Saskatchewan is on the brink of a transportation crisis. Yesterday, Greyhound announced that they are completely shutting down all bus service in the province. [1] The end of this vital bus service will leave many people without transportation options -- particularly those living in more rural communities where public transportation is inadequate or non-existent, and those who don’t have access to their own vehicle to get around. We need to make sure that there’s a plan in place before the Greyhound service ends, so that the people who rely on their services aren’t left stranded. A massive public outcry will force our governments to take action, and ensure that communities impacted by Greyhound’s cuts continue to have access to transportation. Sign the petition now, and call Saskatchewan's Minister of Highways and Infrastructure David Marit and the federal Minister of Transport Marc Garneau to replace the Greyhound service in Saskatchewan. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhound-cancellations-alberta-manitoba-saskatchewan-british-columbia-1.4739459

British Columbia is on the brink of a transportation crisis. Yesterday, Greyhound announced that they are cancelling all but one of their bus routes in the province. [1] The end of this vital bus service will leave many people without transportation options -- particularly those living in more rural communities where public transportation is inadequate or non-existent, and those who don’t have access to their own vehicle to get around. We need to make sure that there’s a plan in place before the Greyhound service ends, so that the people who rely on their services aren’t left stranded. The BC government has already taken some steps to replace Greyhound services that were cut earlier this year, including introducing a pilot project to replace the long distance bus service along the Highway of Tears. Bus service along Highway 16 was a key recommendation of the Highway of Tears Symposium in 2006 -- and Indigenous groups and communities along the highway have been advocating for improved transportation on the route for years. Now, dozens more Greyhound bus routes across the province are in jeopardy. We need to turn up the pressure on our governments to take action, and ensure that communities impacted by Greyhound’s cuts continue to have access to transportation. Sign the petition now, and call on BC's Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena and the federal Minister of Transport Marc Garneau to replace the Greyhound service in British Columbia. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhound-cancellations-alberta-manitoba-saskatchewan-british-columbia-1.4739459

Alberta is on the brink of a transportation crisis. Yesterday, Greyhound announced that they are completely shutting down all bus service in the province. [1] The end of this vital bus service will leave many people without transportation options -- particularly those living in more rural communities where public transportation is inadequate or non-existent, and those who don’t have access to their own vehicle to get around. We need to make sure that there’s a plan in place before the Greyhound service ends, so that the people who rely on their services aren’t left stranded. A massive public outcry will force our governments to take action, and ensure that communities impacted by Greyhound’s cuts continue to have access to transportation. Sign the petition now, and call on Alberta's Minister of Transportation Brian Mason and the federal Minister of Transport Marc Garneau to replace the Greyhound service in Alberta. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhound-cancellations-alberta-manitoba-saskatchewan-british-columbia-1.4739459

The Ontario Ministry of Education is cancelling the Summer 2018 curriculum writing sessions. As part of these sessions, Indigenous people - including Elders and traditional knowledge holders - were invited to be involved in curriculum writing about Indigenous perspectives and Truth and Reconciliation (TRC). There are SO many reasons why it is crucial to have not only education ABOUT Indigenous history, perspectives, and truth and reconciliation - but Indigenous contributions TO the writing of this education. Cancelling the curriculum writing program without assuring Indigenous educators is a gross misstep, and is indeed taking us backwards rather than forward. Links: http://templatelab.com/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-calls-to-action/ https://www.angelanardozi.com/listenandlearn/2018/7/8/i-am-concerned-ontario-curriculum-indigenous-education https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/trc-education-indigenous-history-1.3746214 http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/indigenous-people-vol11/why-aboriginal-peoples-cant-just-get-over-it https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/canadians-need-an-aboriginal-history-lesson/article549808/ http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Exec_Summary_2015_05_31_web_o.pdf

Large international companies can take millions of litres of water each day, bottle it in tons of plastic, and then truck it out of local watersheds. Ontario's regulations are years behind in dealing with this issue. We need to update those regulations in order to protect water.

Le plastique est le polluant le plus répandu dans nos océans. Il cause des dommages à l'environnement parce qu'il ne se décompose pas facilement et est souvent confondu avec de la nourriture par la vie marine. Plus d'un million d'oiseaux de mer sont tués par la pollution des océans chaque année. Près de trois mille dauphins et marsouins meurent chaque année de la consommation ou de l'enchevêtrement dans la pollution des océans. En outre, un million de mammifères marins sont tués chaque année à la suite de la pollution. Les eaux de ruissellement provenant de l'agriculture et des installations de production contribuent grandement à la pollution des océans. Le ruissellement des eaux usées conduit à la décomposition de la matière organique qui affecte la biodiversité marine. Les engrais qui sont déversés dans les eaux océaniques créent une eutrophisation et permettent aux algues de s'épanouir et d'épuiser la teneur en oxygène de l'eau. Les petits animaux au bas du changement alimentaire sont les plus susceptibles d'absorber ces produits chimiques. Ces petites créatures marines sont alors mangées et les produits chimiques remontent à travers la chaîne alimentaire, contaminant ainsi nos sources d'aliments marins. Nous devons empêcher que ces sources majeures de pollution ne détruisent complètement nos océans. La vie marine est vitale dans de nombreuses parties du monde. Ce monde mérite mieux. Qui sait combien de temps le problème continuera à s'aggraver et à quel point aurons-nous complètement détruit nos océans irréparables? Notre mission est de nettoyer les océans contre la pollution, en particulier la pollution plastique, par C.P.R, le nettoyage, la prévention et la réduction des déchets. Prévention du déversement en mer, des fuites d'huile et d'autres formes de pollution de l'océan. Nettoyage de la pollution actuelle des océans tels que les gyres à ordures et les plages polluées. Enfin, en réduisant nos déchets, il y aurait moins de pollution en général et dans nos océans.  ÊTRE LA SOLUTION À LA POLLUTION OCÉANIQUE!

