Ontario Chapter

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At 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.

What's happening at the Ontario Chapter?

Spring Activities in Ajax

Posted on February 16, 2015

Last year with funding from RBC's Blue Water Grants, Sierra Club Ontario joined Town of Ajax, and Toronto Regional Conservation Authority to remove stormwater outflow pipes along Ajax’s beaches and replace them with bioswales to help improve water quality. Bioswales are human-created wetland features which slow the flow of stormwater, allowing nutrients and contaminants to be absorbed and filtered by the plants and soil, before the water reaches the beaches.

Last spring we had a successful tree planting at the Paradise Beach bioswale, and will be hosting another Tree planting and additional workshops and events this spring. List of events and volunteer opportunities below:

March 4th – Annual Waterfront Open House

Ontario’s Greenbelt Through Niagara And Beyond – As Controversial As It May Be To Some Farmers and Land Developers – Must Be Expanded

Kristina Jackson's picture
Posted on January 15, 2015
Author: 
John Bacher
Source: 
Niagara At Large
Date published: 
Thu, 01/15/2015

In the 2015 Greenbelt Review one of the most important objectives should be to expand the Greenbelt on lands within the watershed based borders of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA.)

These lands are the agricultural and environmental protection -zoned lands within the southern part of the City of Hamilton, the western edge of the County of Haldimand and the entire Niagara Region. This area is the southern edge of Ontario’s Greenbelt.

Duffin Water Treatment Plant should clean-up its act for Lake Ontario

Kristina Jackson's picture
Posted on November 26, 2014

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 deserves better protection

Posted on September 4, 2014

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/news-story/4820598-ontario-set-to-deny-transfer-of-land-to-rouge-national-urban-park/ - (EDC) Ontario set to deny transfer of land to Rouge National Urban Park
 

Ajax Paradise Beach Bioswale Tree Planting

Posted on September 3, 2014

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.    

Norval Quarry Decision Time; Natural Heritage Policy Applied with Unprecedented Rigour

Posted on September 3, 2014

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. 

Brampton Tree Planting - September 6, 2014

Posted on September 3, 2014

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! 

Toledo's toxic faucets

Posted on August 22, 2014
By Shaima Al-Khalili

It finally happened…what scientists and enviros have been trying to get citizens and governments to see finally became undeniable.  Twenty days ago today, eutrophication in Lake Erie finally entered the consciousness of the everyday citizen…through their drinking water.

Citizens of Toledo, Ohio and surrounding areas were feeling the wrath of Erie first hand. Approximately 400,000 people rushed to stock up on their water supply in supermarkets, corner stores and anywhere else they could get their hands on that liquid gold…including neighbouring states! Why not just boil it? Why the drama? Well…you CANNOT boil the toxins out of the water. So drink at your own risk, you know, if you have a thing for diarrhea, nausea and a whole other array of ailments.

Save David Dunlap Forest

Posted on August 21, 2014

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.