Editor:
As a founding member and secretary of the former Save Our Sunnyside, now the Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society, I would like to commend all those who took part in this momentous occasion to protect this wild forest and its inhabitants, giving us all a wonderful serene habitat to visit and enjoy, now well into its 30th year.
Since then, my children have grown up and I have grandchildren, but 30 years ago I ran in the municipal election on the Sunnyside Acres ticket. “Every acre of forest consumes 13 tons of gas and dust, our air pollution every year.” I repeated this mantra over and over at each candidates’ meeting, asking the electorate to choose forests and resident creatures over chainsaws and bulldozers – say “Yes!” to dedicated urban forests.
All those who worked diligently for years saw the fruits of their labours concluded with the dedication of a great part of Sunnyside Acres as a permanent natural urban forest habitat. The people of North Surrey followed our lead and a large portion of Green Timbers also became dedicated as natural forest.
During the campaign, I wrote a promotional song, made a video and attended a zillion meetings to reach this first-in-Canada vote to save Sunnyside as a dedicated urban forest park in perpetuity. We were led by Wally Ross. Some may remember the leaflet Wally sent out to our neighbourhood, “There goes the neighbourhood…” or does it? with a proposed meeting time and place. The SOS movement had begun!
Thanks to Wally, our wise, inspirational and politically intelligent leader, who has since passed away, the campaign went well for us all. Today, we still have Sunnyside Acres to enjoy with our offspring well into the future, and wildlife there still have a home. Wally is pleased.
Through the clatter and haste of our lives, Sunnyside has given us a small piece of nature to commune with our souls, to remember our natural roots and breathe in the forest air.
A toast to those, both here and gone!
Sharon Sedola (formerly Horn), Nanoose Bay
