Agriculture vrs "Development"

Dear Editor
The Twin Valley Resort project proposed for the Little bow Reservoir has drawn a line drawn between farming and development. Seems everytime the government tells us that a new dam will benefit agriculture, we end up with another subdivision around a "lake." This "lake" came with the added cost of $80 million to relocate a Hutterite colony. Twin Valley Resort now wants to put 360 condos around this "lake. Their huge Calgary lawyer reminded me of Goliath as he roared for and hour and a half against the idea of council interfering with their public access to this area. A dozen farmers sat quietly in the back rows listening to how unfit their land was for agriculture. I wondered where Goliath thought his dinner came from. He stressed the added tax revenue that would come into the area with this development and suggested the fire risk would be held in check by high insurance rates. As for increased road traffic, the condos owners would take the longer highway route in from highway 2 rather than short cut by the old road. When Goliath finished it was time for lunch, perhaps his strategy since only 5 of us returned in the afternoon. Many, like Nanton's Mayor Blake, had other meetings and harvesting demands. Blake left written questions about the increased demands on volunteer fire department, ambulance and police services from this development larger than the town of Stavely. Before any protestors could speak, Goliath demanded 30 letters in support of the project be read into record. I recognized some names from the Silver Willow Lodge but others were from as far away as Sherwood Park. (shareholders?) Finally at 1:30 PM, neighbours to this project, Gerald Lyon, Diana Andrews and her daughter, spoke on behalf of themselves and Parkland Agriculture Society. The daughter, a 5th generation member of a farming family, wondered how she and her husband could continue farming amidst this new settlement. These "David's" plead not only to protect agriculture but also the environment they cared passionately about. I left wondering if this time Goliath would prevail or would he be smitten by a council that stuck to a long held tradition of protecting agriculture in Willow Creek Municipality.
Sincerely
Larry MacKillop