The Dream of a Community Forest

                                                      The Proposed Community Forest at Quayside 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. 

On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

                                                        Revelation 22:1-2

 Our younger daughter works for Dream one of the biggest property developers in Toronto, so likely Canada. She knows more about the creation of condo projects than I could ever take in and she seems to be quite clever in managing a multitude of spreadsheets as the various buildings come to fruition. 

This week she shared with the family that Dream will partner in the shift in plans for a five hectare parcel of highly coveted land along the Toronto waterfront. That might not seem like a big chunk of property but it's worth a gajillion bucks in the Big Smoke. For years the talk was that a Google company called Sidewalk Labs was going to transform the site into a high-tech neighbourhood complete with public wi-fi, heated and illuminated sidewalks and so-called “raincoats” for buildings.Despite the relentless rah-rah there was a bunch of concerns, including data gathering and privacy. 

The release on Tuesday included these proposals: 

Highlights of the project include more than 800 affordable housing units in the first phase of development, a two-acre forested green space, a multi-use arts venue, and an urban farm that will be housed on top of one of Canada’s largest residential mass timber buildings. The project will also be the first all-electric, zero-carbon community at this scale, Waterfront Toronto said in a news release. 

By the end of the project, at least 30 per cent of the residential spaces housed at Quayside will be affordable units owned by the City of Toronto and operated by a non-profit partner, according to city councillor Joe Cressy -- who sits on Waterfront Toronto’s board and represents the Spadina-Fort York riding where the community will be housed.

This development ticks a lot of boxes for a modern city, from alternatives to concrete, which requires a lot of energy to produce, to much-needed affordable housing, to signficant green space and urban gardening. 

A recent report shared that green space is shrinking in most Canadian cities as the land becomes more valuable. Everything from small urban woodlots to golf courses are swallowed up. It's clever to use the terms "community forest" and "overstorey" to describe the areas in Quayside which will be green. 

It makes me think of the passage from the book of Revelation as the end of our Christian bible. Scripture begins in a garden (Genesis) and ends in one. The garden of Revelation has a river with pure water and lots of trees along its banks "for the healing of the nations."

We are aware that developers are in this for the moolah, but we Groundlings can celebrate any practical example of the "new heaven and new earth, can't we?  

Suffer the Little Children in Ottawa

 

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

                                         Matthew 18:1-6

I last wrote in this Groundling blog a week ago and I reflected on the assault on the sense of hearing for those living in proximity to the insurrection near Parliament Hill in Ottawa. For a time it seemed that an agreement to end to the blaring noise which was affecting everyone who lived in proximity to the encampment of transport trucks. 

That ceasefire has been intermittent and this morning a reporter tweeted that the din was as loud as it had ever been last night, although most of the trucks and their horns are now farther away from residential areas. 

I think it's horrific that in the midst of this cacophony there are approximately 100 children who have been brought to the sites by their parents. Not only are they subjected to intense noise levels, which studies shwo affects children more than adults. Not only that, they have been forced to endure diesel fumes throughout this debacle, and again children are more vulnerable to air pollution. And what about their absence from school. This is a hostage-taking, not parenting. 

It's sad that some of these alleged adults are "beam me up Scotty" Christians who seem to care about nothing more than their personal grievances in this life and a pie-in-the-sky prospect of the life to come. Their unvaccinated kids are suffering in so many ways, and we have to wonder how it is that Indigenous children are still regularly scooped from families  while this abuse in Ottawa goes on without intervention from Children's Aid or anyone else with authority to do so. We are all children of the God of Creation and Incarnation, and so our senses matter, and so do our lungs which receive life-giving air. 

Jesus blessed children and although he was rarely "smitey" in his teaching he offered a dire warning to those who brought harm to vulnerable little ones. Hey folks, this is gospel truth for all Groundlings.  

Thanks God police are concerned about the safety as children as removals are imminent. We can pray for their safety. 

Cacophony and Keeping the Peace

 

                                                                      Downtown Ottawa Occupation 

CACOPHONY

an unpleasant mixture of loud sounds 

KEEP THE PEACE

1. refrain or prevent others from disturbing civil order.

