Leamington was just hit by the worst storm in decades. Unprecedented flooding swept away roads, 14-foot-high waves knocked over trees, gutted homes and caused record damage. [1] Our community is reeling. Residents are facing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage and the city will need to fix its infrastructure. We need financial support from the provincial government to rebuild, prevent future destruction and keep us safe from fallout when the next storm hits. The mayor of Leamington is already asking for funding from Ontario, but a huge petition teeming with signatures backing him up could push decision makers over the edge and get them to provide funding. Especially now in this election cycle, when the Liberals are more susceptible to public pressure. All signs are pointing to more and more extreme weather systems, and Leamington needs to ready. Add your name to demand the provincial government provide funding to the municipality of Leamington as well as the residents affected by the storm to fix and prevent damage to our roads, homes and public spaces, and keep us safe, before another storm hits. Source: [1] http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/leamington-residents-clean-up-after-extensive-flood-damage

Right now, Canadians are using over 9 BILLION plastic bags every year - that's enough bags to circle the Earth more than 55 times. [1] We need to ban plastic bags now! Plastic in our oceans is having devastating effects on marine life, and plastic bags that break down into microplastics are making their way into the fish and shellfish that we eat, and the water that we drink. [2][3][4] Canadian cities like Montreal and Victoria have already passed bylaws to prevent stores from selling single-use plastic bags -- it's time for cities and towns across Canada to do the same. [5] [6] If we don't take action to cut down our plastic waste, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.[7] Sign the petition now, and demand that plastic bags be banned. _____________________________________________________________________ [1]https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/victoria-ban-on-single-use-plastic-shopping-bags-to-begin-in-july-1.3726946 [2]http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/microplastics-fish-shellfish-1.3954947 [3] http://nationalpost.com/health/global-study-finds-microplastics-in-93-of-bottled-water-but-little-known-about-effect-on-humans [4]http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/09/06/world-tap-water-plastic_a_23199390/ [5] https://globalnews.ca/news/3940536/no-more-plastic-bags-in-montreal-first-major-canadian-city-to-implement-ban/ [6] http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/climate-change/single-use-plastic-bags.html [7] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

Right now, Canadians are using over 9 BILLION plastic bags every year - that's enough bags to circle the Earth more than 55 times. [1] We need to ban plastic bags now! Plastic in our oceans is having devastating effects on marine life, and plastic bags that break down into microplastics are making their way into the fish and shellfish that we eat, and the water that we drink. [2][3][4] Canadian cities like Montreal and Victoria have already passed bylaws to prevent stores from selling single-use plastic bags -- it's time for Toronto to do the same. [5] [6] If we don't take action to cut down our plastic waste, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.[7] Sign the petition now, and demand that plastic bags be banned. _____________________________________________________________________ [1]https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/victoria-ban-on-single-use-plastic-shopping-bags-to-begin-in-july-1.3726946 [2]http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/microplastics-fish-shellfish-1.3954947 [3] http://nationalpost.com/health/global-study-finds-microplastics-in-93-of-bottled-water-but-little-known-about-effect-on-humans [4]http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/09/06/world-tap-water-plastic_a_23199390/ [5] https://globalnews.ca/news/3940536/no-more-plastic-bags-in-montreal-first-major-canadian-city-to-implement-ban/ [6] http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/climate-change/single-use-plastic-bags.html [7] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

With the huge trade, we already do with the Chinese government we simply back their repressive regime, provide funds for them to become a world leader and create even more environmental damage.

