Casino Course Update - "Golf Foes Come Out Swinging"

[Kilroy]

I just read in the Citizen that there is a coalition of environmentalists who are now trying to stop the Casino golf course at Lac Lemay from being built altogether.
Gerard Desjardins is a board member of the West Quebec Bird Watcher's Club is circulating a petition and gathering 50,000 signatures to halt the development of the course.
Mr Desjardins was quoted in the Citizen as saying "The federal and Quebec governments have been talking about some minor changes to protect the wetlands but we want to stop the project altogether".
The Quebec government will not disclose what changes are planned to comply with environmental concerns.
The project has been delayed indefinately.

-----------------------

IMHO, with over 100 courses in the area, we do not need this one that badly. Lac Lemay is a lovely park. Turning it into a golf course will just keep the people out. The Casino will make billions with, or without it.
New golf courses should be built on undeveloped land, with a high degree of sensitivity to environmental areas. They should not be planning this on environmentally sensative provincial parkland. That is just greed.
If Joe Blow wanted to build a course there do you think they would let him? Hey, how about a new course that follows the Ottawa River next to the Parkway? Or How about Andrew Haydon Golf and Country Club? Vincent Massey Links? Lots of room around town.
I hope that the birds win this one.

[michaeld]

Excellent commentary, and I agree with you fully. This kind of golf (Casino/Resort course) does little for the community, that is, golfers and everybody else. There is more to lose in building it. Better use of the golf dollar on that side of the river could be used to upgrade current courses. There is no use in having existing courses go to pasture while new ones are being built on public parkland.

Flagstick reports a greater number of courses per golfer in the region, and this translates into more low-quality offerings with small client bases and a few full-service premium facilities. I think of Southern Manitoba with alot of above average courses that are full all of the time, and an absence of super-premium locations. Market Saturation will take its toll, I hope the movers and shakers realize this!

Lastly, $125 green fees including a cart (you are not allowed to walk) doesn't impress me. Unless you are Mauna Kea, I admit