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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thanks Kevin....Somebody from GREN (John Jackson was on their Enviro Committee for a few years) will have to make contact with the Region...Rob Horne, Kevin Eby , Eric Hodgson , Don Corbett and all Councillors +++++.... Council speeches (of <b>short</b> duration ...they have all the facts and we ALL are in agreement with them... but <b>we</b> have to physically show support to them .... even just attending a meeting of Regional Council and standing up silently in support of our chosen speaker for GREN . St. Mary’s Hospital was “a done deal” I’ve been told, when the community got involved ...as you know with this community support, from businesses and individuals, we got 100,0000 signatures on our petitions..... and we not only won the stay of closure of St. Mary’s, but we also got MUCH needed health care of which we had been bypassed for many years. GOOD THINGS DO COME FROM BAD!!!!!. KW got a much needed Cancer Centre and a now State of the Art Cardiac Facility . So this community IS far better off for the terribly negative intentions of the people involved in that fiasco.!!! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> WE have the will and the power to help the REGION turn this around.. Our group CCFNP stopped a Contaminated Soil Remediation Company from operating in the Heritage Designated District of Victoria Park. City of Kitchener could not stop them as the old Zoning was in place....as questionable as it was at the time. (in the old Canada Blower and Forge location at Queen St and Highland Road by the Harry Class Pool ) Took a LONG time but we THE CITIZENS did it and city of Kitchener was most grateful. I will be forwarding this to someone at the Region and ask that they forward it on to show community initiation of ‘group’ support in this community and you can bet there will be a lot of support once <b>citizens understand the implications</b> of this totally negative and invasive <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ruling of the OMB for the quoted ‘ large’ group of Developers (which in comparison to the MASSIVE group of RESIDENTS for the FUTURE well being of their CHOSEN home. ....and the fact that the REGION is obeying and in compliance with...the Province’s direction of THE GREENBELT PLAN.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> As we know, 95% of the people don’t follow and don’t understand the future implications of this negative decision by the OMB, in favour of a few acres for new homes and the paving over of life sustaining water and oxygen from the trees in those specific places (they’re too busy working and raising families...so , those of us who know, have to ‘step in and educate’ them, that this involves their children and their children’s children .) This community understood LOSS of health care access because they use it ;’first hand’ but they have no idea of potential <b>and future LOSS of new WATER WELLS and</b> OXYGENATING TREES.... and LOSS of contaminated wells (ie. GREENBROOK... 5 wells lost BUT FINALLY RECOVERED ...due to the ‘travel of contaminates from the OTTAWA St. Dump, as I understand it, from some of the more knowledgeable experts;..... (we are one of the smoggiest communities in Canada because of many factors including our ‘basin’ type of geography..... to the total viability here, because this community accepts ‘clean water and air ‘ as a GIVEN and ‘don’t NEED to understand it’ . This is no criticism of the average citizen...it is merely fact of what we have to ‘get across’ in order to get support by way of petitions , activity letters of support for the Region etc. . Enough said...I know all GREN members are in agreement that, as Kevin T. Has written , we must get ‘involved ‘. Ginny <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> All [mailto:all-bounces@gren.ca] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Kevin Thomason<br><b>Sent:</b> January-30-13 2:34 PM<br><b>To:</b> GREN<br><b>Subject:</b> [All] National Support for Waterloo<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Good Afternoon,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Many GREN folks have been following the recent ruling by the OMB in favour of developers demanding additional urban sprawl and the subsequent unanimous decision by the Region of Waterloo to appeal this ruling against our Regional Official Plan.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I have just been sent a copy of a press release below from Environmental Defence that has gone out to the media supporting the Region of Waterloo on their appeal and making clear the potential impact of this disappointing ruling on Waterloo and municipalities across Ontario. You can find a copy here:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/articles/statement-erin-shapero-land-and-water-program-manager-waterloo’s-decision-appeal-omb-ruling">http://environmentaldefence.ca/articles/statement-erin-shapero-land-and-water-program-manager-waterloo’s-decision-appeal-omb-ruling</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hopefully with the strong support of the community, the Region will be successful in this appeal and we will ultimately see our Regional Official Plan approved over the coming months.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please feel free to share any ideas on what we can do as a community to ensure that our vision and not judges orders on behalf of developers determines our future.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p 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src="cid:image008.jpg@01CDFF03.EEF91B20">Statement by Erin Shapero, Land and Water Program Manager, on Waterloo’s decision to appeal the OMB ruling<o:p></o:p></span></h1></div><div id="right_sidebar_alt"><div style='border:none;border-top:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:8.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;margin-top:7.5pt' id="block-views-campaign_views-block_9"><h2 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:3.75pt;margin-left:0cm;background:red'><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white'>back to the issue<o:p></o:p></span></h2><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:2.