The Red Hill Valley is Hamilton's largest park and natural area. The 7.5 kilometer valley is the centerpiece of 700 hectares of inter-connected publicly owned parkland in the industrial east end of Hamilton, which comprises over one-third of all the parkland in the City of Hamilton.

The valley area encompasses part of the Niagara Escarpment and provides the only remaining natural corridor between the Escarpment and Lake Ontario. Red Hill Creek is the last of 14 streams that once flowed through the City of Hamilton. It is the second largest stream currently flowing into Hamilton Harbor.

Located along the border between the cities of Hamilton and Stony Creek, the Red Hill Creek Valley is the only remaining natural area that connects the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario. Red Hill Creek and its tributaries run through the length of the valley, creating three scenic waterfalls along the escarpment. Red Hill Creek is the second largest stream entering Hamilton Harbor. The trail crosses Mount Albion road and descends into King Forest valley crossing Red Hill Creek. A side trail allows access and viewi

High-level impacts are predicted to visual resources. Approximately 500 meters of the Red Hill Valley Recreational Trail will be displaced (this trail was constructed in 1995-96). Approximately 100 meters of the world known Bruce Trail will be displaced because of this construction plan. Other impacts include closing three soccer fields and up to 4 baseball diamonds.

It is absolutely ridiculous that a program originally estimated to cost $16 million is now estimated to cost $200 million of taxpayer's money. This is because the project has been held up for 40 years by a few dissidents and special interest groups, and due to the lack of fortitude of some politicians. It is interesting to note that the majority of those quoting so-called "facts" do not seem to have any expertise in the subject but are merely mouthing what someone opposed to the project has told them. The cost to complete the highway will work out to $24 per household per year. That's less than 50 cents a week. We have already expended 60% of the total cost of the project. We must finish it to realize the value of our investment. So, build the expressway and then refurbish and maintain the remainder as a full-blown urban conservation area.

This project may accelerate the deterioration of the downtown business core of Hamilton because consumers will use the expressway to get to suburban malls.

Why this big issue?...Why conflicts? The Impacts

Lastly, there will be large economic cost faced by the community due to this project. There will be no money for the City's public hospitals, the Regional Cancer Center, and the expansion of the emergency services, to name a few.

East Hamilton's air quality would be further degraded along with people's health. The road planners have already warned that the elderly and the young "should be encouraged to limit their exposures, and not frequent the Red Hill Valley once the expressway has been completed." The $220 million construction cost will drive up the already high property taxes and accelerate urban sprawl. The loss of parkland and the environmental destruction caused by the expressway will worsen Hamilton's polluted reputation and send new good paying high-tech and information age jobs to other communities that take better care of their quality of life.

The majority of the traffic will be diverted from slower existing roads. The expressway will help control and reduce air emissions and not increase them. Many of the slower roads have increased traffic flow, which release more emissions from cars and trucks. It will reduce emissions from cars and trucks altogether, since they will be traveling at greater speed.

The Official Plan has strongly worded protection of natural areas including: "The ecological functions and physical qualities of Hamilton-Wentworth's natural features should be used in such a way that they are protected, preserved and enhanced"

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bruce Trail, Niagara Escarpment, Municipality Hamilton-Wentworth, Hill Valley, Hamilton Developing, Hill Creek, Cancer Center, Valley Expressway, Elizabeth Bagshaw, Albion Falls, red hill, red hill creek, hill creek, hill valley, red hill valley, city hamilton, future generations, valley expressway, hamilton harbor, niagara escarpment, escarpment lake ontario, creek valley, red hill expressway, albion falls, ontario red hill,
Approximate Word count = 2172
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)