Happy New Year – January News

Sneak Thief in the Neighbourhood

There continues to be reports of someone wandering the area checking if cars parked in driveways are locked or not. If you are a victim of this or any other crime that does not require an immediate police response, either contact the police non-emergency number at 519-661-5670 or submit an on line report at
https://www.londonpolice.ca/en/services/Make-a-Report.aspx

By reporting the crime, the information is entered into the police database and if there are regular reports of problems, patrol beats are shifted and increased.
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Coming in 2017

2017 will be a busy year with two items of note. The City will be holding an information session in the new year with its preferred option for alleviating traffic congestion at Sarnia and Western. We will let you know the date and time of that meeting.

The City will also be starting up the second phase of the Master Plan for the part of the Medway Valley Environmentally Significant Area from Fanshawe Park Road down to our neighbourhood. It should be interesting. Stay tuned for details.

Speaking of the Medway, you may have noticed damage and vandalism to signs in the Valley. If you do notice anything suspicious, please contact police. Official trails are marked with yellow “blazes” on posts and trees. Please stay on marked trails and respect the closed trail signs. The marked trails avoid sensitive features and plants and areas where erosion has made walking hazardous.

November News

Road work

Work on Sarnia and on Wonderland is wrapping up according to the City by next week. Work on Western/Wharncliffe is starting up. A contractor will be working on Wharncliffe Rd N. at the tracks (North of Oxford St.) closing one lane on and off flagging tomorrow Weds, Nov 16th for the day with work being done for London Hydro. The contractor will also be restricting the lanes to one lane in each direction starting next week.

Works ($6 M worth) are planned for 2018 for Sarnia and Western. What form this will take has yet to be determined. There will be a public meeting in the area in early 2017 where the city will reveal its preferred option for the intersection.
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Large canine reported in the Valley

There has been a large canine in the Valley:

We were hiking in the woods (mid-day) with our dog and headed up toward the deeper clearing (field), at the far side, behind the monastery. We made our through a narrow path in the field where there was notable compressions in the grass from where deer had been lying in great numbers. As we approached halfway through the field toward the monastery, we looked to our left and about 4 meters from us was very large canine animal. It stopped in its tracks and we locked eyes with the animal. I clapped my hands as loudly as I could and it retreated back about 20meters. We were both very startled and watched the animal to ensure it didn’t follow us. It watched us very closely from that distance until we lost sight of it. This animal was not a coyote; it was well over 100-150lbs, bigger than Rottweiler or Sheppard I have seen, and had a wide skull. Upon researching the internet I came across at least 3 other wolf sightings in the North West area in recent time. It is our belief, after looking at pictures online as well, that the animal we observed was in fact a wolf or perhaps a very large coywolf. We think it’s important that we share this information with the community as the trail is often very busy and people frequent it with young children and dogs. Please feel free to send this out.

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Medway Decides and Adopt an ESA

medway_decides_posterMedway Decides

On Saturday, October 29th from 10 am to 3:30 pm, there will be voting for the projects submitted for the City’s “Medway Decides” pilot project.

A number of ideas from our area have been submitted. City staff are working on the feasibility of ideas and will decide which will be up for a vote.

Adopt an ESA – Medway Valley Heritage Forest ESA

The City of London’s Adopt an ESA program is hosting an educational, ecological restoration workshop for Adopt an ESA volunteers.

If you wish to attend please RSVP via email at lmcdouga@london.ca

Please also cc Sandy Levin so that he can put you down as interested in volunteering. In the spring, we will set out to pull garlic mustard, an invasive non-native species in our part of the Medway.

Ruth Walton and Patti Prieur did a great job initiating adoption of our part of the ESA. It is now time for others to step forward and take the torch from them. We need people to do two events in 2017 such as pulling garlic mustard. If you are interested, and can’t make the upcoming event, let Sandy know.
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