November update

Medway Valley Conservation Master Plan

The near-final draft of the Conservation Master Plan for the Medway Valley Heritage Forest ESA (South) can be found at http://www.london.ca/residents/Environment/Natural-Environments/Documents/MVHF_ESA_south_PhII.pdf
Highlights include:

· A realignment and reopening of the trail that leads from the entrance between Whiteacres and Doncaster into the Snake Creek Valley

· The hardening of the trail on the east side of the Creek between the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate to the Creek

· A crossing (likely a bridge much larger than the one over Rollingwood Creek) south of Fanshawe along with hardening of the trail on both sides of the new bridge.

· Closing, over time, the unmanaged trails that have harmed sensitive habitat

· Continuing efforts to control invasive species

One concern with the new crossing is that it may, along with the hardening of the trail on the east side of the Medway, lead to future calls for a crossing of the Medway in our area.

There is an open house for the Plan on November 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology. City staff and consultant will be in attendance. The final draft and a staff recommendation will be presented at a public participation meeting before a Committee of City Council (probably the Planning and Environment Committee) in January. Anyone can speak at the meeting. You can also submit a letter for the meeting agenda. Letters should be cc’d to Councillor Squire at psquire@london.ca

Neighbourhood Decision Making

Voting day is November 18th at the Sherwood Library from 10 am to 4 pm. You can also vote on line at https://getinvolved.london.ca/NDM on the 18th. There is at least one project on the ballot for our area which includes benches for three of the parks in the area, a bike rack at the tennis courts, and an information sign for an entrance to the Medway Valley Environmentally Significant Area.