Exercise #4
July 29, 2025 By: Amir Meshgini
For the first part of this exercise, I’d like to go back to the article I used in Exercise 3. In 2024, Ottawa removed the “provincially significant” designation from wetlands in Goulbourn Township, opening the door to suburban housing development on previously protected land. While Canada is clearly in a housing crisis, this decision raised serious questions for me. We know that ecologists had already confirmed the importance of these wetlands, yet the City of Ottawa decided to remove them from protected areas—and people only started to take notice after a year.
As for my position on this, I’m strongly against it–and for good reason. From the moment I read about this decision, I couldn’t help but wonder: why weren’t alternatives considered? One obvious option is LeBreton Flats, a large central area that was demolished in the 1960s, displacing many ethnic communities. Redevelopment plans have been a failure for the most part and only the War Museum project has recently finished, yet the larger portion of the area remains unused.
A more positive example that came to mind is Canada’s progress on banning single-use plastics. In December 2022, the federal government began phasing out items like plastic bags and cutlery. This achievement didn’t result from one protest alone, but from years of activism, and public education. A 2024 protest in Ottawa built on that momentum, peacefully calling for full enforcement of the laws. As corporations now challenge the ban in court, continued public pressure could still influence the legal process and help reinforce environmental priorities.
Watching the documentary If a Tree Falls also helped me reflect on how civil disobedience works. Although I don’t support the tactics used by the Earth Liberation Front, I understand the urgency behind their actions. In contrast, peaceful protests like the one in Ottawa are more likely to bring lasting results and gain broader public support. All in all, I think civil disobedience can be powerful when it’s peaceful.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/wetlands-owes-designations-goulbourn-1.7347865