"Save Allan's Hill", letter to the editor by Ross Common, News & Views Jan. 1971
"SAVE ALLAN'S HILL" - CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING
(In the following Letter to The Editor, Ross Common expresses the views of the "Save Allan's Hill Committee")
To the Editor,
Have you considered what makes Baie d'Urfe a desirable place to live? Despite the many people who are regularly transferred away from here, there are others willing to move in. Is it the Library, Curling Club, Nursery School, Scouts, Guides, Cubs or Brownies, or is it the Swim Club, or maybe the baseball, soccer, hockey and basketball teams? All these activities serve various overlapping minority groups. Each utilizes a capital investment of lands, buildings or equipment. You will notice the summer-used facilities greatly outnumber the winter ones.
One of our real winter attractions is Allan's Hill. It is privately owned but has been loaned free for our use for a number of years. It is very widely used. For instance, of the 2,500 children enlisted in the West End YMCA Ski School this year, 600 are local children taking lessons on Allan's Hill. Naturally, older children gravitate to larger hills. This is akin to attending high schools outside of Baie d'Urfe after using elementary schools in the town.
For personal reasons, Mr. Allan now wishes to sell the hill. He has kept this hill open for our children's use for decades. Would we accuse our Town Council of being short-sighted if they did not open negotiations to purchase it?
The price of the hill is a difficult item to negotiate publicly ahead of a sale. The cost could be partly recovered by selling off 6 to 8 choice Lakeshore Road lots. Also, could it be partly paid for by selling off part of a less utilized redundant park? There are a number of different schemes possible. At the most it would affect the average householder less than $20 a year. If Beaconsfield would participate as well this amount would be reduced.
Do you think it would be short-sighted of us if we did not try to obtain this property? Would you like to save this Hill for your children and their children and their children? If you with to save the Hill, write our Town Council and let them know your thoughts. Inertia and indifference alone will result in a negative decision.
Ross Common
for the SAVE ALLAN'S HILL COMMITTEE
References
Original scanned image from N&V, Jan. 1971:
save Allan's Hill letter to the editor by Ross Common, News & Views Jan. 1971
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