Ontario Chapter

At Sierra Club Ontario, our work mainly focuses on protecting the Great Lakes ecosystem, growing and protecting the Greenbelt, 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?

Contact Premier Wynne to voice your support for a fully protected and growing Greenbelt

Dan McDermott — October 7, 2016

There are positive proposals within the four draft provincial plans, including the Greenbelt plan, open for public comment until October 31st, Urban River Valley additions to note one example. There are also some alarming proposed changes that would allow land to be taken out of the current Greenbelt and handed to the developers. Section 3.4 Settlement Areas of the Greenbelt draft contains an outline of a proposed process that could do just that and subject the Greenbelt to being turned into a Swiss cheese belt.

Excerpts from 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

RuiLin Guo — October 4, 2016

Over two dozen non-governmental organizations from Canada and the United States are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama to postpone or cancel an unprecedented series of shipments of highly radioactive liquid waste from Ontario to South Carolina along public roads and over bridges crossing the waters of the Great Lakes.

See below for relevant excerpts from the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility: Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and President Obama

RuiLin Guo — October 4, 2016

Over two dozen non-governmental organizations from Canada and the United States are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama to postpone or cancel an unprecedented series of shipments of highly radioactive liquid waste from Ontario to South Carolina along public roads and over bridges crossing the waters of the Great Lakes.

See below for a letter from the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility to Prime Minister Trudeau and President Obama.

Liquid Nuclear Waste Convoys: A Threat to the Waters of the Great Lakes

Posted on October 4, 2016

Over two dozen non-governmental organizations from Canada and the United States are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama to postpone or cancel an unprecedented series of shipments of highly radioactive liquid waste from Ontario to South Carolina along public roads and over bridges crossing the waters of the Great Lakes. 

Finalists Announced for Art Exhibition on the Theme of Climate Change

RuiLin Guo — June 24, 2016

One Earth, One Chance: Announcing the finalists for the art exhibition on the theme of Climate Change sponsored by Sierra Club Canada Foundation in partnership with Rebecca Gallery.

Twenty-two artists have been selected to participate in the climate change exhibition which will be mounted in the Rebecca Gallery in Toronto from July 5 th to 28 th , 2016.

Household Waste Diversion in Peel

RuiLin Guo — June 23, 2016

Getting it right with household waste is a hot issue in Peel right now. As construction costs escalated and as Sierra Club Peel Group and various other concerned groups presented multiple environmental, health and sustainability concerns, Regional Council gradually came to the conclusion that their plans to build an EFW (Energy From Waste Facility, the modern version of the incinerator) was not the ideal solution for long term waste management.

Active Transportation

RuiLin Guo — June 23, 2016

Through the leadership of Sierra Club member David Laing and a keen group of local cyclists, Bike Brampton is in it's third year of operation. June is Bike Month, and Bike Brampton's signature event is Bike the Creek. Over 500 cyclists participated in this year's third annual Bike the Etobicoke Creek event on June 18. Bike the Creek is a FREE event aimed at encouraging people of all ages to discover the joys of cycling. Four route options were offered this year, suiting all ages and levels of expertise from first time to seasoned participants. 

Highlighting Natural Heritage: the Credit Valley Trail

RuiLin Guo — June 23, 2016

Sierra Peel Members participate at local events, committees and roundtables to bring the voice of Sierra Club of Canada to the table in support of Watershed Health and Natural Heritage Preservation. Protection of river valleys and the ecological goods and services they provide to wildlife and people is at the core of our vision and commitment.

Norval Quarry

RuiLin Guo — June 23, 2016

The Proposed Norval Quarry is located within the Greenbelt in North West Brampton, a small area rich in natural heritage along the Credit River valley. The proposed shale extraction site has a tributary of the Credit River running through it, along with other Provincially Significant wetlands, and Significant Woodlands. Fish habit restoration by the MNR & CVC is on going in this tributary, to restore spawning trout habitat. Existing and future residential homes neighbor the quarry operations, as well as religious and educational institutions.

