Dear Editor,
The weight of all the heartfelt presentations concerning development in Brookswood/Fernridge has left me with a whole new appreciation of my home community. I admit that I have been taking the beauty of it for granted.
Then I heard my neighbours talk in meeting after meeting about how much they love it here, some with tears, expressing over and over again how much the open spaces and natural beauty means to them and their families.
It has opened my eyes to the gem we have here in south Langley.
For two full evenings this week, for four to five hours each time, people poured out their hearts about how much they love it here, and how desperately they do not want big changes to come.
The biggest concern seems to be the effects of tripling the population on the aquifer, traffic, nature, and the spirit of the community.
Many people seemed to be okay with development that would carry on what has already been started, or breaking up five-acre lots into quarter acres. but any more than that seems to be too much.
Many large trees can still be retained on quarter-acre lots.
I remember very well back in the 60s and 70s, when development was starting here, that the spirit of the developers was to see how they could build houses in the middle of the stands of trees, and disturb the trees as little as possible. Then Joni Mitchell’s song was ringing in all our ears: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone; they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.â€
We didn’t want a parking lot then and we don’t want one now.
The spirit of Brookswood/Fernridge is still alive after all these years. If the vote by council is in favour of high-density housing here, it may very well succeed at last in breaking our spirit. If that happens, Langley will have lost a real treasure.
Thanks to my dear neighbours for opening my eyes much wider to the precious community that we have.
Let’s hope our pleas are not too late to save it.
Loriane Frewing, Brookswood