Sir: The sun was shining when I moved to Chatham on June 3, 2009, complete with one dog and three cats. We had travelled 790 kilometres from Elliot Lake – the former home to 12 uranium mines (population 10,741) to Chatham-Kent (population 101,647).
My wife and I both fell in love with this town which we didn’t even know existed until my wife heard it mentioned while we were living up north.
Uranium mines – ugh I hadn’t heard Stomping Tom Connors singing his classic song about Elliot Lake’s uranium mines.
Here in Chatham-Kent, I couldn’t care less about The Capitol Theatre rumpus. Rightly or wrongly, I ain’t no politician but I care deeply about fresh air and nature – in fact I care about this beautiful earth and all God’s creation.
I admired those acres of wind turbines in Chatham, until I read all about the problems outlined by folks who are troubled about their household wells. After all, fresh water is provided by God for us to use.
That’s why I am also deeply concerned about fracking (or hydraulic fracturing) which of course is the process of extracting shale gas by pumping enormous amounts of pressurized water deeply into the ground.
Occasionally I’m a bit behind the times – yes, I admit it – but after viewing several Detroit Public TV programs about the folk singers Peter, Paul and Mary, I am beginning to realize the importance of their message.
But I can’t help chuckling (I have an impish sense of humour) when I remember how Mayor Hope recently received the national Friend of Wind award from the spring Canadian Wind Energy Association meeting in Quebec.
Stephen J. Beecroft
Chatham