In 2002, there were recycling units at the bus stop in Elmvale, which have since been replaced by nothing more than open garbage containers. With that being the case, there are recyclable items ending up in landfills.

Polystyrene foam, more commonly known as Styrofoam, is a non-biodegradable, petroleum-based material containing styrene, a cancer-suspect compound (according to the Environmental Protection Agency [https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/styrene.pdf], the International Agency for Research on Cancer [http://www.inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol82/82-07.html], and the American National Toxicology Program [https://web.archive.org/web/20110612085554/http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/materials/styrenefs.pdf]), and benzene, a confirmed carcinogen (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/benzene.pdf). Most Montreal fruiteries and grocery stores make regular use of polystyrene cartons to package fresh, bulk fruits and vegetables. Polystyrene is also used by some restaurants and cafés to serve food and drinks. And of course, polystyrene is a common material used in shipping (foam inserts, packing peanuts, egg cartons) and in construction as insulation. There are many reasons to object to the use of polystyrene packaging: 1. When used to package certain food products (hot food and beverages, alcohol, foods containing beta-carotene) it has been suggested that some of the toxins in polystyrene (styrene and benzene) are more likely to leach into your food. One study even showed that styrene can leach directly into ambient-temperature water (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17915704). The American Food and Drug Administration, however, insists that polystyrene is a safe and stable food container, although small amounts of styrene may remain in the plastic post-production (https://www.plasticfoodservicefacts.com/foodservice-safety/fda-safety-of-polystyrene-foodservice-products/). In short, this is a controversial point — but regardless of where you stand on this point, there are many other reasons to ban the use of polystyrene. 2. As a petroleum product, polystyrene is unsustainable. A Worldwatch report from 2016 estimates that 8% of petroleum consumed globally goes towards making plastics: 4% in the plastics themselves, and another 4% to power the production process (http://www.worldwatch.org/global-plastic-production-rises-recycling-lags-0). 3. Polystyrene is resistant to photolysis and takes hundreds of years to decompose. Because of its ubiquitous use and the degree to which it is difficult, expensive, and dangerous to recycle, polystyrene plastics make up an enormous portion of landfill waste and marine debris (see, e.g., http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-polystyrene-bans-20160713-snap-story.html). Even if marine debris is not technically toxic, it is still a colossal problem. A recent report stated that "global annual plastic consumption has now reached over 320 million tonnes with more plastic produced in the last decade than ever before," and that the world's largest marine garbage pile, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is growing more quickly than ever (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w). 4. Although the plastic is relatively stable, and there is no current consensus on whether it leaches toxic compounds into water systems, it is established that polystyrene (a) act as a sponge for chemical pollutants in the water (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X09002690), and (b) physically break down into small pellets that are very difficult to clean up, and are subsequently consumed by marine life and birds. This leads both to choking and digestive system blockages and to poisoning of the organisms that consume the pollutant-soaked pellets. This is not only ethically wrong in terms of our relations to the non-human world, but it comes full circle, contributing to the poisoning of the food and water sources we rely on. 5. Even before it makes it to the grocery store, the landfill, or the ocean, polystyrene is putting people at risk. A study conducted in 2016 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26574575) reported excess numbers of deaths associated with lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among workers who are chronically exposed to styrene compounds. (See also: https://web.archive.org/web/20110617160927/http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov:80/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/Styrene.pdf.) 6. Polystyrene is very difficult to recycle in part because its basic ingredients, styrene and benzene, are toxic (http://mercergroup.com/what-we-recycle/). Ecocentre LaSalle does have a polystyrene recycling program, but you must have the means to bring it there yourself (http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=9217,103627572&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL). For now, this is an absolutely necessary project to have. It is, however, inaccessible to many if not most Montrealers, requires too many resources, puts more people in contact with toxins, and would be unnecessary if polystyrene — which causes harm even before it is thrown away — were no longer allowed in the city. 7. Canada says it wants to be a leader in reducing plastic waste (https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-g7-plastics-push-1.4566732), but we're way behind. Many cities in the United States, including major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, have already banned the use of polystyrene products (https://groundswell.org/map-which-cities-have-banned-plastic-foam/). There has recently been recognition in Montreal of the harm that non-recyclable plastic shopping bags cause the environment and ourselves. There is momentum in this city that we can use to push farther. If we are truly committed to the reduction of plastic waste, it needs to be extended to other dangerous, one-use plastic products — and what better place to begin than polystyrene.

And a bit more here

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] The Province of PEI have introduced a Plastic Bag Reduction Act which would work in phases to eventually eliminate single-use plastic bags from shops — encouraging them to use paper and cloth bags instead. It's time for every other province in Canada to do the same. [5] If we don't take action to cut down our plastic waste, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.[6] 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://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] The Province of PEI have introduced a Plastic Bag Reduction Act which would work in phases to eventually eliminate single-use plastic bags from shops — encouraging them to use paper and cloth bags instead. It's time for every other province in Canada to do the same. [5] If we don't take action to cut down our plastic waste, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.[6] 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://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] The Province of PEI have introduced a Plastic Bag Reduction Act which would work in phases to eventually eliminate single-use plastic bags from shops — encouraging them to use paper and cloth bags instead. It's time for every other province in Canada to do the same. [5] If we don't take action to cut down our plastic waste, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.[6] 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://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf