Residents and tax payers of Ramara Township oppose the licensing of a new LCP Brechin Quarry in the Township of Ramara, and the proposed amendments to zoning. The approval of another huge quarry of 374.1 acres would further increase quarry monopolization of land use in the Township of Ramara. On July 15, 2024 LCP Quarry Ltd. submitted an application to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for a Class A Licence under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA). This application is referred to as the proposed Brechin Quarry and is located at part of Lots 11, 12 and 13, Concession 1 in Ramara Township. Adding an additional quarry so close to Brechin raises significant environmental and health concerns. This land is less than 3 kms from Brechin and very close to cottages and homes located along Concession Road A, Concession roads 1, 2 and 3, and along Lakeshore Drive next to Lake Simcoe. Three existing homes are sandwiched between the proposed quarry site and Highway 12. The land is zoned as agricultural and is composed of approximately 50% Class 1 soils. Turning such valuable agricultural land into a quarry is a waste of a crucial resource, especially given that Ontario does not have a shortage of licensed aggregate supply. Ontario contains over half of Canada’s prime agricultural soils, despite farmland only making up <5% of province’s land base. Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day as per 2021 agricultural census. At this rate Ontario’s farmland in production today will be lost over the next 100 years. Dust, noise, and blasting from quarry operations would directly impact adjacent properties. For those living within a three-kilometre radius, the daily disturbance would be unbearable. My own home, situated two kilometres from the Lafarge quarry, often shakes and rattles. Dust is frequently seen blowing toward settlement areas. It will be much worse for the residents living closer to this additional quarry and hub of quarries. Creating pits or quarries requires the removal of virtually all-natural vegetation, topsoil, and subsoil to reach the aggregate underneath. This leads to a loss of existing wildlife and biodiversity as plants and aquatic habitats are destroyed. Adjacent ecosystems are affected by noise, dust, pollution, and contaminated water. Pits and quarries disrupt the existing movement of surface water and groundwater, leading to reduced quantity and quality of drinking water for residents and wildlife near or within the area of quarry sites. The watersheds that filter and support the larger bodies of water within Ramara Township like Lake Simcoe, Lake Dalrymple, Lake Couchiching and all the tributaries must not be further compromised by adding more large-scale aggregate mining sites that only a few profit from, and in many cases do not call Ramara Township their home.  Numerous underutilized aggregate sites sit dormant across the province. According to the Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation, the gravel mining industry already has permits to extract 13 times more aggregate annually than we consume. This overabundance makes the establishment of a new quarry not only unnecessary but also economically redundant. The area proposed to be licensed under the ARA is (151.4 hectares or 374.1 acres) and the proposed extraction area is (91.5 hectares or 226.1 acres). The site is proposed to ship a maximum of 2,000,000 tonnes (roughly 44,444 truck loads, @ 18 cubic metres per tri-axle) aggregate per annum, and will be a below the ground water table quarry. The entrance/exit is proposed to be from Concession Road 2, approximately 450 metres west of Highway 12 and the main haul route will be east on Concession Road 2 to the intersection at Highway 12 where the majority of truck traffic is expected to travel south towards the GTA. The truck route to be used involves travel on Concession Road 2 and Highway 12, which has become inundated with more and more traffic. This includes already excessive aggregate truck traffic, which is well known to bring a heightened level of risk to travel on Highway 12. A great number of the residents of Ramara Township have experienced near misses involving truck traffic and are very aware of the added risk from the huge increase in truck traffic on roads within Ramara Township and on Highway 12. Noise pollution from blasting and heavy machinery will disrupt the peace and tranquility that cottage owners seek. Dust generated by the quarry can travel significant distances, potentially settling on lake properties and affecting air quality. Additionally, the risk of groundwater contamination from quarry operations could impact the lake’s water quality, endangering the ecosystem and recreational activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing. The economic value of lake properties may also decline due to these adverse effects, impacting property owners and the local economy. Brechin is on the verge of growth and revitalization. The council plans to transform the recently purchased St. Andrews Hall into an open, public space for all Ramara residents. Businesses along Brechin’s main corridor have invested significant time and money to establish themselves, aiming to expand alongside the village’s development. A few years ago, Ramara council was enthusiastic about the village settlement being slated for development, with two primary schools — Foley Catholic School and Brechin Public School — within walking distance. The proposed quarry near Brechin poses significant risks to our environment, health, and community growth. With ample aggregate supplies already available and many sites underused, the necessity of a new quarry is highly questionable. Our community’s vision for a vibrant, expanding Brechin should not be compromised for an unnecessary and disruptive quarry. Let us instead prioritize our resident's well-being, protect our environment, and ensure sustainable growth for Brechin.

