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DONATEAt Sierra Club Ontario, our work mainly focuses on protecting the Great Lakes ecosystem, increasing awareness about air pollution, and promoting Green Energy adoption in Ontario. Sierra Club Ontario also works on very local issues, in coordination with smaller communities in Ontario.
200 trees and shrubs were planted over the weekend in McLaughlin Valley! A big thank you to everyone who came out on September 6! More than 30 volunteers dug in with Sierra Club and CVC to reforest the area. Give yourselves a big pat on the back! Keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to participate in plantings and help improve the air and water quality in your community.
Over the past 5 months, Joseph Boutilier has cycled 5,000km on one wheel to call for action on climate change. Join Joseph as he arrives in our nation’s capital – his final destination – to meet with MPs just as Parliament reopens for the Fall session. Join others demanding political action and unity for the climate crisis. Do it #ForOurFuture.
12:00 pm, September 15, 2014 – Parliament Hill (Meet at the Centennial Flame), Wellington St., Ottawa
By John Bacher
Image source: Friends of the Greenbelt
On Saturday, September 27th, at 2pm, a walk will be held to grow the Greenbelt as recommended by a motion of the City of Thorold Council. Walkers and cyclists will assemble at the outside the Indian Flame Bar and Grill, at 1300 Lundy’s Lane near the Allanburg Bridge. The route will take an hour and a half by walking and participants are encouraged to meet informally at the Indian Flame afterwards. In case of any extreme weather, the event will be held at 2pm on Sunday, September 28th at the same location.
Rouge Park has been getting a lot of press coverage recently. The proposed federal legislation for Rouge Park is not good enough, and the remarkable ecological values of the park deserve more protection. A letter signed by 7 environmental groups outlining the objections to the legislation for establishing the future urban park can be found here.
Read more:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/
Come plant with Sierra Club in Ajax to help improve the air and water quality in the community!
When: Saturday, September 20th
Time: 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: 2973 Lakeview Blvd. (Between Pickering Beach Road S. and Shoal Point Road S.)
Meet at "Paradise Beach" sign across from Paradise Park
To participate, please register here.
For more information, please contact Alyssa at paradise.beach@sierraclub.ca, or Kristina at 647-346-8744.
By Janet Kuzniar
The City of Brampton Council will be presented a Recommendation Report by their Planning staff on Monday September 8, 7:00 pm, Brampton Council Chambers, Brampton City Hall.
The Report, based on peer reviews, recommends NOT supporting the Norval Quarry rezoning from agricultural to industrial extractive. There is a strong ecological component to this report, as the subject lands are dominated by key ecological features such as mature woodlands, watercourses, and provincially protected wetlands. This is the first time that the recently mapped Natural Heritage System in Peel has had a quarry application, and a rigorous analysis by the City of Brampton has shown that the Norval Quarry fails the policy test.
Trees improve air and water quality, and mitigate climate change. Help green our communities! No experience necessary, there will be demonstrations on site. Gloves, shovels, and light refreshments will be provided. Students are eligible for volunteer hours.
Where: McLaughlin Valley (see map on flyer). Major intersection is McLaughlin Road N. and Williams Parkway.
When: Saturday, September 6, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Who: Everyone is welcome! Bring your friends and family!
Walk To Save Southern Ontario’s Vanishing Forests.
By John Bacher
Today we have a bizarre situation where hard wrested environmental progress is being turned back. This is the shrinking of Southern Ontario’s forests, in the fertile agricultural area south of the Canadian Shield.
Following the invasion of what was called Upper Canada there was a rampant destruction through burning of the forests of the land which, after Confederation, became called Ontario. Most of these forests were used to produce ashes, to manufacture soap and other products manufactured in Europe. It took sixty large maple trees to produce a single barrel of potash to be shipped across the sea.
SIERRA CLUB OF CANADA – PEEL REGION GROUP 2014 Calendar
http://ontario.sierraclub.ca/en/peel-region-group
https://www.facebook.com/SierraClubPeel
Sierra Meeting Dates 2014: 2nd Tuesday each month, 10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton, 7-9pm
Come join us on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Learn about the history around the Riverwood property, and walk through the scenic Gardens and River.
See you there!
Ever wonder who is tweeting at you? (No not on twitter) Come find out with us on Saturday, July 26!
Discover the trails at Heart Lake Conservation Area, and learn about birds and other features in the area with avid naturalist and birder, Bob Noble.
Date: Saturday July 26, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Location: Heart Lake Conservation Area
10818 Heart Lake Road, Brampton
Event is free, however, we ask that you RSVP so we can notify park staff and prepare for the event.
For more information and to RSVP, visit the event page:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/guided-bird-nature-walk-heart-lake-conservation-area-tickets-12194579315
Visit TRCA website for applicable park fees:
Sierra Club's Waste Diversion Expert, Rob Muir, continues to emphasize the necessity of waste diversion to combat climate change. Local government has an important role in making it happen, however, the key is developing sustainable consumer behaviour. We need to be more conscious of how resources are used, the products we consume, and how we deal with our waste.
Watch Rob's video on Ottawa's Green Bin Program here.
Visit Sierra Club Ontario Waste Diversion to learn about this critical step towards creating a sustainable future, and mitigating climate change.
Rob Muir's Profile.
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Natural Capital Volunteer Training Workshop on June 25th, 2014! We were lucky the looming storm clouds cleared just in time for the evening.
Most of our important work are accomplished with help of volunteers, and we were happy to see some new faces join us.
Volunteers were given a presentation on the Natural Capital concept, introduction to Sierra Club's outing style and things to be aware of when guiding a nature walk. Then we went for a stroll along Etobicoke Creek Trail behind the Brampton Four Corners Library to highlight how to run an outing.
One of our main goals for this workshop was to discuss ideas about potential outreach activities to expand the Natural Capital project. We came up with some great ideas and are looking forward to planning and new collaborations to bring an event-filled summer in the Peel Region!
Natural Capital refers to the stock of natural resources and environmental assets, and how they contribute to building healthy communities. The Natural Capital perspective is a way of placing a monetary value on the ecological goods and services to quantify these benefits.
Brampton's ecosystems contain many natural areas and urban green spaces that provide the city with ecological goods and services, which translates to valuable Natural Capital.
Thanks to support from Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Mississauga Community Fund, we are expanding the project by doing walkshops and natural area restoration work throughout Brampton and Mississauga in summer of 2014. Our goal is to educate and engage the community to raise awareness and appreciation for these natural areas.
On June 6th, 2014, Sierra Club Canada Foundation was presented with a $60,000 grant from the RBC Royal Bank Blue Water Leadership Grant. SCCF is proud to partner with the Town of Ajax and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) in a project to construct bioswales along the Ajax waterfront. The native wetland plants of these bioswales will capture and filter the untreated stormwater before discharging into Lake Ontario. This grant will also contribute towards a community awareness program.
Photo of John Bacher (on right) receiving award from David Milton, Executive Director of Ontario Professional Foresters Association
By Dan McDermott