<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Thanks Susan!!!!<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I totally agree. It was absolutely fantastic to see so many articulate citizens delivering such powerful presentations to Regional Council. Greg - you had one of the best presentations that I have seen you do - it was powerful, emotional, so well spoken, and simply so logical. Well done!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I was very pleased to see the motions introduced by Council and I think that we overachieved 120%+ on what we set out to do two weeks ago:<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we raised awareness and managed to get dozens of people and groups to delegate and write letters to Council expressing serious concerns about the ROP and process,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we successfully stopped the decision on the Recommended Growth Scenario #2 planned for Council today and bought more time (though not sure how much more),</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we managed to get a Fourth and a Fifth Growth Scenario on the table exceeding what we thought possible to direct Staff come back with,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we got broad agreement that the public engagement and consultation was totally insufficient and secured a commitment for far more public consultation and information moving forward.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">This is far beyond what anyone thought possible just days ago and is an impressive accomplishment.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">However:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we don’t really know how detailed or good new Scenarios will be and they could be easily designed to fail or simply confuse issues,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we don’t even know when the next meeting or decision point is or any of the expectations,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- most of the public engagement and consultation planned seems to be so far into the future that it will be too late to make any significant or meaningful changes.</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div class="">And:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- the Land Needs Analysis (LNA) motion that was introduced by Mike Harris is quite concerning as the wording seems to imply that they can’t even come back with Scenario #4 and #5 until the LNA is done,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- the LNA doesn’t sound like it will be completed until February/March which is too far from now,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- the flawed provincial LNA methodoolgy will dramatically overdesignate land and we shouldn’t have the future of our community determined by land speculators,</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- we are doomed under climate change if we can’t get a more progressive provincial government and continue our innovative leadership here in Waterloo with sustainable growth. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As expected the land speculators are desperate and are going to do everything possible to get the development they want. We are going to have to figure out how to overcome the flawed LNA process mandated by Doug Ford.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We’ve stopped the train and gotten a recognition that better is needed. The community is now aware of these issues and concern is growing dramatically - not fading. Today’s meeting has riled people - not placated them. Angry developers are one thing (they are always angry) - an angry public panicking in the face of climate change during an election year is another.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I am going to reach out to Council and Staff with thanks and hope for some insights. I’m also going to do some asking/research around the province to see what’s happening with LNA’s and if anyone is getting around the flawed Ford criteria somehow. Franz has already reached out to other OGA groups for assistance/insight.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have a webinar with a Kitchener Community Group focussed on development Thursday night and GREN along with the climate change groups are organizing a webinar on the ROP on Monday night (November 15th) that I hope will be successful - more info coming soon. I will do an update to the GREN membership and include information on registering for the webinar.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The Record and the Wilmot Post want to do stories in the days ahead and Franz had the great idea to do an Op-Ed for the Record that could also get carried in the Hamilton Spectator as well as even the Toronto Star as they have such a strong anti-Ford agenda.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It seems daunting but will be easier than the past two weeks and everything that had to happen.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thank you GREN team for everything so far. It was an impressive day.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please share any thoughts or ideas!</div><div class="">Kevin. </div><div class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""></div></div></div><div class="">
<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><br class="">-------------------------------------<br class=""><br class="">Kevin Thomason<br class=""><br class="">1115 Cedar Grove Road<br class="">Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4<br class=""><br class="">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=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div>
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Nov 9, 2021, at 7:15 PM, Susan Bryant <<a href="mailto:shbryant@uwaterloo.ca" class="">shbryant@uwaterloo.ca</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="">Thank you, Kevin and Greg, for such great presentations at the Region Committee today, and all the work you did behind the scenes that went into this. I listened in all afternoon and was really impressed by your work—-and by all the other delegations from the expanding eco community in the Region. Delegations were articulate and knowledgeable. The message was delivered, and the council seemed receptive. The result is a resolution that staff come back with more scenarios and ramp up public consultation. All good so far. So what are you thinking about how it went? <br class=""><br class="">Me, I thought the response was OK but no giant hallelujiah. But heh, good for me, as I got my dusting done while listening. That happens once a year or so. <br class=""><br class="">Susan B.<br class=""><br class="">Sent from my iPad<br class="">_______________________________________________<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=""></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>