Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
new proposal. Why do I have to be inconvenienced by so many regulations?
This infringes my freedom. Canada is a democratic country and democracy
should be returned to the people.
A second intervener agreed. 'These rezonings have caused a lot of worry to
investors. Taxpayers' money should be making jobs not scaring people away.
I'm for freedom, what people need for themselves.' Another immigrant
speaking through an interpreter landed in Canada with her family in 1988
'in pursuit of democracy and freedom and to build a happy family home.
But this new proposal has shattered our dreams… So how do you say this is
freedom? We are concerned about a drop in land values. I really hope our
dream can be realized.' The language of family, enabling rights and freedoms,
and their material expression in the family home provided the boundary of
recognized obligations. SHPOA's appeal to neighbourhood was a missing
category that could not be understood. A fourth intervener moved from
political philosophy to family outcomes:
I oppose [the] changes. Is it right to deny the rights of these people? Is it right
for government to force rights? Canada is a free country. We decided to build
our own dream house for our own family needs. It was a family project.
Everyone was excited by [plans for] our new house. Now the children will
have to sleep in the basement.
For SHPOA, government would secure shared neighbourhood heritage by
setting limits. For the new immigrants government appeared as the spoiler
of the planned family home if it set those same limits.
Another principal theme carried from Hong Kong was an emphasis on
the exchange value of property. Members of the real estate industry lobbied
hard against downzoning. One Shaughnessy resident, a property developer,
sent eight letters to Council in a ten-week period, protesting the planned
downzoning. After noting that his company's 'normal practice of building
[is] to the maximum square footage allowed under the bylaws', he predicted
a fall in new property development if the downzoning went through, and
cautioned 'the present City Council was not elected with a mandate to
devalue people's property.' Such fear mongering was repeated by members
of the real estate industry to the media and at the public hearing. It touched
a responsive chord with the ethnic Chinese presenters, as noted in the state-
ments above and by the following speaker:
We have large lots and nice houses can be built on these lots. Land value is
dropping and there is a reduction of deals. There is evidence investors are
scared away. We have to attract more investors. We should do our best to main-
tain land values and all parts of the community will profit and the country will
grow prosperous.
