Opposition to Waterloo Airport Runway Project

I am writing to express concern surrounding the negative impact the Waterloo Airport Runway Project will have on a provincially significant wetland, and to request further assessments be conducted to determine the very best route forward, one that closely considers the potential environmental damage that will occur to the Kossuth Wetland Complex as a result.  

The Kossuth Bog is one of the last remaining spruce bogs in Waterloo Region. There is an opportunity to rehabilitate and restore this vital piece of the landscape, to take a step in the right direction in the fight against climate change. The Kossuth Bog Foundation is committed to working towards just that. 

We, as a society, know that wetlands provide countless benefits to communities. In 2009 the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR) commissioned a study which “valued wetland benefits at over $161,000 per hectare per year in urban settings,” as detailed by Ontario Nature. In 2017 the MNR released A Wetland Conversation Strategy for Ontario recognizing the importance of wetlands and the role they play in mitigating climate change. 

Expansion is happening all around, and on top of, this environmentally sensitive area. There must be a commitment to the protection of this provincially significant wetland. I implore you to learn more about the potentially damaging effects of this project and to lead with honesty and clarity.