[All] Fw: I would like Greenbelt expansion & Waterloo Moraine Act

[Lanteigne]

This was sent to local governments and will be shared with provincial and federal MPs. 
Lulu 


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Begin forwarded message:

On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 9:23 AM, Lanteigne <water.lulu at yahoo.ca> wrote:

Hello
I would like to see a Greenbelt Expansion to include Waterloo Region’s farmlands and wild spaces to protect our Aquifers and biodiversity. 
Areas like Hidden Valley and Schneider’s Woods and Huron Park and RARE need to be protected in perpetuity. The fact they still remain is a testimony to the generations of people who strived to protect these incredible spaces. 
I would like to see a Waterloo Moraine Protection Act in place as well because the Source Water Protection Act is failing us. It protects areas upstream of intakes and around well heads but lacks regard for the vast well fields of primary techarge that serves to gather the water that goes to the wells.  The Greenbelt Well field is in Wilmot and Waterloo’s North West Corner and it helps to dilute the water issues from our land fill and the road salt issues. We need to maintain the high yields of water not only to provide potable water but to mitigate contamination issues which could result in future well closures. We need a Waterloo Moraine Act to protect the recharge areas of those wells for the long term. 
The Grand River is protected by a patch work of different municipal policies from the top of the river downstream and Six Nations, being a federal reserve, is exempt from Provincial Policy. We need to harmonize the laws to protect the totality of this water system from headwater recharge to Lake Erie to reasonably prevent water contamination and to protect Lake Erie for the long term. Proper nation to nation consultation is needed to make sure we all work together to protect the resource for the long term. 
We have rivers like the Nith River with no flood controls at all. Areas of New Hamburg are in a flood zone but there is pressure to add 100,000 new people without sewage study or GRCA input.  
The contamination concerns of the North river may require polishing: remove the river water, treat it to pollute further, and that is a failure of reasonable planning. We need to set limits on growth within the carrying capacity of the river like Guelph did. Guelph lowered their growth numbers to save the Speed River and we need to do the same to save the Nith River and the Grand River. 
We need the Waterloo Moraine Protection Act to address the rare geology that we have which has the capacity to grow food, provide fresh water and to provide geothermal energy for future generations. These systems must be managed with great care with regard and respect for the natural capital and geology that sustains our lives, especially the  protection of biodiversity of the soil itself. The waters of our aquifers is of good quality because it is cleaned as it filters through the soil by a vast array of biota including two types that eats plastic waste: Spingomonas and Pseudomonas. 
If we can reduce air pollution, reduce road salts, especially in agricultural areas,  it would further protect the viability of these farmlands and protect the long term biodiversity in the water. Quarries are a risk to the moraine. We need to put expiration dates on permits with mandatory restoration plans in place with hard deadlines or face charges. It is impossible to restore quarries to farmlands so forbid them on farmlands. 
We have quarries being dug adjacent to and in the Grand River and it lacks regard for downstream consequences. When we divert more storm runoff into the water it alters the width of the river downstream impacting bridges, dams, rail crossings and oil pipelines for communities to the south of us. We need to work collaboratively to maintain water flow, flow rates, water quality and water volumes to make sure the Grand River is a place where people can eat fish, drink the water and swim safely for generations to come in line with the International Treaties that formed this area. Canada ratified UNDRIP.  It is time to live up to that.
We need wise irrigation strategies to conserve water, we need to reduce pesticide use and encourage industries to implement sustainability into their operations. Sustainable Waterloo Region has outstanding success stories on how they helped local manufacturing sectors save water and money. Let us work with industries at the earliest stages to integrate them into these programs. 
I see good things for those who work with nature in mind. Let us advance in a good way for generations to come. 
Louisette Lanteigne 700 Star Flower AveWaterloo OntN2V2L2 

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