Come to the Pollinator Party at Heart Lake

Kristina Jackson's picture
Kristina Jackson — May 3, 2016

Annual Sierra Club Meadow Planting & Medicine Wheel Maintenance

Heart Lake Conservation Area
June 4th, 2016
10am to 2pm

Community wildflower plantings are fun for families, individuals and groups! High school students are welcome to gain volunteer hours

We provide all the equipment needed. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.
Light refreshments will be available. Bring your own refillable water bottle, please.

Save the Ojibway Tallgrass Prarie Complex and Protect Biodiversity

Kristina Jackson's picture
Kristina Jackson — March 18, 2016

Windsor’s Ojibway Tallgrass Prairie complex is a natural and national treasure. Pressured from all sides by urban development, Ojibway contains more biodiversity than does Algonquin Park or the Bruce Peninsula. At present it is a patchwork of protected and unprotected areas. Appeals to the Government of Ontario have failed to stop incursions that threaten Ojibway.

Crombie Panel’s ‘De-Freezing’ Proposal Threatens Ontario’s Precious Niagara Escarpment Lands

Kristina Jackson's picture
Kristina Jackson — March 18, 2016

One of the most effective strengths of the 2005 Greenbelt Plan and Act responsible for its creation was the good impact they had on protecting the Niagara Escarpment from urban sprawl.

In the preceding years, it had become apparent that the biggest glitch in the otherwise strong 1985 Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP) was the relative ease with which urban expansions were allowed to take place – even when made the focus of complicated battles before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

Mississauga moves to protect lands around Credit River

Kristina Jackson's picture
Posted on December 17, 2015
Author: 
Rachael Williams, The Mississauga News
Source: 
The Mississauga News
Date published: 
Sun, 12/13/2015

Mississauga council has voted unanimously to join the Ontario Greenbelt.

On Dec. 9, City council endorsed a motion to expand the Provincial Greenbelt Plan Area by designating publicly owned lands along the Credit River as Urban River Valley (URV).  This could mean more than 800 acres along the Credit River, would be protected lands, ultimately contributing to a healthier natural environment.

We've Commented on Bill 66- The Proposed Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015

Posted on September 28, 2015

The commenting period for the Proposed Great Lakes Protection Act (GLPA) is now closed but Sierra Club of Canada Foundation made a submission last week during the public hearings before the Standing Committee on General Government. Submission below:

 

Bill 66 (proposed Great Lakes Protection Act)

Submission to the Standing Committee on General Government

23 September 2015

 

Grant Crack, Chair

Standing Committee on General Government

99 Wellesley Street West, Room 1405

Whitney Block, Queen's Park

Toronto, ON

M7A 1A2

 

Sylwia Przezdziecki, Clerk

Tel: 416-325-3515

Fax: 416-325-3505

sprzezdziecki@ola.org

 

Living on tree-lined streets has health benefits, study finds

Posted on July 30, 2015
Author: 
Geoffrey Vendeville Staff Reporter, Pub
Source: 
The Toronto Star
Date published: 
Mon, 07/13/2015
By comparing satellite imagery of Toronto, an inventory of trees on public land and general health surveys, the team, led by University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, found that people who live on a tree-lined block are less likely to report conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease or diabetes.

Harper Goes Far Too Slow – Says All But ‘No’ – To Sound Plan For Canada’s Energy Future

Posted on July 22, 2015
Author: 
John Bacher
Source: 
Niagara At Large
Date published: 
Mon, 07/06/2015

An obscure regulation will come into effect this July as a result of an initiative of the Conservative government of Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper. It prohibits the construction of any new coal burning electrical plant in Canada and will phase out those currently operating by the year 2061.....

......While provinces have the power to follow Ontario’s lead and shut down coal burning plants, the federal government has the opportunity to offer incentives to do so.

 

To read the entire article click here.

We Marched for Jobs, Justice and the Climate - and made history!

Posted on July 9, 2015
Marchers posing
This past Sunday over 10,000 people (some reports saying closer to 15,000) flooded Toronto to take a stand for climate justice and a green economy. The march began in Queen's Park outside Ontario's legislature and continued loudly down the streets of Toronto to the grounds of Allan Gardens. This rally was the second largest Canadian climate demonstration, the first was held in Quebec earlier this year, and came just days before the Pan American Climate Summit and Economic summits also being held in Toronto.