Ontario’s Bluebelt

Close-up photo of a sprinkler system, with water spraying upward, into sunlight, surrounded by green leaves of seedlings emerging from rich soil.

Ontario’s identity is inextricably linked to its natural bounty, and in the Canadian context, along with thousands of lakes nestled in forests and the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes and fertile farmlands of central and southern Ontario are unique.

Analysis: More Homes Built Faster Act

A photo of scaffolding on a construction site. Photo by Tolu Olubode on Unsplash.

Recent moves by Ontario’s government seem likely to create conditions for a number of crises in the next few decades that, when combined, are greater than the sum of their parts. This is what’s known as a “polycrisis”, a term popularized by economic historian Adam Tooze.

New Highways and Aggregate Mining in the Greenbelt

Photo, from the air, of a aggregate quarry, with trees at the edge. Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

Research by Gravel Watch Ontario, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition and Environmental Defence suggests aggregates needed for the Bradford Bypass and 413 highways will come from the 905 and the Greenbelt.

Greenwashing – the marketing practice increasingly used by political leaders

Photo of a woman's hand holding a boxed liquid container that has the words "Boxed water is better" on it

Greenwashing is most often thought of in terms of marketing a product. In a time when political discourse is increasingly branded and marketed, however, and when the action required to address environmental problems is increasingly at odds with what politicians seem willing or able to do, greenwashing is becoming a concern in the political sphere, too.

The Bradford Bypass – Clearing the Air

Photo of a highway bridge. Credit Ajai Arif.

There are a lot of misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings regarding the role that highways and cars play in our economy, and the impact they have on our environment and communities. Many of these are coming to the fore with the Bradford Bypass. Here we address some of them.

Bradford Bypass

Arial photo of the Holland Marsh, with Lake Simcoe in the distance. Credit Jeff Laidlaw.

The provincial government is proposing a highway that would connect the 404 with the 400. The proposed route passes along the northern edge of Bradford, and through portions of the Holland Marsh.

Press Release: Growing the Greenbelt

Picture of a field with the sun setting. Photo by Federico Respini.

The Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition and allies across the region and province have strongly advocated for the expansion of the Greenbelt since 2017. In fact, over 90 groups including prominent individuals such as David Crombie released a report earlier today which outlines five requirements the provincial government must follow to ensure that Greenbelt expansion improves the environmental and financial health of Ontarians…

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Friends. Online censorship by unaccountable tech companies, combined with an all-out assault on the Greenbelt by Ontario’s developers/government, make this a perilous time for the future of democracy and the power of the people in Ontario.

We need to build new ways of empowering those who believe in accountability, in a healthy environment, and in communities ready to thrive in the economy of tomorrow.

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