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Our Rogers computer, internet, and cell phone links were down for the last two days, but have just been restored this minute by a kindly Rogers trouble-shooter working out of Halifax.</div>
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I suggest one small addition. Mention that the proposed expansion of the Green belt to the Guelph moraine first originated in a private membrs bill proposed by Guelph Green Party MPP Mike Shreiner (sp?) . I worry that the PCs will try to claim credit for
the idea.</div>
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Thanks for undertaking this work, Kevin.</div>
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-Greg</div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> Executive <executive-bounces@gren.ca> on behalf of John Jackson <jjackson@web.ca><br>
<b>Sent:</b> October 26, 2021 7:43 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Kevin Thomason <kevinthomason@mac.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> GREN Executive <executive@gren.ca><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [GREN-Exec] GREN Membership Update</font>
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<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word; line-break:after-white-space">Great Kevin.
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<div class="">Just a few things marked in your e-mail below in red. Easy changes.</div>
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<div class="">John</div>
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<div class="">John Jackson</div>
<div class="">17 Major Street</div>
<div class="">Kitchener N2H 4R1</div>
<div class="">519-744-7503</div>
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<div class="">On Oct 25, 2021, at 11:59 PM, Kevin Thomason <<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">kevinthomason@mac.com</a>> wrote:</div>
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<div class="">Hi GREN Executive,</div>
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<div class="">Attached below is the draft of the update to the GREN membership that we had discussed me drafting. Please let me know any feedback or ideas and hopefully we can circulate it as soon as possible.</div>
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<div class="">Cheers,</div>
<div class="">Kevin.</div>
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Good Day GREN Members,
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<div class="">Hopefully you have been making it through the pandemic okay. While we haven’t been able to meet in person for well over a year and there hasn’t been as much activity on our mailing list as in the past, the GREN Executive has continued to work
on a number of key issues.</div>
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<div class="">As you may recall, just before the pandemic John Jackson announced that he was going to step down as GREN Chair after
<font color="#ff2600" class="">ten</font> years though still stay involved in a Past President role on the Executive. I have been continuing in my role as Vice-Chair, Greg Michalenko continues as Treasurer, and the two Susan’s - Susan Bryant and Susan Koswan
have announced that they will share the roles of GREN Chair and Secretary in rotating positions.</div>
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<div class="">The need for GREN is greater than ever as Premier Doug Ford continues his ongoing attacks on the environment, the climate crisis continues, and many important decisions will be made by local, regional, and provincial governments in the months
ahead - in particular a new <font color="#ff2600" class="">Waterloo </font>Regional Official Plan for growth until 2051 and provincial Greenbelt expansion to the Paris-Galt Moraine. Both of these are immediate land-use planning decisions that will set a course
and have impacts for decades to come.</div>
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<div class="">GREN had an opportunity to join with other Ontario Greenbelt Alliance member groups to apply for funding from the Greenbelt Foundation to help ensure that our community had the resources to tackle these important land-use decisions. We were successful
in obtaining some funding that will work in-conjunction with larger provincial groups providing materials and resources to regional groups such as GREN, that can then help other local groups within our area with educational materials, online media, host community
events, etc.</div>
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<div class="">While this sort of funding is new to GREN, hopefully in the months ahead GREN will be able to work with groups such as Hold The Line Waterloo Region, the Guelph Greenbelt West Coalition, Sustainable Brant and other community groups on these important
land-use decisions to ensure they have the required <font color="#ff2600" class="">
["ensure" they have the required resources is much too strong; it implies that we have lots of money to help these groups; change to something like "help with the resources"]</font> resources for the best possible outcomes.</div>
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<div class="">Some funding will be used to update the GREN website and transition it to a more modern design and internet server architecture. Website developer Scott Wicken hopes to have a new draft of the website available in the next few weeks.</div>
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<div class="">There is a chance that the provincial Greenbelt announcement could happen in the next few weeks - we will have to see just what is announced, how it fits with our existing local protections, and respond accordingly.</div>
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<div class="">There <font color="#ff2600" class="">are</font> also key aspects of the
<font color="#ff2600" class="">Waterloo </font>Regional Official Plan that could be going to Regional Council for final decision in early November. We will share anything that we are able to learn and hopefully Regional Staff will recommend a bold, visionary
plan that will continue our environmental leadership and help ensure we meet our climate change goals for the years ahead. Unfortunately, recent meetings with Regional Staff have not been encouraging and there could be considerable work to be done in very
short timeframes to convince staff, elected officials, and the public of the need for more ambitious goals/planning.</div>
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<div class="">Please share any questions or ideas and we’ll be in-touch more <font color="#ff2600" class="">
[delete more]</font> soon as we learn more about these issues.</div>
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<div class="">Cheers,</div>
<div class="">Kevin Thomason</div>
<div class="">Vice-Chair on behalf of the GREN Executive</div>
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Kevin Thomason<br class="">
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1115 Cedar Grove Road<br class="">
Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4<br class="">
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Phone: (519) 888-0519<br class="">
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648<br class="">
Twitter: @kthomason<br class="">
<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class="">
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_______________________________________________<br class="">
Executive mailing list<br class="">
<a href="mailto:Executive@gren.ca" class="">Executive@gren.ca</a><br class="">
http://gren.ca/mailman/listinfo/executive_gren.ca<br class="">
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