Yesterday went off without a hitch. The first day of work was shut down & close to the end of the work day Drexler brought in a small crew to remove the heavy machinery from the site. Yesterday was one of the first hot and sunny days of the summer, but once the engine started on that machine, a massive rain fell and only ended once the machine was far from the site. Also as the machine left the site, a rainbow appeared to frame the machine. Soon after, the police presence was gone & we had a calm, quiet but celebratory night on site. At the end of the day we had a sighting of the blue heron, who calls the creek they are destroying it’s home, it flew over our heads and into the wetlands for the night.

The city also came with police escorts to inform us that we are trespassing on their property sometime in the late afternoon.

At the same time we were on the site, 25 supporters gathered at city hall before Monday’s council meeting to let the city know that any eviction of the land defenders would be hotly contested.

This morning was good & there has been few sightings of police or workers. Folks have been getting acquainted with the site today, & working around the camp as well as taking walks through the old growth we have come out to defend.

We still need tons of support, you’re welcome to come out to the site and join us. We welcome anyone who can stop by and we really appreciate all the support, food & gifts and honks from the broader community. Come on out to the site to chat with us, the site entrance is just north of laird rd. & downey rd. in the south end of town.

You can get in touch with us by phone at:

519 820 6280 or

519 820 6239

or e-mail us at:
hcbpoccupation@gmail.com

We are welcoming all donations, support & media coverage we can get.

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Hey Folks:

Things are still nicely quiet at the Old Growth Forest, the site of the proposed HCBP. Had a bit of a wet night, crossing our fingers for sunlight so that we can dry off a little. But we managed to keep our food and firewood dry, and are thankful for that. (Donations of extra rain gear and tarps would be much appreciated!)

This morning we were visited by two beautiful Great Blue Herons playing in the sky above us, reminding us that this is their home.

We are planing some fun events that we welcome all of you to join us for!

Thursday and Friday we will have two Forest walks: one at 2 pm and one at 6 pm
Come out and visit, and see some of those beautiful old old trees, like the giant Beach that seems to touch the sky.

Saturday we are planning a family fun day full of events for all of us! (we will have face paints!)

Plant walk: 3:00

Forest walk: 4:30

Pot-luck: 6 (We have a fire that we cook over, feel free to bring sausages, potatoes, and other campfire happy food)

Folk show and tell: 8:30
Come and play music, tell stories, and share our campfire with us!

*We do have a no drinking policy, so please no alcohol*

If you are wondering how to reach us: Drive down Downey, past Teal drive (the end of the suburbs). You should see cars parked, banners, and people waiting in a driveway on your left hand side.

We have two contact numbers on the land:

Camp Contact: (519) 820-6280
Media Contact: (519) 820- 6239

Our Wish List:

- Bristol Board
- markers
- Tarps
- extra rain gear
- Veggies
- rice
- eggs
- other yummy food stuffs.

If you would like to help in other ways, please contact the City of Guelph to let the campers stay, and demand the City lives up to their statements of protecting wildlife habitat and concern for the environment. For police to arrest anyone for trespassing, they need authorization of the landowner. In this case the landowner is the City of Guelph, and we need to make sure they don’t send in police to arrest people who are defending this land and water that we all need.

Please call:

Mayor Karen Farbridge
519-837-5643
mayor@guelph.ca

Hans Loewig
Chief Administrative Officer
519-837-5602
administration@guelph.ca

Peter Cartwright
General Manager of Economic Development and Tourism
519-837-5600 x2820
peter.cartwright@guelph.ca

Ward 6 Councilors
Christine Billings
519-826-0567
christine.billings@guelph.ca

Karl Wettstein
519-763-5105
karl.wettstein@guelph.ca

Hear the land! Heed the call! HALT THE SPRAWL! NO HCBP!

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Hey folks:

Today, Peter Cartwright came up to the HCBP occupation site to deliver a notice for our eviction. The notice states that we are to be off the site by *tomorrow, July 30th, at 4pm*. The eviction notice was delivered threatening charge of trespassing. We are committed to the protection of tributary A, the old growth forest, the blue heron, and this thriving and vital ecosystem that sustains us.

We are looking for support, both on and off the site. If you are able to, we strongly encourage and support your decision to come join us tomorrow at 4 pm. If you do not feel comfortable coming up to the encampment and potentially facing a charge of trespassing, we encourage you to show your support by standing at the entranceway off of Downey. If you are unable to be on site, please show your support by calling the following people to express that you are opposed to the eviction of people who are defending this land and water that we all need. Please express that you disagree with any arrests that will be made.

If you feel that calls aren’t enough, try to find them in person at city hall.