A massive boulder dug up during construction on Bellwood Avenue by city crews replacing water and sewer pipes… has been dubbed ‘The Bellwood Boulder’… and now it looks like it won’t be smashed into little bits and carried away with other construction debris. Save the Bellwood Boulder! was the rallying cry behind a local campaign, organized by email chains and word of mouth in the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood.
A letter was sent to city councillor Shawn Menard and calls were made to various municipal officials. A petition was created that urged the city to consider the historical, educational and scientific value of the big rock and to save it… by moving it, intact, to a local park.
Experts were sought to identify the provenance and significance of the Bellwood Boulder. An earth scientist professor from Carleton University, who lives nearby, says the rock is probably a “glacial erratic” from the Grenville mountain range that was shifting about during one of the ice ages. That means the Bellwood Boulder could be about one billion years old, or older.
By Friday, city staff had agreed to save the Bellwood Boulder and to move it to either Windsor or Brewer Park. Some might say… what’s all the fuss about about? It’s just a big rock… and that’s true on the surface… but symbolically, it’s a great example of local politicians and city administrators listening to their constituents and doing the right thing. Little victories are important.
Image source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ (Natalie Goodwyn/CBC)
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