While one resident was disturbed to see Mountainview Turf clearing vegetation along a property on Sixth Line in Bristol, the company told THE EQUITY it is in compliance with the law.

Carrie Watson, a Bristol resident, said that she was concerned to see the clearing of trees and brush from the area due to its proximity to a nearby creek, which stems from the Quyon River.

Watson said that her understanding of the law was that . . .

there must be a 30 metre buffer maintained from the water line where vegetation must not be cut.

“We were just concerned that that wasn’t being taken into consideration,” Watson said. “We talked to the municipality, Isabelle [Rondeau], the inspector said she understood they were in compliance. So we’re watching it to see.”

Lindsay Hamilton, co-owner of Mountainview, said that the company applied and were approved for a permit with the Municipality of Bristol to clear brush along the Sixth Line property, which it purchased years ago. She said that before it was purchased, the field was shaped as a clear, rectangular field. With brush having grown in over time, Hamilton said the intention was to make the field perfectly rectangular again.

“We’re definitely in compliance with the rules and regulations,” Hamilton said.

She added that the rules that were laid out to them by the municipal inspector were that they could cut a maximum of 40 per cent of the vegetation within 30 metres of a shoreline. On top of that, the company can only cut trees with a thicker diameter than 13 cm.

Watson said while the cutting may well be in compliance with the law, she felt the law wasn’t sufficient.

“It was more the sadness and the frustration of seeing just the disrespect for the wildlife and the wetland,” Watson said.

She added that it wasn’t her job to regulate the company’s cutting, but she simply wanted to get the word out.

“What I really wanted to do is raise awareness that, you know, everyone is still trying to do stuff to help the environment and that these practices just go against everything that other people are trying to do.”

“I’m very sorry that somebody is upset about it, it’s not our intention but I’m just doing everything to the letter of the law,” Hamilton said. “I’m sorry that that upsets her.”

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