Shocking news broke on November 11 that the government of Ontario has been hiding evidence for decades that the grounds of the infamous Dryden mill site upstream of Grassy Narrows are soaked with mercury. [https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/11/11/ontario-knew-about-mercury-site-near-grassy-narrows-for-decades-but-kept-it-secret.html] Tell Premier Wynne and Prime Minister Trudeau to make an immediate, binding commitment to build a state of the art Mercury Home and Treatment Centre in Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Fish farms operating in Mamalilikala, Namgis, and Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw territories of the Broughton Archipelago in BC are threatening wild salmon populations, and poisoning vital water sources. [1] Deadly diseases and viruses from open-cage feed lots are spreading to wild salmon, putting at risk indigenous communities that rely on the wild salmon, and over 100 species that depend on wild salmon to survive. The Mamalilikala, Namgis, and Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw do not consent to the operation of finfish aquaculture within their territories, and peaceful occupation of fish farms has been ongoing for over 2 months. [2] The BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham has sent a letter to fish farm operator Marine Harvest implying that they may not have their tenure for their Port Elizabeth salmon farm renewed in 2018, and Premier John Horgan has committed to further discussions with Indigenous communities about the future of the fish farms. In the meantime, fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago continue to be restocked with fish that will out-live Marine Harvest’s current license. [3] We need to make sure that the BC NDP hears loud and clear that there is widespread support for the removal of open-net cage feed lots from the Broughton Archipelago. We call on the BC NDP to fulfill their commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and remove all open-net fish farms from the Broughton Archipelago that are operating without the consent of indigenous communities. [4] We demand that: • No restocking of existing empty pens/sites; • No use of hydrogen peroxide to be used to treat sea lice infestations; • No renewal of licences and/or tenures; and • For the industry to remove all open-net cage fish farms sites from the collective territorial waters. Sources: [1][2]https://www.biv.com/article/2017/10/horgans-tone-salmon-farming-unsettling-marine-harv/ [3]https://www.biv.com/article/2017/10/horgans-tone-salmon-farming-unsettling-marine-harv/ [4]https://www.bcndp.ca/reconciliation [photo] https://www.raincoast.org/2017/08/bc-government-signals-challenge-for-trans-mountain-pipeline-on-legal-grounds/

Samsing, operators of the North Kent Wind Farm, continue pile driving into the bedrock of Chatham Kent, knowing that it has destroyed the water wells of dozens of families. Ontario regulators are doing nothing to protect these families, who have relied on well water for generations. The pile driving sends toxic sediment into the water that ruins water pumps. The sediment could eventually settle, but the vibrations from the turbines prevent this. Ultimately, the pile driving has resulted in dozens of families and their farms being cut off from their water supply. A few farmers tried to blockade the site to prevent further damage and Samsung sued them for the cost of delays. Tell Samsung to clean up its act! Boycott their phones, TVs and appliances and demand your pension funds divest from them now.

UVic invests millions of dollars from its endowment fund into fossil fuel companies. Trying to profit from corporations that have a history of climate change denial is sustainability leadership in high speed reverse. UVic students and faculty have already voted overwhelmingly in favour of divestment. But the administration's response has been to increase their fossil fuel investments. By raising your voice you can help end UVic's hypocrisy. The university spends millions on branding and is very sensitive to public criticism that challenges its carefully cultivated image as a sustainability leader. If you support divestment from fossil fuel companies like Imperial Oil then please sign our petition and help UVic close the book on its complicity with climate change denial and policy obstructionism. For more information please see this recent article in the Tyee: https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/11/03/UVic-Seeks-to-Profit-from-Corporate-Climate-Change-Deniers/

