Children win turtle sign battle; County council reverses decision after Kids for Turtles campaign draws international attention
DON PEAT
For:
www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com
- Thursday, July 05, 2007 @ 00:00
Talk about turtle power.
After a delegation of children and a lengthy discussion yesterday, county councillors reversed a decision to stop installing turtle crossing signs along county roads.
Council approved a motion to maintain the 42 turtle crossing signs in existence, only put up new signs beside county roads near provincially significant wetlands and lobby the provincial government to add the signs to the Ontario Traffic Manual.
The motion at the regular council meeting repeals a previous motion to only post signs in the Ontario Traffic Manual, which doesn't include turtle crossing signs, passed a month ago.
The campaign to restore the signs spearheaded by the local children's group Kids for turtles garnered international attention and drew celebrity support from environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki and Booker Prize-winning author Yann Martel.
After council's decision to keep the unique yellow and black turtle signs, Kids for turtles spokesman Cameron McNab, 13, said he was amazed they won the fight.
"I'm not completely surprised - this is politics after all," McNab said. "I'm happy they've reconsidered in our favour."
Looking back on the process, the Grade 8 pupil said the group made more than an environmental point.
"It proves kids can make a difference here," McNab said.
Warden Ron Gerow congratulated the children for their determination and dedication to their cause.
Gerow said he received lots of calls over the last two weeks about the turtle issue, including many from local biologists.
"If nothing else I know from a personal standpoint I've learned a lot about turtles," Gerow said.
McNab, 13, was the first to address council yesterday.
He reminded council they originally approved the turtle crossing signs in 2001 when approached by Kids for turtles after the group raised $4,000 for the effort.
The county awarded them a heritage award for their efforts, McNab said.
"Turtles are still in trouble and yet one month ago you revoked your earlier promise to maintain or replace turtle crossing signs in the county," McNab said.
He pointed to 11 other counties and seven cities that now use the turtle crossing signs.
The six children from Kids for turtles were joined by high school student Samantha Woolley.
A volunteer at the Kawartha turtle Trauma Centre, Woolley started the online petition to save the signs that has garnered 1,193 signatures.
In response to complaints that the turtle signs are stolen too often, McNab proposed county workers carry an extra crossing sign in their truck to replace missing signs quickly and consider greasing the backs of the signs to reduce theft.
"No one wants something that dirty in the backseat of their car," McNab said.
Councillors were largely supportive of keeping the signs after several weeks of pressure from concerned residents.
"You've got my wife, my grandchildren, everybody lobbying me to put up signs," North Kawartha Reeve Jim Whelan said to the group.
"You've made this not only an Ontario and a County of Peterborough issue but a global issue."
McNab said the group has already written letters to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal asking for the change to be made.
Asphodel-Norwood Reeve Doug Pearcy said driving along county roads himself he has realized turtles are at risk.
"I have come to the conclusion in my own mind that public awareness is what we have to do," Pearcy said. "I support returning the signs to provincially significant wetlands."
Not all councillors were in favour of the reversal.
"What is the evidence that these signs are actually effective?" Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Reeve Ron Millen asked.
Ian McIntosh, the Toronto Zoo's adopt-a-pond program co-ordinator, said the signs are the first step in preserving an endangered species and raising awareness around the issue.
"Surely there is a better way than putting up signs," Millen said.
Before council voted on saving the signs, county public works director Chris Bradley presented a report to council updating them on the turtle sign issue.
Repeating the history of council's decision last month, Bradley said it was never meant to target just turtle signs.
"It was an issue related to signs other than those in the manual staff use," Bradley said. "We wanted consistent guidelines that can be used for placing road signs along the road allowance."
There are 42 turtle crossing signs in the county, Bradley said, placed in spots from a list provided by Kids for turtles.
Some signs have gone missing and in some cases the poles have gone missing as well, he said.
McNab said the group has more work to do including continuing to lobby the province to add the turtle crossing signs to the traffic manual.
