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?

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.

Claremont residents on two sides of possible development

Posted on June 24, 2015
Author: 
Kristen Calis
Source: 
Pickering News Advertiser
Date published: 
Wed, 06/03/2015

DURHAM -- More than 200 residents in Claremont want to see a piece of the Oak Ridges Moraine remain protected in the hamlet.

The Claremont Conservation Group is not pleased with the City’s recommendation that the Province allow opportunities for minor expansions of hamlets into the Greenbelt or the Oak Ridges Moraine. They believe this change could pave the way for a development on the northeast quadrant of Claremont that’s been discussed for decades, but hasn’t budged due to provincial land use restrictions......

Peter Rodrigues, a Whitevale resident and former councillor, felt recommendations by Ajax, which is also providing comment for the review, were in line with his thoughts.

“I’m mostly concerned with including more land into the Greenbelt, particularly the headwaters of the Carruthers Creek,” said Mr. Rodrigues.

Pollinator Progress at Heart Lake Conservation Area

Posted on June 23, 2015

Earlier this June we partnered with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to host a Pollinator Party at Heart Lake Conservation Area. The weather was great and we were thankful to have the 19 volunteers from Peel region who helped with light gardening and maintenance at the Medicine Wheel Garden and meadow plots.

Before we began work on the gardens the Four Colors Drumming Circle hosted an Aboriginal Drumming Ceremony and storytelling session to welcome spring and educate people on the features of the Medicine Wheel Garden (Gitigaan Mashkiki). It was a really neat experience which engaged everyone and connected us to the work we were about to do.

Leaders Promise a 40% Reduction of Phosphorus in Lake Erie by 2025

Posted on June 19, 2015

 

By: Alyssa Beurling

 

Beginning in the 1960’s as a result of algal blooms and nutrient management issues, Canada and the US began collaborating efforts to reduce the underlying problem - elevated phosphorus concentrations within the Great Lakes (GL), and Lake Erie in particular (Hill, 2015). This soon led to the creation of the federal Clean Water Act and the Canada-US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) which set specific phosphorus targets and improved lake conditions into the mid-1990’s (Government of Canada, 2014).

Ontario Passes Regs to Protect Pollinators

Posted on June 19, 2015

 

By Kristina Jackson

 

This month Ontario passed the first North American regulations on neonicotinoid pesticides that are tied to pollinator loss. “Neonics”, as they are often called, are a synthetic pesticide first created in the 1980’s and quickly expanded to become the most common pesticide used on crops worldwide. Neonics mimic naturally occurring insect repellants found in nicotine but the frequency and intensity of current use has been proven to kill bees, butterflies, earthworms and a variety of other insects.

Make Toronto into World's Coolest City: Turn White Belt into Forest

Posted on June 4, 2015

While Toronto may be famous for having green life veins flowing through its heart of forested ravines, the city is surrounded by a vulnerable mass of farmlands leased by developers and the federal government, (as a reserve for the Pickering Airport)  for cash cropping that is termed “the White Belt.”  While some may romantically call these lands a “food belt”, in reality most is used for grains grown for industrial feed stocks including bio-fuels or to dangerously fatten livestock in their last weeks of life for unhealthy  “marbling.”

Grow the Greenbelt - We've Submitted Comments on the 2015 Coordinated Review!

Posted on June 1, 2015

The commenting period for the 2015 Coordinated Review is now closed but Sierra Club of Canada Foundation has made a submission in support of Greenbelt growth and expansion.  Below is a summary of the submission.  

Moratorium on Expansion of Urban Development

At this opportunity to review the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Sierra Club asks the Province to consider a 10-year moratorium on expansion of urban development boundaries, in order to direct growth into increased density and cease the paving over of our fertile agriculture lands and treasured natural areas.

 

Urban River Valley Designation

Grow the Greenbelt: Add Carruthers Headwaters Protection

Posted on June 1, 2015
 

Sierra Club of Canada Foundation is working with Peter Rodrigues (former Pickering Regional Councillor, Ward 3) to protect the Carruthers Creek Headwaters which run through Pickering. The letter below was submitted to Richard Stromberg from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and reflects the work being done to rally support for the protection of the Carruthers Creek Headwaters.

GROW THE GREENBELT IN DURHAM -- Protect Carruthers Creek Headwaters