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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">GREN Minutes – Sept. 26, 2019
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">Christian Science Sunday School, 64 Water St. N, Kitchener</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">GREN Finances</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> – Greg. $704 expenses do far this year.<span style="">
</span>$1,427 balance</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">GREN Website</span></b><span lang="EN-US">—Deaun. Patrick (who took over from Theo) has transferred the website to Word Press. There was some discussion of how to organize the site. GREN still needs a website developer
and someone to run the site or to teach us how to update it regularly. Deaun will see if Patrick will do that and what the cost might be. Other ideas were to asking for money from the KW Community Foundation to hire a pro. Or to hire a student who needs community
hours. Deaun and Kevin will continue to work on the issue.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"><b>GREN-all list serve</b>: Need to figure out how to access this list so we can keep it up to date. Deaun and Kevin will sort this out while figuring out the website. Once we know the system, John will be responsible for
keeping the list-serve up to date.<span style=""> </span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Logo status</span></b><span lang="EN-US">--Kevin. Kevin will send out the revised GREN logo to paid members. And will display it at the next meeting. The main problem with the old logo is that it showed up as a
black blotch when photocopied. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Guest speakers from Wilmot Citizens for Safe Water</span></b><span lang="EN-US">--Rich Stevenson and Samantha Lernout. They shared the group’s concerns about a gravel pit proposal from Tricity Materials. The area
is about 400 acres, and 30-40% of it is in a groundwater protection zone. There’s also a large wetland (a PSW), and the area backs onto the residential settlement of Shingletown, which will suffer from dust, noise, traffic and loss of value in their properties.
Asphalt and concrete recycling is also proposed, and the road needs upgrades to handle the trucks.
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">GREN members offered various strategies for addressing the issue, including meeting with Kate Hagerman, the head of the Region’s EAC to seek their involvement and perhaps an impact study.
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Proposed Changes to Provincial Policy on Aggregates<span style="">
</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">The Wilmot speakers noted that while the aggregate company can say now that they won’t go below the water table, it seems they could seek an amendment to do so at any time. This possibility spurred discussion of the larger
issue of the province’s current review of policy on aggregates. The provincial policy is up for review and a clause in the current draft suggests that municipalities may have little or no say about what goes on. For example, the ROPP doesn't allow digging
beyond a certain depth, but that provision is now threatened. It was agreed that GREN will make comments on the proposed policy. Greg will draft our comment. Comments to the province are due Nov. 4.<span style="">
</span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Federal Election</span></b><span lang="EN-US">.<span style="">
</span>5 events take place locally next week, part of 100 Debates on the Environment.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Cambridge – Oct.2</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, 7-9 – 7 Melville St. S., Cambridge
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Kitchener Centre---Oct. 2</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, 7-9--Walter Fedy Building, Suite 111. 675 Queen St. S.<span style="">
</span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Kitchener South-Hespeler---Oct 2, </span>
</b><span lang="EN-US">7-9-- Waterloo Regional Museum , 10 Huron Rd. Kitchener.<span style="">
</span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Waterloo – Oct. 9, 7-9</span></b><span lang="EN-US">--Theatre of the Arts, U of W, Ring Road</span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Kitchener-Conestoga – Oct. 9</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, New Dundee Community Centre, 1028 Queen St., New Dundee</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Free tickets are available on Facebook and Eventbrite. Email
<a href="mailto:WR100Debates@gmail.com">WR100Debates@gmail.com</a> with questions.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Regional Official Plan (ROPP</span></b><span lang="EN-US">) – Kevin. The ROPP is undergoing the 5-year review. We need to be involved. The review winds up by end of December. Regional Planner Alissa Bridge is in
charge. The first consultation was attended only by developers. The Region needs to hear other voices--how much we like ROPP and that we need bolder actions on climate change.<span style="">
</span>Kevin will meet with Alissa and ask how GREN can help.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Region's Climate Change Adaptation Plan</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> – Susan B. Comments on this phase 1 report are due by Oct. 7. The plan is fairly comprehensive in identifying issues and priorities, but is
very high level. Specific action plans will be forthcoming in the next phase. We need to stress the urgency of getting those and also stress the need for climate mitigation plans to run in parallel. John and Susan will draft comments on behalf of GREN.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Protected Places Campaign</span></b><span lang="EN-US">—Kevin. Canada is way behind to meet 2020 targets for designating protected land and marine environments--and targets are too low anyway. Other places are
doing much better. We're getting better, but... This is an issue that could be raised in the environmental debates.
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Tax Carbon Stickers </span></b><span lang="EN-US">– Kevin has more for anyone who wants them. They’ve been very popular.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Hidden Valley – </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Yvonne.<span style="">
</span>Kitchener Council approved the master plan for HV. They will do studies in spring. The developer Benninger asked that his lands get more priority for development. The City said not until the studies are done. Gord Nichols spoke on behalf of GREN at Council,
to a full house, since it was also the evening when many were attending to support the declaration of a climate emergency.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><b style=""><span lang="EN-US">Next meeting</span></b><span lang="EN-US">—We’ll schedule a November meeting featuring Susan Koswan speaking on her Good Green Death project (body composting), and John and Susan B. on composting in multiplexes.
Date to be announced.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Minutes by Susan Bryant, shbryant@uwaterloo.ca</span></p>
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