Ontario Chapter

DONATE

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?

Ontario Land Tribunal Dismissal of Riverfront Rezoning Case Sparks Request to Appeal to the Divisional Court

Posted on October 9, 2021

By Dr John Bacher and Danny Beaton, Mohawk of the Turtle Clan.

In Memory of Alicja Rozanska.

On September 17, 2021, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) dismissed a zoning appeal by the Ontario Sierra Club Executive Committee Member, John Bacher. The Sierra Club Canada Foundation has separately sought standing as a participant in the case. On October 4, 2021, lawyers at Eric K. Gillespie Professional Corporation filed a motion for leave to appeal with the Divisional Court, the first step in asking the court to review the OLT decision.

All Party Consent for Ring of Fire Mining Shows Tragic Decline in Ontario Political Culture

Posted on September 28, 2021

By Dr John Bacher and Danny Beaton, Mohawk of the Turtle Clan.

In Memory of Alicja Rozanska.

Contemptuously, in the recent federal election there was an obscene amount of all party support to one of the most ecocidal threats to our planet. That threatened area is the Hudson Bay Lowlands, whose vast peat bogs perform a role more vital than ever before. It serves as a refrigerator for our planet which is under attack by anthropogenic climate change. These lowlands are the largest contiguous tract remaining of temperate wetlands on our sacred Mother Earth.

Highway 413 & What It Means For Ontario

Lucy Bain — September 15, 2021

The proposed Highway 413 perfectly represents the Province of Ontario’s lack of priority for the environment and climate change. Highway 413 showcases a continued focus on transportation by car, over people and the environment, which will have major impacts on our future for years to come.

At a time of rapid global warming and climate change, the privatization of land for highways (which only adds more cars and traffic) is the opposite of what is needed from our leadership.

Thundering Waters

Posted on September 9, 2021

By Dr John Bacher and Danny Beaton, Mohawk of the Turtle Clan.

In Memory of Alicja Rozanska.

Over two months ago a development company, GR Investment Group, attempted to dismiss my appeal of a Niagara Falls Zoning By-law, No. 2020-124, which has been made to the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT). (LPAT-Case Number PL2-2020-64).

Still, the decision of LPAT on this matter has yet to be made.

Ontario Forest Under Attack

Posted on August 24, 2021

By Dr John Bacher and Danny Beaton, Mohawk of the Turtle Clan.

In Memory of Alicja Rozanska.

One of the most important environmental battles now going on in Ontario is a debate in the council chambers of Chatham-Kent to decide if the municipality is to have a tree cutting by-law. A temporary by-law has been imposed, but it is scheduled to be lifted on December 14, 2021.

Plastic Free July 2021 Wrap Up

Lucy Bain — August 5, 2021

Another year of the Plastic Free July Challenge has come to an end. I first want to thank everyone across Canada and the Great Lakes who participated in the challenge, your support means the world to us. We had a great time hosting the challenge and hope that everyone who participated enjoyed it as much as we did.

Thirty-one days of refusing, reducing and reusing. Thirty-one days of activities and action against plastic pollution in Canada.

'BAD AIR DAY'

Jake Cole — July 26, 2021

You may be aware that there is an air quality advisory out right now from our provincial government. It tells us that the wildfires currently burning in Northern Ontario are causing air pollution levels to rise in many parts of the province. You can get these advisories by signing up via this link.

This latest alert tells us that the AQ levels are at the unhealthy level right now in many areas across Ontario including here in Ottawa. It also tells us to stay inside and not to exert ourselves physically too much.

Sierra Club Ontario Joins Environmental Groups Calling on Big Plastic to Drop its Lawsuit Against Federal Government this Plastic Free July

Lucy Bain — July 8, 2021

NGOs take aim at Canada’s biggest plastic producers for their trashy tactics to stop meaningful action on plastic waste.

TORONTO, ON, July 8, 2021 – This Plastic-Free July, Canadian environmental groups are calling out the top three producers of plastic in Canada: NOVA Chemicals, Dow Chemical and Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil. These three companies are suing the federal government in an effort to stop the federal action plan to reduce plastic pollution. This trashy tactic is aimed at protecting Big Plastic’s bottom line.

Plastic Free July 2021

Lucy Bain — June 28, 2021

This summer, take the Plastic Free July Challenge with us!

ALL MONTH: Refuse, reduce, re-use – take steps to reduce your plastic use all month long. Under COVID, we know not all actions to reduce plastic waste will be possible. but many still are: for instance, stores can let you re-use bags you pack yourself.

Report From the Greenbelt Coordinator

John Bacher — June 21, 2021

The provincial government of Doug Ford has waged quite a negative attack on land use planning policies in Ontario. However, what is important is that due to the cornerstones of good policy, the Greenbelt and Wetland protection have remained intact. This has been a major victory for the environmental protection movement. This is a good contrast with the United States where policies to protect wetlands were gutted by the first George Bush Presidential administration.

Now hiring: Indigenous Environmental Researcher in NAN Territory

Kristina Jackson's picture
Kristina Jackson — June 4, 2021

We are offering the following short term position

Indigenous Environmental Researcher in Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Territory

Start Date: June 21, 2021

Remuneration: $ 18 hour plus cell phone/internet reimbursement of $60 month

Hours: 23 hours / week for 9 weeks

Location: Ontario, principally working from home, with preference for those in Thunder Bay - Lake Superior area to facilitate travel within NAN territory as needed.

How serious is air pollution? We need to dig a little deeper to find out.

Jake Cole — April 9, 2021

How serious is air pollution in Ottawa? We have our BreatheEasy project underway to find out. First, using small hand held air sensors, we are measuring air quality in different areas all across the city and reporting our results publicly. We are also digging out existing information on air quality from a variety of sources both in Canada and around the world. It turns out that globally, there are a lot of people doing serious work on this subject and are readily sharing their findings with open reports and research results.

Ottawa has an air pollution problem and it's time we tackled it

Posted on April 7, 2021
Author: 
Jake Cole
Source: 
Ottawa Citizen
Date published: 
Sat, 03/20/2021

Does Ottawa have an air pollution problem? The short answer is yes, particularly in certain areas of the city.

With funding from the Ottawa Community Foundation and in cooperation with Ecology Ottawa, the Sierra Club Canada Foundation is leading a project, BreatheEasy, to monitor outdoor air quality (AQ) in all wards across the city. From what we’re finding out, the air is not healthy, certainly not everywhere and not every day.