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The war for the heart and soul of Kanata Lakes is on, now that developers have officially applied to the city to take bulldozers to the lush greens and fairways of the Kanata Golf and Country Club.

The application was filed with the city on Tuesday, something Kanata Coun. Jenna Sudds said she had “been dreading” ever since she learned in her first few weeks as a rookie councillor that Club Link planned to open it up to developers.

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The proposal smacks in the face a long-standing promise written in blood (or at least legalese) that the golf course would be preserved in perpetuity as part of an agreement to protect at least 40% of the Kanata Lakes area as green space.

In perpetuity — remember that word. It means “forever” and it will likely be at the heart of the legal battle that lies ahead. Can a city really be bound to honour an agreement to preserve green space forever? One that predates amalgamation? Some legal scholars laugh at the notion of a zoning agreement set in perpetuity, binding a government “forever” to honour its promises.