July 5th, 2007
a triumph for the turtles
About two weeks ago, I wrote about the controversy over turtle signs in the Peterborough area west of here. The municipal council had recently voted to remove 42 turtle crossing signs posted around the county as part of a larger plan to remove all signs that are not included in the Ontario Traffic Manual. The signs had originally been posted after a group of children going by the name of Kids 4 Turtles, raised $4,000 for their purchase in 2001. At the time, Peterborough council presented a heritage award to the children for their initiative. Following the announcement that the turtle signs were to be removed, Samantha Woolley, a volunteer at the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre where turtles are cared for and rehabilitated after injury from road accidents and other trauma, set up an online petition. A total of 1,193 signatures were received from individuals calling for a stop to the elimination of the turtle signs. Some readers of this blog were among those who signed the petition.
Yesterday, members of Kids 4 Turtles addressed the Peterborough County council once again. Following much discussion, the decision to remove the turtle signs was reversed. The original 42 signs will continue to be maintained, and there may be additional signs posted at provincially significant wetlands in the area. The group now intends to lobby the Province of Ontario to have turtle crossing signs officially added to the Ontario Traffic Manual. Read more about yesterday’s success in this story from The Peterborough Examiner.
Nice going Kids 4 Turtles!!
Tags: Kids 4 Turtles, Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre, Peterborough, turtle crossing signs