   "the police must play a crucial role in keeping the peace"

[God said to Elijah] , “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

                                                1 Kings 19:11-12 NRSV

During the past ten days an unpleasant mixture of self-absorbed people has occupied the core of Canada's capital city of Ottawa. To be fair, a portion of the thousands in the initial group were there for what they felt was a legitimate, peaceful protest against mandates for vaccinations. The organizers had a naiive notion that they would stay until the mandates for truckers crossing international borders would be rescinded. They had the bizarre conviction that the Canadian Senate and the Governor General could dissolve Parliament, effectively voiding the recent federal election. 

This group was joined by thousands of yobs and yahoos (how do I really feel about this?) who were there to uphold their "freedom" from anything they didn't want to do. Most of us who have parented teenagers have impressed upon them that freedom must be accompanied by responsibility and acceptance of conseqences but this gang seemed to have missed those conversations. 

In the mix of obnoxious behaviour which has disrupted the downtown of Ottawa was the incessant use of transport truck horns as a sign of displeasure. No matter that there are hospitals nearby, a shelter for women, the residences of thousands, including senior citizens. Not only have these people been impacted by the overwhelming noise, when they complained to those who were creating it they were regularly intimidated.

I have been baffled by the tolerance of those in authority to address this act of violence on the part of an unruly mob. Some have suggested that this occupation has been peaceful because there have been no significant physical injuries but we know that sound has been weaponized, used for terror and assault in war zones and prisons. How is this any different and why have the police been so reluctant to "keep the peace," which is part of their mandate? 

Finally, finally, a combination of a court injunction, a class-action lawsuits, and police intervention led to a semblance of quiet, although protesters are still lurking about. 

Before these actions brought an end to the suffocating din there was something of a Sabbath peace as organizers of the occupation agreed to cease and desist with the horns this past Sunday morning. Some of these people claim to be Christians, although I simply can't imagine how the message of self-giving love in Christ has metasticized to this selfishness. 

I am convinced that the growing assault of noise in our world is not only an environmental issue but a profound spiritual concern. Not only do we Groundlings and all other creatures need to hear ourselves think, it is imperative that we listen for the Creator. 

What comes to mind is the story of the beleaguered prophet Elijah who flees for his life to the wilderness. After the cacophony of storms and earthquakes God speaks to Elijah in the sheer silence. I'm relieved that the residents of downtown Ottawa will now experience relative quiet once again after days of assault. I wish that the occupiers would look to the example of Elijah and of Jesus as those who heard God in the silence, but I'm not counting on their ability to listen to anything other than their own inner demons. 

Praise God for the World's Wetlands

This is World Wetlands Day! Hurray! (cue streamers and noisemakers) Okay, wetlands may not be a source of excitment for lots of people, but around the planet they are essential ecosystems playing an important role in purifying water, stabilizing shorelines, and processing nutrients.

Because humans have a propensity for doing the wrong things when it comes to stewardship of the Earth we have drained marshes, swamps, wetlands through the centuries, destroying habitat for a myriad of creatures and removing protection from flooding. Everywhere from the coastal wetlands of Louisiana, to the marshes of Israel, to the bogs of Ireland, these sensitive areas have been drained and diverted. Now expensive rehabilitation and protection projects are underway in many places, including Southern Ontario, because they are vital to biodiversity.

Pharaoh's Daughter and Moses -- Marc Chagall

There is a well-known biblical wetland story in Exodus when the newborn baby Moses is hidden in the riverside reeds or bulrushes from death-dealing Egyptian soldiers. He is rescued by an Egyptian princess, grows up under her protection, and eventually leads his people to freedom from oppression through marshland, the Sea of Reeds. Where would our story of faith be without Moses?

At this time of year our local wetlands are frozen but in a couple of months we will be exploring them again in kayaks and canoe.The spring peepers and the wood ducks and the herons will proclaim the fullness of Creation. Do I admit that coming alongside a snapping turtle is a religious experence? As Summer unfolds we will give thanks for the cattails and the dragonflies and the muskrats and... Thank God for wetlands!