Paving paradise

“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot…”
from Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell


How much cement, we wonder, will have to be poured into the river to make articial bumps for kayaks and rafts to tip over? How much cement will be needed to make the parking lots on the east and west side of the weir to accommodate the cars and SUVs driving up as close as possible to the White Water amusement park, so they can unload their rafts, tubes and kayaks?

This is what the City of Saskatoon’s FAQ (http://167.129.241.14/org/leisure/facilities/pdfs/weir_faq.pdf) says about parking:

“This project would potentially provide access to the Water Park from both the east and west sides of the river as well as providing greater parking and access opportunities.”

More parking. How "green" is that? This will mean less walking to the river and more driving to the river. Is this the same city that wants to encourage people to walk and bicycle, and, at some distant, future time, take light rail transit, instead of driving to work?

Cement, and contractors, are expensive. Kayaks aren't cheap either. But what we have now is paid for, and, as a bonus laid on by Nature Herself, pelicans are free! And their carbon footprint is negligible.

Pelicans won't get behind the wheel of a Hemi, not even if you offer them a bucket teeming with walleye!