A recent proposal brought to Brampton city council by Emerald Energy From Waste Inc., would see a massive expansion to the Emerald incinerator, one of the largest garbage incinerators in Canada.  The proposal seeks to quadruple the incinerator's emissions from 182,000 tonnes annually to over 900,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.   We urge you to reject this expansion proposal for the following reasons:  1) Burning garbage produces more greenhouse emissions than burning coal or gas. We can make actual green energy sources much more cheaply than giving this private company $3 million of provincial money. 2) The toxic gas that Emerald company acknowledges leaves its plant, makes people nearby more likely to have chronic lung disease.  3) Studies done on incinerators demonstrate that over half of what is burned could be recycled or composted. It takes a lot of energy to burn wet compostable material and generally that means they are required to burn highly polluting plastics or other fuels, like gas, to get to high enough temperatures.  I and other concerned Ontario residents urge you to NOT approve this expansion and allow for an environmental assessment and community consultation. 

By adding all asthma medications to our Pharmacare Plan and ensuring all Canadians with asthma can always afford their medication can help prevent Canadians with asthma from dying from their illness and improve their quality of life. 

At the last Toronto and East York Community Council meeting members of the committee voted unanimously to send staff’s report, which recommends the approval of KingSett Capital’s application for 214-230 Sherbourne, to council without recommendations. This means that there will be a discussion at the next City Council meeting which is scheduled for three days starting on Wednesday October 9. We are asking the community to insist that Mayor Olivia Chow and the Toronto City Council vote against KingSett's development plans and instead take a stand against corporate developers that are profiting off of housing.  Please sign our petition to add your voice to to this fight. 

The proposed construction project at 4875 Dundas St. West poses a significant threat to the Village of Islington, a community cherished for its unique character and close-knit atmosphere. This development risks displacing long-term residents, disrupting the social fabric that makes our neighborhood special. The prolonged construction period will bring years of noise, pollution, and traffic congestion, severely impacting the quality of life for all residents. Additionally, the environmental impact of increased pollution and inadequate green spaces will degrade our neighborhood, leading to potential health issues and exacerbating flooding risks. Our existing infrastructure is already under considerable strain, and the addition of this project will only worsen issues with water, electricity, and traffic, causing frequent disruptions. The safety of our children and pedestrians is also at risk due to the increased construction activity around schools and residential areas. Furthermore, the lack of sufficient services, schools, and infrastructure to support the influx of new residents will negatively impact the quality of life for both current and future residents. The proposed building’s size is out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood, threatening the character and aesthetic of our community. There is also a pressing need for affordable housing in our city, and we are concerned that this project may not address this need, potentially focusing on high-end units instead. Understanding these impacts highlights the importance of carefully considering the future development of our neighborhood to ensure it remains a vibrant and sustainable place for all residents.

During question period on September 25th 2024 the leader of the opposition asked the Prime Minister about the purchase of a new residence for the consul general in New York, which included “Gold quartzite countertops, stunning powder room... and a copper soaker tub.” Trudeau responded with summary of his recent trip to New York for the UN Summit and his various engagements with international leaders. While he was responding MP Garnett Genuis called out: “Does he engage with them in the bathtub?" Instead of asking MP Genius to retract his comments, Speaker Fergus called on the Prime Minister to retract his response because he called Genius’s behaviour “crap” which was unparliamentary. We’ve let queer and trans hate become normalized and now it’s rearing it’s ugly head in parliament. We need to make it known that hate has no place anywhere in this country especially not in our chambers of government.

CPPIB is one of the largest investment funds in the world, managing nearly $650 billion in retirement savings on behalf of over 22 million working and retired Canadians.  • CPPIB committed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In recent years CPPIB has dramatically increased its investments in climate solutions.  • But at the same time, CPPIB is continuing to invest our retirement dollars in fossil fuel infrastructure and the companies fueling the climate crisis – Shift estimates nearly $64 billion in fossil fuel investments as of September 2023. In 2024 alone, CPPIB made five new investments in fossil fuels, including marking Earth Day with a $405 million investment in fracking expansion in Ohio and buying 16,000 kms of oil and gas pipeline in the US Midwest. In September, a CPPIB-owned company extended the piping of fracked gas from the Peruvian Amazon for another ten years until at least 2044.  • CPPIB’s board of directors also has a potential conflict of interest problem: three of the 11 current members of CPPIB’s Board of Directors are also executives or corporate directors of fossil fuel companies.  The Canada Pension Plan is our money. CPPIB owes all of us a duty to maximize our returns over the long-term without undue risk of loss. Fossil fuel expansion simply cannot be a responsible investment, with the high risk of assets becoming stranded as the global economy moves away from fossil fuels.  Over the next few weeks, we have the opportunity to take part in public meetings across Canada being arranged by CPPIB in all provinces and territories except for Quebec – and we can ask CPPIB leadership hard-hitting questions on their role in fueling the climate crisis and protecting our retirement security in a healthy, livable future.  Demand answers: Send questions to CPPIB today – and demand that they stop investing our money in fossil fuel expansion and instead use the national retirement savings of Canadians to invest in climate solutions.  Show up and be heard: You can register to attend the meetings here. Show up and ask the tough questions.  For more information on CPPIB’s approach to climate change and risky investments in fossil fuels, and ideas to ask CPPIB executives about climate change and fossil fuels, read Shift’s CPPIB climate action briefing and sample questions. You can also reach out to Shift at [email protected]. 

