[GREN-Exec] Fwd: Help Grow the Greenbelt (and Happy New Year!!)

[Greg Michalenko]

I'll spend some time on tithes afternoon.

- Greg


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From: Executive <executive-bounces at gren.ca> on behalf of Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com>
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 11:38 AM
To: GREN Executive
Subject: [GREN-Exec] Fwd: Help Grow the Greenbelt (and Happy New Year!!)

Hi GREN Executiv,

I haven’t had any response from anyone on the Executive regarding the OGA e-mail below.  I realize that we are all quite busy these days though please let me know any thoughts/feedback and groups who you think that we should be reaching out to.  I figure GREN should sign on but there is also the opportunity to engage other groups - both traditional and unexpected as well.

Thanks,
Kevin.

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com<mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>>
Subject: [GREN-Exec] Fwd: Help Grow the Greenbelt (and Happy New Year!!)
Date: January 18, 2021 at 4:50:26 PM EST
To: GREN Executive <executive at gren.ca<mailto:executive at gren.ca>>

Hi GREN Executive,

You might have seen the e-mail below from the OGA.  I think that GREN should definitely sign on and I wonder if we can figure out what groups in our area we should also be reaching out to so that they can sign on too.  There are the obvious candidates such as Hold the Line Waterloo Region, however I wonder if there are less obvious candidates such as running clubs, cycling clubs, photography groups, agricultural groups, or others we may want to reach out to.

Please share any thoughts or ideas.  Perhaps we even challenge the GREN membership to each come up with one other group that they can help to get to sign things.

I think that we have a unique opportunity here to either paint the Ford government into a corner or get them to follow-up on a Minister’s promise that they don’t really want to do.  The more momentum and Ontarians behind it the harder it will be for the government to ignore it.

Cheers,
Kevin.

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Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com<mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Franz Hartmann <franzgreenbeltalliance at gmail.com<mailto:franzgreenbeltalliance at gmail.com>>
Subject: Help Grow the Greenbelt (and Happy New Year!!)
Date: January 18, 2021 at 3:52:36 PM EST
To: Franz Hartmann <franzgreenbeltalliance at gmail.com<mailto:franzgreenbeltalliance at gmail.com>>

Hi All,

Happy New Year to all of you!

I'm emailing you with an opportunity to help frame the upcoming discussion on growing the Greenbelt. I need to hear back from you by 5 pm on January 25th.

Attached is a short paper that sets how to grow the Greenbelt. The OGA Steering Committee is asking your organization to consider endorsing the paper. To be clear: this paper will NOT be released as an OGA document. Rather, it will be a product of those groups that endorse it.

Before you read the attached paper, please read the rest of this email so that you have a better idea of our intent and what we have planned.

The Rationale for the Paper and Why it won't be an OGA document

As you probably know, Steven Clark, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced before the Holidays the government's intention to grow the Greenbelt.

The OGA Steering Committee decided it made sense to "frame" the coming discussion by making clear what sort of actions are acceptable and unacceptable and what principles the government should follow in setting up a process for growing the Greenbelt. In short, the paper sets out what growing the Greenbelt might look like if the Government is serious about doing this while protecting lands currently in the Greenbelt.

In order to maximize the likelihood of getting groups outside the OGA to endorse the paper, we decided to NOT make this an OGA paper.

Our Target Audience

The paper is written for the interested public, including the media - not policy experts. As a result, it is fairly short and should not be seen as a detailed document setting out every step and action the government should take to grow the Greenbelt. Put differently, we're framing the upcoming conversation that we hope will start in earnest in the next while.

Our Request to Your Organization

After reading this paper, please let me know by Monday, January 25 at 5 pm if your organization endorses it. If so, your organization name will be added to the list of endorsers. If you know of other organizations that may want to endorse this paper please let me know. Our goal is to get groups to endorse who might otherwise not be seen as typical Greenbelt supporters.

Releasing the Paper

Our plan is to release this paper in the coming weeks. An exact date has not been chosen at this point. Accordingly, we ask you not to share this version with others.

Thanks for considering this.

--
Franz Hartmann
Ontario Greenbelt Alliance



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