Paradise Lost - The Tyranny of Conformity Revisited: Most Recent Development

» biogardener - Most Recent Development

Here is an update on what has happened in the meantime.

The Canadian Environmental Defense Fund had sent a landscape architect from Regina to investigate the situation about the destruction of my garden. With her recommendation, they supported suing the City of Winnipeg for damages. Plans had been made in consultation with the Toronto lawyer who had won the Sandy Bell case, Murray Klippenstein. I shall not name the lawyer who was going to fight the case here. He got involved in politics and kept promising to look after the case as soon as the next political campaign was over. Well, he never got around to doing anything, and now it is too late. I was so convinced with his dedication to environmental issues that I trusted him. Big mistake, it turns out!

This spring, the two neighbors who oppose my gardening methods got noisy again. This time, they took a new approach. The got the media, TV and newspapers, to harrass me. In the meantime, Winnipeggers have become more environmentally conscious, and the media coverage brought a whole lot of support. A whole lot of people came to see my garden, and a petition for my support was passed around without any input from me. It was signed by people all over Winnipeg, and certainly by many neighbors. I am told that only 3 neighbors did not want to sign for fear of retribution.

During the resulting hearing at city hall, the room was filled with supporters, none of whom I had even met before this. Three of them made presentations in my support. There were no presentations against, in fact, none of my opponents were even present. The city counsellor who had been quoted in the media as supporting the two opposing neighbors stated for the record that he had been misquoted in the paper.

That was 6 days ago. I am still getting visitors who can't understand what the neighbors want.

I have also had offers of help from various people. One landscape designer is bringing friends to help me with the heavy pruning which is getting increasingly difficult for me. I am not getting any younger, and pruning the large apple trees is getting to be a real chore.

Now I all I am wishing for is a bit of peace.

-- posted by biogardener