The Greenbelt Kids vs. Motor Vehicles Making Letter | Letter to Mayor | Media | Solutions | Issues | Nesting Boxes | Think about | Survey | Making the Letter

Welcome to the Greenbelt Kids Site at Elijah Smith Elementary. This site is here because we have something to say and we would like your input. Let us take you through our site by clicking on us when you finish reading a section. Don't forget to vote in our on-line survey and to send us some comments using our Message Centre. We look forward to hearing from you.

During the 1999-2000 school year our grade 5 class was studying the environment. We were talking about trees and the Yukon environment. Our talk about trees and the environment led up to us talking about clear cutting and selective cutting. We decided that selective cutting is better for the Yukon than clear cutting because the Yukon has a very dry climate and it takes plants a very long time to grow. Selective cutting leaves more water in the ground and there is less erosion. Our school yard was clear cut eight years ago and there is still no growth on that land.

We then started talking about our green belt and how each year the paths were getting wider and the animals were starting to disappear. Then the conversation started going towards why this was happening. Most of us agreed it was because of the use of snow machines, A.T. V's and motor bikes. There has been an increase of these motor vehicles over the last few years especially since more houses are been built around the area.

In social studies we were studying the Canadian Government. We learned about the three different types of Government: Local, Provincial, Territorial and Federal. We learned that the head of a local government is the mayor. We started talking about the laws and what the mayor had to do with them. We learned laws for local government were called by-laws. Also to change or make a by-law you have to go to the mayor with a petition.

We decided we had some problems. Our first problem was how badly motor vehicles were destroying our green belt. We really wanted to voice our concerns but we did not know how to make a petition. Also the issue of safety was becoming a big thing on our green belt. We decided to ask the Mayor.

During this period more subjects started to lead up to our problem about the snow machines. In science we were learning about micro-organisms and bugs. Our teacher Ms. Ross organized a field trip to visit a microbiology lab. When we were there we talked about the environment and safety. Back at the class the subject led to the issue of snow machine safety. We talked about how many encounters we have had with the careless drivers on snow machines. There had been many incidents, such as one of the people in our school yard was very close to being hit while on the trails skiing. Also the noise level was very disturbing.

After all that talking and discussing about the subject we decided to write a letter to the mayor. Ms. Ross and four students from our class went to the mayor in person and presented her with the letter. Mayor Watson said she would accept our letter as an informal petition and so Ms Ross asked her what a real petition was like. Mayor Watson said the format of petitions was being changed and wasn't complete as yet.

Since then we were invited to a council meeting where Ms Ross, one student and his grandpa attended. At the meeting they learned that one of the by-laws states that motorized vehicles were not allowed on our green belt but another by-law stated a list of motor vehicles and snow machines were not considered a motorized vehicle. They also learned that the by-laws were not being enforced because there were not enough officers or equipment to enforce them. They also said their main role was to educate the youth and users of such motor vehicles on proper usage and safety.

There are some interest groups that have expressed their support. Some of them are the Yukon Conservation Society, Alpine Bakery-owner, the Yukon Southern Lakes Nest Box Project and others.

So what is happening right now is the mayor and the by-law officer wants our class to prove there is a real problem and to find a solution to the problem since the by-law officers are unable to enforce the by-laws.

Most of us feel that the mayor and the by-law officers should make a law stating that no snow machines or A.T.V.'s or motorbikes should be allowed on our green belt for our safety.

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Updated March 22, 2001

Contributing Teachers:
Joanne Ross, Grade 5 Teacher
Cam Good, Deptartment IT Coordinator
Trevor Mead-Robins, School Technology Teacher