Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present
December 29, 2024 By: Aman Naqvi
Recent amendments to Ottawa’s urban boundary legislation offer insight into the ongoing struggle between urbanization and preservation. The option to apply for suburban development at any time, despite the relatively steep fee of 1.8 million, also shows a move towards providing for development rather than maintaining green areas.[1] This corresponds with conversations from Unit 3 on the topic of the difficulties of preserving ecosystems in the context of urbanization, such as the incorporation of land into urban use despite the communities’ opposition. Furthermore, the fact that the city’s planning is based on the comprehensive and systematic appraisal of land also aligns with the principles of sustainable urban development explored in the course. Promising developmental relations between developers and city planners to find a middle ground may pave the way to achieve growth and conservation at the same time, which aligns with the necessity to apply integrated planning strategies, as It was highlighted in our research.
There has been a growing concern towards Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in recent media discourses on conservation. As such, it shows how Indigenous knowledge can be incorporated into current conservationism. This is in line with the theoretical knowledge I had of Indigenous People, specifically how they were expelled from the conservation areas and how their rights were abused. For example, the recently signed Nature Agreement in British Columbia outlines cooperation with Indigenous peoples, which can be interpreted as a trend toward a more indigenous-centered conservation framework that respects Indigenous sovereignty and jurisdiction.[2] Regarding urbanization, IPCAs face challenges in British Columbia and raise concerns about land management and environmental justice within metropolitan jurisdictions. Specifically, when cities are growing, it is crucial to stress the efficient use of resources that do not harm the environment and people’s rights. Thus, focusing on these problems, the media underscores the ongoing search for a solution and the need for policy addressing conservation and urbanization.
Bibliography
Skura, Elyse. 2024. “Big Changes Are Coming to How Ottawa Manages Urban Growth.” CBC. October 5, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/big-changes-are-coming-to-how-ottawa-manages-urban-growth-1.7343543
Townsend, Justine, and Robin J. Roth. 2024. “Canada’s Nature Agreement Underscores the Need for True Reconciliation with Indigenous Nations.” The Conversation. January 4, 2024. https://theconversation.com/canadas-nature-agreement-underscores-the-need-for-true-reconciliation-with-indigenous-nations-217427
[1] Skura, Elyse. 2024. “Big Changes Are Coming to How Ottawa Manages Urban Growth.” CBC. October 5, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/big-changes-are-coming-to-how-ottawa-manages-urban-growth-1.7343543.
[2] Townsend, Justine, and Robin J. Roth. 2024. “Canada’s Nature Agreement Underscores the Need for True Reconciliation with Indigenous Nations.” The Conversation. January 4, 2024. https://theconversation.com/canadas-nature-agreement-underscores-the-need-for-true-reconciliation-with-indigenous-nations-217427
BC, in my opinion, is the Province that is leading the charge in terms of Indigenous cooperations and initiatives, but this isn’t a statement of sole pride in comparison to the other provinces, some provinces have indeed been lacking in recent years given the pushback from uneducated segments of the population as to the importance of reconciliation, but BC has the most to prove, given that despite the reputation of the province as a bastion of Efforts to repair Indigenous relations, the province is also the one with the most glaringly obvious Indigenous rights violations the most recent of which is what is happening to the peopling pushing back against the west coast pipelines. Many Provinces have issues, and many are unresolved but most of the territories that they occupy have treaties that while misused do lay a groundwork for the surrender of the land. Mostly citing the numbered treaties in this context, BC however is the largest section of the Unsecceded territory in Canada which is why its referenced so often here on Vancouver Island. It is also worth noting that BC also has the most indigenous peoples to make amends with, and the province has only gotten started.