be done without losing such an important part of our ecosystem in Burnaby South.
Pauline Harrison
