[GREN-Exec] Fwd: Would Grand River Environmental Network like to join YTP Weekend?

Tue Mar 22 11:32:55 EDT 2022

Hi GREN Executive,

The great folks at Environmental Defence have reached out to see what we are doing for Earth Day and then when I declined, have asked what we are doing for the provincial election.

Attached below is the link to the Provincial Environmental Election Questionnaire put together by an amazing assortment of leading environmental groups.  I think that it is worth our time and effort to try to get these questions to local MPPs and then see what sort of follow-up we get.  I’m not sure about the media event that they are proposing and offering to help with, however somehow we need to get rid of Doug Ford and ensure that the environment is a key issue in the pending election this Spring.

	http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf

I am also wondering if we should be planning a virtual GREN membership meeting it’s been a long time since we met in the church and if the pending ROP, provincial election, municipal elections, etc. aren’t inspiration/need enough to meet I don’t know what would be.

Please share any questions or ideas.

Cheers,
Kevin.

-------------------------------------

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 or kevthomason at gmail.com

-----------------------------------------

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Matthew Lie-Paehlke <mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca>
> Subject: Re: Would Grand River Environmental Network like to join YTP Weekend?
> Date: March 22, 2022 at 11:15:09 AM EDT
> To: Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com>
> 
> The MCRs are so draining to engage with, because they keep putting out new bits and pieces, and it feels like you have to engage at every opportunity to keep things from drifting too far off track.
> 
> It could actually make quite a bit of sense to tie YTP weekend into your election preparations.  We're encouraging people to use the Ontario Priority Group's questionnaire as a starting point for engagement with local MPPs and candidates.  It has some good questions on broad environmental policy and it is currently out with all the parties, but it is good for local candidates and MPPs to hear about it as well -- and in that case local issues can be added as well.
> 
> Instead of a big event, you could just do a letter delivery where you ask the MPP and local candidates to respond to the questionnaire with additional questions on local events.  This is the questionnaire: http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf <http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf>
> 
> Groups or individuals could sign on to the letter digitally in advance and then it would just take a few people to deliver the letter to make it an 'event.'  I'd be happy to help organize that if you think any local activists would be interested.  We are really hoping to get a wide spread of events to counter the narrative that only people from downtown Toronto are trying to stop sprawl and highways and 'real' Ontarians want a government that builds.
> 
> On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 10:14 PM Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason at mac.com <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>> wrote:
> Hi Matthew,
> 
> At this point I don’t think we are going to be doing anything for Earth Day - between the MZO, Greenbelt expansion, Official Plan/MCR we are pretty burned out and needing to start to prepare for the pending election.  Keep us posted on what others are doing and we will try to help as we can.  
> 
> Keep up the great work!
> 
> Cheers,
> Kevin.
> 
> -------------------------------------
> 
> 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>
> 
> -----------------------------------------
> 
>> On Mar 18, 2022, at 4:17 PM, Matthew Lie-Paehlke <mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca <mailto:mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I was wondering if GREN is planning anything for the Earth Day weekend (Apr 22, 23, 24th) or if you know of anything in your area.
>> 
>> Yours to Protect is holding a three-day event around Earth Day called YTP Weekend where we will map local events and turn them into a big news story to highlight the fact that people all across the province are thinking about the environment in the lead-up to the June election.  There is so much great organizing going on and we want to make it more visible.
>> 
>> We just posted the map <https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=12QbylfIGV2SiPKIij2-Bbf5HpNrk6C2I&usp=sharing> and a few groups have already registered.  There is a guide which explains how to get involved in more detail <https://yourstoprotect.ca/how-to-run-an-event-for-ytp-wknd/> -- but I'm also happy to answer questions by email.
>> 
>> Have a great weekend,
>> Matt
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Matthew Lie-Paehlke
>> Communications and Engagement Coordinator (YTP)
>> Pronouns: he/him
>> 
>> 33 Cecil Street, 1st Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1N1
>> Tel: 416.323.9521 x241 | environmentaldefence.ca <https://environmentaldefence.ca/>
>> TW: @envirodefence <http://twitter.com/#!/envirodefence> | FB: EnvironmentalDefenceCanada <http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentalDefenceCanada>
>> EMAIL: mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca <mailto:mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca>
>> Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat people. Please see full acknowledgement here <https://environmentaldefence.ca/contact-us/>.
>> 
>> Defending clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
>> Our work would not be possible without you. Please donate <https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/34341/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=signature> today.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Matthew Lie-Paehlke
> Communications and Engagement Coordinator (YTP)
> Pronouns: he/him
> 
> 33 Cecil Street, 1st Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1N1
> Tel: 416.323.9521 x241 | environmentaldefence.ca <https://environmentaldefence.ca/>
> TW: @envirodefence <http://twitter.com/#!/envirodefence> | FB: EnvironmentalDefenceCanada <http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentalDefenceCanada>
> EMAIL: mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca <mailto:mlie-paehlke at environmentaldefence.ca>
> Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat people. Please see full acknowledgement here <https://environmentaldefence.ca/contact-us/>.
> 
> Defending clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
> Our work would not be possible without you. Please donate <https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/34341/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=signature> today.

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