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:2.25pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:red'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:white'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span class=field-content><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/issues/protecting-ontarios-greenbelt"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Protecting Ontario's Greenbelt</span></b></a></span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><div style='margin-top:7.5pt' id=block-block-3><div><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/take-action"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=296 height=86 id="_x0033_95f787d-72fd-4b82-ae42-51f15614142a" src="cid:image009.gif@01CDFF03.EEF91B20" alt="Take Action Now"></span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><strong><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Get the latest alerts and news by email.</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/newsletter-sign"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=132 height=32 id="_x0031_280323a-4b8e-434a-9f53-854dd977c5e3" src="cid:image010.gif@01CDFF03.EEF91B20"></span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:16.5pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><hr size=1 width="100%" noshade style='color:#CCCCCC' align=center></span></div><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Make a donation.</span></strong></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/donate"><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#111111;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=132 height=32 id=b1b9dbd3-e3e2-44aa-b1cd-156ce6e91162 src="cid:image011.gif@01CDFF03.EEF91B20"></span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div id="content_area_alt"><div id=content-main><div style='margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;float:right'><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.75pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif";text-transform:uppercase'>JAN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:12.75pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:16.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>30<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:12.75pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>2013<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Gotham Book","serif";color:#ACACAC'>Share this on:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://environmentaldefence.ca/articles/statement-erin-shapero-land-and-water-program-manager-waterloo%E2%80%99s-decision-appeal-omb-ruling"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'> </span></b></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=http://environmentaldefence.ca/articles/statement-erin-shapero-land-and-water-program-manager-waterloo%E2%80%99s-decision-appeal-omb-ruling"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'> </span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#ACACAC'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/printmail/node/6224"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'> </span></b></a> <a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/print/node/6224"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'> </span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div style='border-top:solid #ACACAC 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-bottom:solid #ACACAC 1.0pt;border-right:none;padding:19.0pt 0cm 19.0pt 0cm;display:inline-block'><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>Toronto, ON -- We applaud the Region of Waterloo’s decision to fight back against last week’s OMB ruling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>The Region had done the right thing by creating an official plan designed to curb sprawl and build more livable communities, meeting the goals set out by the province in its Places to Grow Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>The OMB’s ruling – which overturned parts of the Region’s official plan – is the equivalent of a slap on the wrist for a municipality trying to do exactly what it was asked. The OMB’s ruling rewards those developers that want to keep sprawling, gobbling up prime farmland with cookie cutter developments that already cover much of the landscape in southern Ontario. The OMB ruled that the Region needs to open up over 1,000 hectares of land for low-density sprawl, more than 10 times the area in the official plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>The decision could kill the province’s Places to Grow Act, its density targets, timelines and any hope of preventing more urban sprawl in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>The outcome of this hearing, if left unchallenged, could have significant impact across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and beyond. The implications are serious for municipalities and their residents who deserve better from the planning process. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (<a href="http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'>www.environmentaldefence.ca</span></b></a>): Environmental Defence is Canada's most effective environmental action organization. We challenge, and inspire change in government, business and people to ensure a greener, healthier and prosperous life for all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>-30-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:<br>Naomi Carniol, Environmental Defence, 416-323-9521 ext. 258; 416-570-2878 (cell)<a href="mailto:ncarniol@environmentaldefence.ca"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'>ncarniol@environmentaldefence.ca</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'>Campaign: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif"'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/issues/protecting-ontarios-greenbelt"><b><span style='color:#111111;text-decoration:none'>Protecting Ontario's Greenbelt</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div style='margin-top:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif";color:#999999'>Topics: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#999999'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Gotham Book","serif";color:#999999'><a href="http://environmentaldefence.ca/taxonomy/term/11" title=""><b><span style='color:#999999;text-decoration:none'>Press Release</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>