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Re: 'Cremated remains not welcome, local residents tell city,' News, Nov. 14.

Recently, my wife and I attended a public meeting at Stephen Leacock Collegiate at the invitation of Norm Kelly. It was concerning a proposed columbarium at 2451 Birchmount Rd. The meeting was moderated by Michael Mestyan, senior planner for the Scarborough planning district, and representatives of the developer were also in attendance.

The meeting was attended by somewhere around 250 residents from the immediate surrounding area who were given an opportunity to express their opinions concerning this project. The opposition to this project was 100 per cent unanimous. And it wasn't just NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). There were many sound, well-thought-out reasons for opposing this project.

My guess is we were all supposed to leave the meeting with a warm, fuzzy feeling that democracy had been well served.

My guess, also, is that this is a total farce. The opinions expressed by those in attendance will not make the slightest bit of difference when the planning department makes its decision about this project for two reasons. First, only a small percentage of the people in the immediate community were in attendance (we were told notice of the meeting had to go only to those residents within 120 metres of the proposed site), and second, the municipal government will approve the project anyway because it will be a good source of tax revenue.

Oh, sure, the planning department people may ask for a few changes which will be strictly of a cosmetic nature. But the project will go ahead anyway because municipal governments cave in to the developers 99 times out of 100.

Anyone want to bet the project will not go ahead?

A.H. Shearer