Ontario town trying to stop local garden from being replaced by huge military tank

Blogto.com
Feb. 14, 2024
Kimia Afshar Mehrabi

Stouffville residents were recently enraged and blindsided by a plan to replace a local volunteer-built garden with a demilitarized tank, with the cost of its relocation estimated to be anywhere between $245,000 and $400,000.

The Canada 150 garden, located at Stouffville Memorial Park, was established in 2017 in honour of the country's 150th birthday, all thanks to the assistance of several volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the year.

According to the Stouffville Horticultural Society, the garden has now matured into a bustling pollinator and bee-friendly space filled with native flora, and is regularly enjoyed by residents of all ages.

In mid-December, the society said it was blindsided after the town voted on replacing the garden with a cenotaph from the Stouffville Legion, as well as a decommissioned 84,000-pound Leopard 1 tank, which Canada's armed forces used between 1977 and 2017.

A petition against the tank's relocation has already garnered approximately 1,600 signatures in just a few weeks, with many local residents expressing their disapproval of the proposal.

"The Town did not notify us in advance of their decision, nor did they consult the public over the proposal," the petition reads.

The campaign notes intensifying climate change and its risks to pollinators, stating that "it is imperative that gardens such as ours are maintained."

"Ironically, Stouffville was named a 'Bee City' this year, which SHOULD see the town fostering and maintaining such gardens and green spaces. In addition, not disturbing the garden would save taxpayers a lot of money," the campaign continues.

"Please note that while our main concern is saving the garden, we are mindful of the fact that a Weapon of War in the midst of our community may cause trauma to some of our citizens."

In a letter sent to the Mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville and council, Ron Baird, the artist responsible for several of the metal sculptures along Stouffville's Sculpture Walk, also expressed his disappointment with the proposal.

"The Centennial Garden, built and sustained by volunteers, is the source of our community pride. It inspires and educates and helps us understand that our lives depend upon the pollinators it supports. It is a beautiful testament to the natural cycle of life – birth, death renewal, a restorative place of great tranquility and calm. But you already know this," Baird wrote.

"News of chaos, death and destruction in the world today is inescapable. The Leopard Tank is a tool whose singular purpose is to rain death, terror and destruction upon people we disagree with. Many of the citizens now living peacefully in Stouffville have fled its effects and everyone of us has lost a friend or relative to war."

In response to the backlash, council passed a resolution directing staff to undertake public consultation to "obtain feedback with respect to the future design" of the memorial area.

Mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Iain Lovatt, says that more public consultations will take place over the course of the next few months where community members will have a chance to express their thoughts and concerns about the proposal.

"While I am fully committed to relocating the cenotaph into a 'once and for all' memorial within Memorial Park, I recognize that there should have been consultation with the Stouffville Horticultural Society specifically, and the broader community beyond just a council meeting. Again, for that, I am sorry, and the lesson has been learned by myself and staff," Lovatt said.

"Moving forward, a similar occurrence will be avoided," he added.

"Tanks represent war and violence," one concerned resident wrote under the petition. "Plant peace!"