Nature walkers beware!

Taking a walk out in the country can be hazardous to your health! I was following a transmission corridor north of Wakefield the other week on a walk, when I came upon a hunter with a weapon what looked liked an M16. I wasn't wearing any bright colors as I thought I was on a well used trail, I yelled out to him that I was human, but he was not amused. At least he didn't shoot me for scaring away his potential prize. I decided to get back to my car pronto, but on the way back, I met what must have been his very camouflaged wife sitting on the ground, didn't see her until I was only a few feet away. She was locked and loaded and sitting on the ground absolutely invisible and ready to blow away any animal that wandered her way. She scolded me for being out there during hunting season. There were no private property signage indicating this was a hunting spot. I didn't dare tell her that I'm vegetarian, she looked like a female equivalent of Rambo, I thanked her for not shooting me. I don't dislike hunters but I detest their attitude that wild lands and wildlife seem to belong to them. We're lucky to have the Gatineau Park to wander, but I've always enjoyed takern the path not taken in my journeys in my backyard paradise. Maybe I need to rethink my vision of nature's freedom?

STOP!

Many of us around the village of Wakefield were sad and shocked to hear that the Wakefield steam train people were allowed to spray herbicides along the tracks to control weeds. Why? Because LaPeche doesn't have by-laws like Chelsea that prohibit the use of herbicides, pesticides etc. in their municipality. As if this wasn't enough of an insult to families and kids, dogs etc. who walk along the tracks in the village, but there were no warnings that the railway corridor had been herbicied. No doubt that these herbicide chemicals would find their way into the Gatineau river considering the tracks are within a few feet of the river.

As if this wasn't enough insult to nature, a month or so ago, the same train people came through with a huge lawn mower to cut down trees (flowers) bordering the tracks, this buzz cut removed most vegetation along the river banks which of course is crucial to holding the banks against erosion. Yes, the village now has an unobstructed view of the river, but at what cost?

An old and unused closet of corroded batteries was cut down by this buzz cutter, and the batteries are now laying on the ground leaking their chemicals into the water and river. Where is the outrage? Where is the logic? STOP the madness!

What is going down?