<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="">Hi GREN Executive,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">    </span><a href="http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf" class="">http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.<br class=""><div class="">
<meta charset="UTF-8" class=""><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div><br class=""></div><div>Please share any questions or ideas.</div><div><br class=""></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Kevin.</div><div><br class=""></div><div>-------------------------------------<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> or <a href="mailto:kevthomason@gmail.com" class="">kevthomason@gmail.com</a></div><div><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div></div>
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Matthew Lie-Paehlke <<a href="mailto:mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca" class="">mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Re: Would Grand River Environmental Network like to join YTP Weekend?</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">March 22, 2022 at 11:15:09 AM EDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Kevin Thomason <<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">kevinthomason@mac.com</a>><br class=""></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">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.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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: <a href="http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf" class="">http://www.greenprosperity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/questionnaire-2022_final-for-circulation.pdf</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.</div></div><br class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 10:14 PM Kevin Thomason <<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">kevinthomason@mac.com</a>> wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;" class="">Hi Matthew,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.  </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Keep up the great work!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cheers,</div><div class="">Kevin.<br class=""><div class="">
<div style="letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" class=""><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;" class=""><div style="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;" class=""><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" target="_blank" class="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div></div>
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<div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Mar 18, 2022, at 4:17 PM, Matthew Lie-Paehlke <<a href="mailto:mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca" target="_blank" class="">mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca</a>> wrote:</div><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">Hi,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="">We just posted the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=12QbylfIGV2SiPKIij2-Bbf5HpNrk6C2I&usp=sharing" target="_blank" class="">map</a> and a few groups have already registered.  There is a <a href="https://yourstoprotect.ca/how-to-run-an-event-for-ytp-wknd/" target="_blank" class="">guide which explains how to get involved in more detail</a> -- but I'm also happy to answer questions by email.</div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Have a great weekend,</div><div class="">Matt</div></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div>-- <br class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><b class="">Matthew Lie-Paehlke</b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="color:rgb(38,42,51);font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="">Communications and Engagement Coordinator (YTP)</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Verdana;font-size:8pt;font-style:italic;white-space:pre-wrap" class="">Pronouns: he/him</span><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><img src="https://environmentaldefence.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ED-LOGO-NO-TAGLINE-FINAL-50-per-cent.png" class=""><br class=""></span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class="">33 Cecil Street, 1st Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1N1<br class="">Tel: 416.323.9521 x241</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""> <span class="">| <a href="https://environmentaldefence.ca/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">environmentaldefence.ca</a></span></span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""></span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><br class="">TW: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/envirodefence" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">@envirodefence</a> | FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentalDefenceCanada" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">EnvironmentalDefenceCanada</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><font class="">EMAIL: <a href="mailto:mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca" target="_blank" class="">mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca</a><br class=""></font></span></span><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" class="">Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat people. Please see full acknowledgement</span></i><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"" class=""><a href="https://environmentaldefence.ca/contact-us/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class=""><i class=""><span class=""> </span></i><i class="">here</i></a><i class=""><span class="">.</span></i></span><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><font face="Arial" class=""><span style="font-size:12px;white-space:pre-wrap" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></font><font face="Verdana, sans-serif" class=""><span style="font-size:8pt" class=""><b class="">Defending clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.</b></span></font><b class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" class=""></span></b><b class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" class=""><br class="">Our work would not be possible without you. Please <a href="https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/34341/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=signature" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">donate</a> today.</span></b></div></div></div></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></div></blockquote></div><br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div>-- <br class=""><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><b class="">Matthew Lie-Paehlke</b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="color:rgb(38,42,51);font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="">Communications and Engagement Coordinator (YTP)</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;" class="">Pronouns: he/him</span><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""><img src="https://environmentaldefence.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ED-LOGO-NO-TAGLINE-FINAL-50-per-cent.png" class=""><br class=""></span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">33 Cecil Street, 1st Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1N1<br class="">Tel: 416.323.9521 x241</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""> <span style="" class="">| <a href="https://environmentaldefence.ca/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">environmentaldefence.ca</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""></span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""><br class="">TW: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/envirodefence" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">@envirodefence</a> | FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentalDefenceCanada" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">EnvironmentalDefenceCanada</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" class=""><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif" class=""><font class="">EMAIL: <a href="mailto:mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca" target="_blank" class="">mlie-paehlke@environmentaldefence.ca</a><br class=""></font></span></span><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat people. Please see full acknowledgement</span></i><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"" class=""><a href="https://environmentaldefence.ca/contact-us/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class=""><i class=""><span style="" class=""> </span></i><i class="">here</i></a><i class=""><span style="" class="">.</span></i></span><br class=""></div><div dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" class=""><font face="Arial" class=""><span style="font-size:12px;white-space:pre-wrap" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></font><font face="Verdana, sans-serif" class=""><span style="font-size:8pt" class=""><b class="">Defending clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.</b></span></font><b class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" class=""></span></b><b class=""><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" class=""><br class="">Our work would not be possible without you. Please <a href="https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/34341/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=signature" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank" class="">donate</a> today.</span></b></div></div></div>
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