Si les gouvernements sont incapables de s’assurer que l’activité industrielle n’impacte pas les sources essentielles d’eau potable, le bien-être des populations locales est mis à risque. Le petit village de Ristigouche Sud-est au Québec fait face à une poursuite contre une pétrolière pour vouloir protéger son eau potable. Gastem, une pétrolière Montréalaise, poursuit Ristigouche Sud-Est pour avoir passé une loi interdisant le forage du pétrole près de leur source principale d’eau potable. [1] Si Ristigouche Sud-est perd le procès, qui se déroule au cours des deux prochaines semaines, ils auraient à payer 1,5 $ million en dommages – un montant 5 fois supérieur à leur budget annuel. [2] Nous avons besoin de règlements plus stricts au Québec concernant le forage du pétrole et du gaz près des sources d’eau potable. Nous appelons le gouvernement du Québec à mettre en place des règlements plus stricts afin d’assurer la protection des sources d’eau des intérêts corporatistes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If governments are unable to prevent industrial activity from impacting vital water sources, the water that that sustains the lives of local people is at risk. The small village of Ristigouche Sud-Est in Quebec is being sued by an oil and gas company for trying to protect their water. Gastem, a Montreal based oil-and-gas exploration and development company is suing Ristigouche Sud-Est for passing a bylaw establishing a no drill zone near their main source of water. [1] If Ristigouche Sud-Est loses the trial, which is happening right now, they could be forced to pay up to $1.5 million in damages - which is more than 5 times their annual budget. [2] Municipalities should not be punished for passing laws to protect their water. We need stricter regulations in Quebec on oil and gas drilling near water sources. We are calling on the government of Quebec to implement stricter regulations and ensure that vital water sources are protected from corporate interests. Sources: [1] [2] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ristigouche-gastem-oil-gas-lawsuit-1.4276727

Howe Sound is magical. Visitors and locals alike are drawn here by its wild natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and the vibrant communities we call home. However, Howe Sound is under threat from Woodfibre LNG, which proposes to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility on the previous Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill site located approximately 7 km west-southwest of Squamish. Why is Woodfibre LNG a problem? The project is owned by Sukanto Tanoto, an Indonesian billionaire that has been found guilty of tax evasion and human rights violations. LNG tanker traffic puts Howe Sound residents, Vancouver residents, and Victoria residents at risk, and the potential conflict between recreational sailors and LNG tankers has not been adequately addressed. Increased local air pollution will affect human health, particularly the elderly and kids with asthma. Underwater noise and light pollution will affect salmon migration routes, herring, and marine mammals. Locally, Woodfibre LNG will create nearly double the greenhouse gas emissions of all of Squamish. Woodfibre LNG's local and upstream greenhouse gas emissions are equivalent to adding 170,000 cars to the road. If Woodfibre LNG goes ahead, it will result in 24 new fracking wells per year in northeast B.C. Please sign the Howe Sound Declaration now and ask your friends and family to sign too.

In a shocking move, on the eve of the transfer of power, while four of six Tsilhqot’in communities are evacuated due to raging wildfires, and while the communities have engaged in brave efforts to fight for their very survival, the Clark led British Columbian government has granted controversial drilling permits over the objections of the Tsilhqot’in. The Nation is outraged that the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines has issued permits to allow Taseko Mines Ltd. to conduct extensive pre-construction exploration for the New Prosperity mine proposal. This mine cannot be built. It was rejected twice by the Harper-era Federal Government in 2010 (Prosperity) and 2014 (New Prosperity) due to strong opposition by the Tsilhqot’in Nation and unacceptable environmental and cultural impacts. Chief Russell Myers Ross- “I am speechless at the timing of this insulting decision. It defies compassion that while our people are fighting for our homes and lives, BC issues permits that will destroy more of our land beyond repair. As a Nation, we have wasted enough time and energy in conflict. The project has been rejected twice federally. It is time to move on. As Tsilhqot'in, we are moving forward by establishing the Dasiqox Tribal Park based on our governance and values. The Provincial decision to permit further drilling is insulting. It demonstrates a serious attack on meaningful reconciliation. It is our responsibility to protect Nabas for our future generations.” Chief Joe Alphonse- "This is a typical move by the Liberal government. They are a dead political party trying to mount a dead horse and hoping to ride it to a come back." To learn more watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwjCeWF4rfM

Faced with shrinking habitats, more and more turtles are forced to cross busy highways, where they’re getting slammed by oncoming traffic. Ontario’s turtles are already endangered, and unless government steps in this problem could keep getting worse. The Ontario turtle trauma centre is doing all it can by operating on as many injured turtles as possible, but they’re bursting at the seams and can’t keep up with the volume of turtles coming in with cracked shells, fractured heads, and other life threatening injuries. Underpasses allow turtles to avoid the risk of fatal injury. We need them across the province, starting in areas conservationists say are the most urgent.