The public was invited to consider the implications of the controversial SkyDev waterfront in a new light on Friday and Saturday, November 26 and 27.
The public’s connection to the natural environment and in particular to the 608 trees that could be destroyed if Meaford council approves the commercial and residential project were portrayed through a variety of mediums – paintings, sculpture, fabric art, photography, music, installation art, and poetry in an interactive exhibition hosted by a group concerned citizens, at the Meaford Public Library.
There was a steady flow of people to view the artwork, according to group spokesperson Anne Boody Horwood.
“We couldn’t believe the number of people, young and old, some newcomers to Meaford,” she said. “Our intention was to raise public awareness of the trees that could be threatened by the SkyDev development, and to help people understand the connections we have, the artist community included, to these trees. In this day of climate crisis, how important are trees? Though a small woodlot, it is symbolic of our concern. Do we pave over all woodlots? How far do we go? In these days of climate change we need carbon sequestering. Developers say: ‘We are sustainable. We will add trees to replace the trees we take down’, but how long would it take for their saplings to catch up to these mature trees. The spirit of the show was to capture the artistic community’s support for the natural environment. It was deliberately designed not to be an art sale. The Friends of the Meaford Library meeting room with all of its natural light was an ideal venue.”
