Housing developments are using up valuable agricultural land
By Lethbridge Herald on June 11, 2025.
Editor,
Re: Housing is more unaffordable than ever, Herald, May 22.
Around the world, urban populations have skyrocketed. In most European countries, strict land-use regulations are critical to limit urban sprawl and to protect land used for food production. Anyone driving from Lethbridge to both Coaldale and Calgary will see an explosion of acreages with huge single family homes. This has removed some of the most productive land anywhere in the world from agricultural use. In major cities in all countries, people live and work in high rises. This is completely normal. Not limiting land for development will lead to more expensive food and, inevitably, food shortages. Once you build on it, that agricultural land is gone forever. As Joni Mitchell put it “You pave paradise and put up a parking lot.” Let’s not do that!
Leslie Lavers
Lethridge
6-5
So nobody should live in a house? We should all live in high-rise appartments? Seems like a few places have that now, Russia and China come to mind. That might be ok for you but I kind of like my lawn. And those huge houses you refer to are mostly for the farmers who own the land or acreage owners (like myself) that love that lifestyle.
If you want to live your life like you’re in East Berlin knock yourself out. But many people enjoy some wide open spaces. And BTW, I have been to Europe and there is the odd person living in the country there as well.
Okay, Boomer.
Do you think calling somebody a boomer is somehow derogatory or some undesired label? I’m proud to be a boomer! It means I got to be young then! I usually like your comments Sophie but this one doesn’t work.
Don’t be too offended, lumpy. When a millennial hears someone from an older generation demand their entitlements despite a good argument that it is unsustainable and maybe selfish, ‘okay boomer’ constitutes a grand eyeroll. In other words, I think Leslie Lavers makes a good point.
And, in addition to the points in the letter, I would ask how the UCP government can chill renewable energy projects, ostensibly to save good farmland, while allowing urban sprawl (so, certain people can maintain a quarter acre of lawn that they enjoy)?
No not offended just doesn’t seem to be the right thing to say. When an older person hears what a millennial says and demands THEIR entitlement believe me I see it all the time I work around them.. they’re Divas I’ve been told straight up “our generation wasn’t meant to work hard” (shake my head).
Addressing the urban sprawl concerns, you know we’re not living in Japan here.. there’s plenty of room. If it’s not UCP holding back solar and wind projects because of the area they take up and on the other side people feel that we should be all stacked on top of each other? nonsense. I’ve never considered living in an apartment or any kind of condo set up all it takes is 1 idiot to start a fire or something and all of a sudden you’re involved in their business …you see where I’m coming from? nobody’s trying to one up each other on taking up space ..hey, some of us have gardens!
Ah, the bootstrap story … got it. Well, the platter came to us empty, except for a few spam-on-crackers which we are told to be grateful for.
[Spam being a metaphor for an atmosphere loaded with greenhouse gases, oceans acidifying, species extinctions at 1000x the background rate, burning forests, massive public and private debt, runaway inequality, stagnant job market, education aporias, lunatics playing war … Spam isn’t served in The Garden, it seems]
we should acknowledge that many of the boomers helped usher in more compassion, environmental concerns, and open-mindedness and inclusion. sadly, that optimism was gutted by the self obsession craze that became the 1970s, and the utterly cynical greed and self service and sleaze era that has flourished since at least the 1980s.
i get the boomer reference, as they largely ended up a part of the problem, but there are a couple of generations following them that also have proven to be a massive continuance of the problem.
still too many stuck on ego and fame and power and wealth worship…cannot make a move without needing to gawk at some bum clown influencer. and, it is not the boomers lining up for so many latest tech devices as soon as they are marketed to an eager foolish, consumer suckered populace.
the significant issue is not enough people – of any generation – are willing to give up much of anything in the way of wants. our morals and concerns are most based on, and limited by, whether or not one has the money or credit line to buy whatever one wants. with such an outlook, not even the cleanest purest most enviro-friendly energy source will save us from ourselves.
ditto to the urban sprawl that further cements – pun intended – our doom. a primary piece of the balance of our planet’s systems are trees and plants. without those in plentiful and diverse existence, and that are natural to a given area, we enjoy the likes of erosion, dust storms, water degradation and lack of rain, and the ding out of habitats that support the myriad of life chains that keep the loop healthy and full of life.
amazing that it is our wants, only our wants, that end up undermining the very foundation of life on this planet.
but, yeah, elon, there is that great other planet out there that beckons us with a beautiful existence, mars.