For 20 days, and counting, two people named Andy and Clarence have lived in trees on Hamiton's Niagara Escarpment (see the Globe and Mail page M1 June 5, 2004). Their preches are strategically placed directly adjacent to the blast zone where the City of Hamilton wants to blow a hole 45 feet deep and 240 feet wide in the Niagara Escarpment - a World Biosphere Reserve - to make way for the paving of a new expressway through the Red Hill Valley.

TREE SITTERS REACH DAY 20 IN RED HILL VALLEY BLAST ZONE-
Project Manager Threatens to Begin Blasting Inspite of Safety Concerns

For 20 days, and counting, two people named Andy and Clarence have lived in trees on Hamiton's Niagara Escarpment (see the Globe and Mail page M1 June 5, 2004). Their preches are strategically placed directly adjacent to the blast zone where the City of Hamilton wants to blow a hole 45 feet deep and 240 feet wide in the Niagara Escarpment - a World Biosphere Reserve - to make way for the paving of a new expressway through the Red Hill Valley.

It would be very unsafe and criminally negligent for blasting to go forward with these two brave people in the trees mere paces from the blast zone - and so their presence is breathing new life into the long standing struggle to stop the Red Hill Valley Expressway. However, on June 16th in the Hamilton Spectator, Red Hill Project Manager Chris Murray has stated that they intend to proceed with blasting as early as next week regardless of obvious safety issues. Andy and Clarence are vowing to remain in their perches.

Amy Smith, one of the protectors of the Valley, says "We are here today to remind Developers, city Councilors and every Hamiltonian, Ontarian, and Canadian that it is NOT TOO LATE to end the destruction. There are affordable alternatives. We have not forgotten about Red Hill Valley and we never will."

On June 12th a large public rally turned into direct action when 75 people entered the injunction zone and successfully delivered large amounts of food and supplies to the tree-sitters inspite of the large presence of private security gaurds hired by the city. As a result, the sitters are well stocked and could stay in place indefinately putting the time sensitive blasting work on which the entire project depends in jeapordy. The plans for Red Hill Valley include using the blasted rock to fill and level the expressway route, so the whole project may be stalled by the courageous action of the two tree-sitters.

Concerned people in Hamilton, and some local First Nations have been opposing the Expressway for decades. They are concerned about a myriad of issues including First Nations treaty and hunting rights, loss of public green space for Hamilton, threat to the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere's many endangered and threatened species, air quality and asthma rates in lower-income East Hamilton (studies show the expressway will double the number of smog days), $200 million dollars in wasted public money, one million more trucks per year rumbling through the community, and disruption to an 11,000 year old archealogical site.

The tree-sitters, and their success in holding off the development, have re-ignited the broad base of oppostion to the expressway. "Increasingly, ordinary people are coming to the difficult conclusion that unless we stand up now and fight for the health of our environment, we may soon wake up to find that it is too late," said expressway opponent Jennifer Black. "We cannot sit idly by while irresponsible developers, greedy corporations, and their political friends pave over the last remnants of our sacred ecological life support systems, and trample on the long neglected rights of this area's First Nations." With opposition to the expressway swelling once again, and the more sympathetic NDP poised for a Hamilton sweep in the upcoming Federal Election this issue is far from over.

To Arrange For INTERVIEW Contact:
Amy - tree...@hotmail.com
or call (905) 388-1422

For More Information See:
www.treesit.revolutionweb.org - Tree Sit website with daily updates
http://www.hwcn.org/link/forhv/ - Friends of Red Hill Valley (lots of background info on issues)
www.hamilton.indymedia.org