The land-based disposal of biosolids has known implications for wildlife, watersheds, and human health. We want to keep our water, air, and soil clean and healthy for future generations. 

Neither governments nor the private sector have been able to address the housing affordability crisis. We need to move away from the Financialization of Housing towards the Communitization of Housing.   An article in the Globe & Mail stated that: “We simply don’t have enough money to solve Canada’s housing crisis.”  I disagree for if we take this on as a community we do have enough money. Canadians have +$4 Trillion in RRSP and other savings instruments. If one percent those funds were put into five and ten year community bonds secured against land and property we would have the largest affordable housing fund in the world. Imagine transforming our cities and towns that are presently unaffordable to the ‘most affordable’ cities in North America. Please join us in helping us start ‘Building Solutions to the Housing Crisis’.  

Indwell Community Homes is a Christian charity that provides affordable, supportive housing. They have 28 buildings in operation in Southern Ontario, with buildings in Hamilton, Mississauga, London, the Region of Waterloo, Haldimand-Norfolk, St. Thomas, Oxford County, and Chatham-Kent. They have 9 more buildings in the pre-development or development stages. Indwell houses over 1200 tenants.    Indwell repeatedly fails to provide safe housing. Many tenants have complained about an absurd level of violence, including verbal and physical assaults by other Indwell tenants. In a March 2024 survey with 46 Indwell tenants, when asked if they feel safe living at Indwell, 67% replied: sometimes, rarely or never. Indwell keeps saying their buildings are safe and it is just a few disgruntled tenants. Thus they fail to address the safety issues in their buildings.    Life at Indwell includes murders, assaults, bodies left to decompose for days and rampant drug use. For instance, in 2018, at Indwell’s Parkdale Landing in Hamilton, a long-term “guest” strangled and hog-tied his roommate. In January 2024, at the Oaks in Hamilton, one Indwell tenant violently assaulted another tenant. The man was left crippled with brain injuries and he died shortly afterwards. Other tenants are saying this was a drug deal gone bad. Also in January 2024, at their St. Thomas building, there was a compressed gas explosion. The man was charged with arson and possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to his probation order. It was not reported if the man was an Indwell tenant or a long-term “guest”. When Indwell tenants complain to Indwell that they do not feel safe, Indwell fails to take action.   Tenants should not live in fear. If housing is a human right, then safe housing should be a tenant right.  Check out our report on Indwell: https://dawsonross.wordpress.com/2024/12/04/a-government-funded-slum-our-second-comprehensive-report-on-indwell/ For more information contact: [email protected]

  This is important because: Children should not be discriminated against because of their disability Children should not be denied an education because of their disability Families should not be forced to deviate from medical plans so their child can receive an education.  Families should be able to choose what they feed their child   A Canadian study about Home blending meals: https://www.sickkids.ca/en/news/archive/2018/sickkids-led-study-shows-success-with-a-blenderized-diet-for-children-with-g-tubes-/    

Rather than spending millions of taxpayer dollars to demolish the former Royal Alberta Museum, why not invest in revitalizing this cherished heritage site? The building, a significant part of Alberta’s history, has strong support from the public and advocates like former senator Paula Simons and Marlene Wyman (former Edmonton historian laureate and RAM archivist), who believe it should be preserved.  Its unique stone façade, featuring Indigenous petroglyph carvings, makes it an architectural gem. In 2016, the National Trust of Canada even recognized it as an endangered heritage site. Beyond its historical significance and hosting of artifacts, the building has been and could continue to be a vibrant hub for the community, regularly hosting arts, cultural events, and gatherings. Repurposing this space would honour its legacy and continue to serve both residents and visitors. The UCP party and Danielle Smith have released a survey to the public to share their thoughts on the former RAM, but this survey gives no option to suggest the reuse of the building.  We the undersigned believe that the interests of Edmontonians and Albertans are being swept aside by the provincial government. It is time to raise our voices to let Danielle Smith and the UCP know that we want to save the former Alberta Provincial Museum as a cultural heritage site.