Strategic Natural Places to Save

One important place which has fortunately been saved is Grant's Woods, near Orillia, Ontario. It has more than 52 acres of rare, old-growth forest. The man who owned it, William M. Grant, was a very responsible steward of the land and he donated it to the Couchiching Conservancy.

Volunteers worked hard to convert the house into a Conservancy Centre and foundations and local businesses donated money to it. There are now educational programs for schools and other community groups at Grant's Woods, as well as walking trails for those who wish to observe nature.

Another important place which should have been better saved is the kettle lakes of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Again, many volunteers worked very hard to educate the public about the importance of the kettle lakes for Toronto's future water supply. However, despite their pre-election promise to save the kettle lakes of Bond Lake and Lake Wilcox, the Liberal government failed to take effective action once elected. They claimed that it would have cost the taxpayers too much money to oppose the developers in court, but what judge would have ruled in favour of such ill-advised development?

An additional strategic place to save - or, at least, to be in harmony with - is the ley lines of the earth. The Indians used to travel in the same direction as the rivers flowed, often in canoes. However, what has happened more recently is that streets and highways have been built at right-angles to the rivers, with bridges carrying large amounts of traffic at right-angles to the natural flow.

People respond unconsciously to this lack of underlying harmony. For example, the large bridge called the Bloor Viaduct over Toronto's Don River has been the scene of numerous suicides. In addition, where the subway crosses the Humber River near the Old Mill, bodies have been found. Other behaviours in the places where roads cross at right-angles to rivers are accidents, graffiti, and other crimes. In other words, something is reminding people that something is wrong - and it will continue to do so until the rivers and nature are respected.