November 14, 2007
Editorials - www.yorkregion.com

U of T needs to take citizenship class

The 180-odd acres surrounding the David Dunlap Observatory are so much a part of Richmond Hill many of us have taken them for granted — until now.

After years of rumours, the University of Toronto’s governing council officially voted to declare the once-significant observatory surplus and to sell the lands at fair market value.

Whatever eventually happens, there are sure to be disputes for years, potentially recalling the battles over development on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

There have been many arguments — scientific, historical, environmental — about the observatory’s importance and its future.

When it came time to make a decision, however, the university took some into account and ignored others.

While acknowledging U of T’s need to put its academic and financial priorities first, it would be nice to think it would give consideration to the community it has been a part of for more than 70 years. Clearly it did not.

For example, U of T provost Vivek Goel cited an article about how light pollution has affected the facility. However, he neglected to mention a revolutionary light pollution bylaw the town passed in 1995. It has kept light near 1970s levels, despite massive growth.

What most upset the residents who attended the Oct. 30 meeting was the university’s claim this was an open process. Some were told they could speak if they first submitted a letter. They were then told the letters were distributed to governors, so there was no need for them to speak. Councillor Godwin Chan, in whose ward the lands reside, said the town learned of the sale at virtually the same time as everyone else.

Indeed, The Liberal called U of T in January, when rumours of an impending sale were swirling. Peter Martin, chairperson of the astronomy department, said there were no immediate or pending plans to close the facility.

Now the university is showing its “good citizenship” saying if the town is willing to outbid developers and pay $100 million or more for the land, it will be happy to sell it to them.

Hardly a friendly stance from a public institution gifted the lands for the study of astronomy, not as a way to make a massive profit.

There has been one protest and a Facebook group, Save the David Dunlap Observatory, has been created and at this writing had 87 members. But it is difficult to determine now if the community will be able to mobilize to save this beautiful tract of green space.

Richmond Hill is in the process of having the buildings and land designated as heritage properties. If it succeeds, the buildings will be protected from demolition, mitigating the value of the land for developers.

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