[All] Storm Coalition on Greenbelt Expansion

[Lanteigne]

Hi folks
Here is what I learned today at the Storm Coalition on Green Belt Expansion.
They have released a position paper calling for the inclusion of Ontario's Moraines including the Oak Ridges, the Waterloo, The Paris Galt, the Orangeville Moraine, Oro, Singhampton Gibralter and the Grand River Watershed. The report is a comprehensive one to protect both water and agricultural sectors as well as biodiversity and public health. It's an absolutely outstanding report! 

Debbie Crandall presented her work on the report: Moraines of the GGH (Greater Golden Horseshoe) showing wonderful mapping of the interconnected systems along the basin wide area from Toronto through to Lake Erie. The protections would include recharge zones, agricultural areas as well as urban river valley systems like the Humber and Rouge River. The policy isn't designed to water down existing local protection policies like our ESLs or the existing Oak Ridges Moraine Act,  but is designed to further support so when planning considerations come up, the stronger protection laws would prevail to protect.  

There are two websites to send folks to visit.
The first is news and resource documents on the need to expand the greenbelt to help areas including the Grand River Watershed. 
Protect our Water

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Protect our Water


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The second website comes with the link to the Storm Coalition's position report as well as a PETITION to sign to show public support for the report.
Regional Resilience | WaterScape

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Regional Resilience | WaterScape


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 We went over the details with Debbe Crandall who is absolutely wonderful. I was delighted to see the interconnected basin view on the maps with the knowledge that we're all aspiring for the science based approach to protections beyond the traditional lot by lot and project by project planning we used to see.  I feel I am witnessing the evolution of the Laurel Creek Watershed Study mentality brought to the Provincial level view and it's beautiful and remarkable and I feel amazed to see it. When you see the geology that sustains the city of Toronto and all these lives, these communities, these ecosystems and biodiversity,  and the massive roll it plays in the global community, it's all based on water. None of this would have been possible without the water and this incredible geology we have. We owe our lives to water, earth and rocks. 

We saw the moraine mapping of Chapman and PutnamWe saw the Bluebelt Map of 2017We saw the Provincial Schematic 2018 
We saw the Moraines of GGH in Debbe Crandal's report. 

 We have many challenges to face with MZOs threatening to put several highways through farmland communities. 

MZ0's are being approved without regard for sewage or slurry. What are these facilities producing? 

Just recently Cambridge council approved an MZO for a 1000 sq foot facility in Cambridge that will have 100 trucks a day in an ecologically protected area. Residents are told not to make noise to have regard for it yet this project was approved and the owner's name is unknown. Nobody knows what they just approved here. 

I hear of pit operators dumping toxins in quarry pits that want to expand. The stuff they are dumping is getting into Rice lake with Alder First Nation downstream. It was found by someone flying overhead. Someone asked what could they do about it? The recommendation was made to contact the Ontario Soil Regulation Task Force. Another thing to do is to contact Health and Well being bylaw. Communities have the right to sue in the supreme court of their Bylaws are being violated. 

The concern was raised that we need to understand the capacity of our landfills, the capacity of roads, of sewers and landfills so we know where to grow, how to grow in Ontario within our existing carrying capacity. We need those values before we plan not after the problems manifest. 

And don't forget the GREN Meeting on the Greenbelt Expansion is happening this THURSDAY APRIL 15th 7pm and you can register for the Zoom meeting online here at: https://waterscape.ca/regional-resilience/ by clicking on the red font of our event. 

Have a great day everyone. 

Lulu :0) 






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