david.laing – Page 13

13 December 202213 December 2022

Brampton asking for resident input to improve neighbourhoods

Brampton city staff, from the Community Safety and Well-being Office, are looking for your input on the Nurturing Neighbourhood Program. Now in its 4th year, Nurturing Neighbourhoods is designed to give residents an opportunity to have conversations with staff and members of Council to share their experience on a range of topics that will help create vibrant and inclusive neighbourhoods where everyone feels safe and connected.

Since the program started, staff and Council have visited with residents from 15 neighbourhoods across all 10 city wards. Now they are looking for feedback that will help set their plans and priorities for 2023 and beyond. They want to understand what you like and don’t like about the neighbourhood where you live. They want to know how safe you feel, what your concerns are and how the city could do better.

Members of the Brampton Environmental Alliance are invited to participate in an on-line survey.

Take the survey

8 December 20228 December 2022

Brampton Environmental Alliance joins protests over the Province’s Bill 23 New Homes Build Faster Act

Saturday morning dawned cold, wet, and blustery. By noon, the rain had stopped and about 50 people braved the low temperatures and wind chill to protest the Ontario government’s intent to remove land from the Greenbelt and to implement the New Homes Built Faster Act 2022, a bill that would further erode protections for environmentally sensitive areas in the province.

8 December 20228 December 2022

BEA and Lead Now talk carbon caps with Brampton North’s MP Sahota

On Friday, Dayle and David Laing, joined Bette-Ann Goldstein and Lead Now volunteer, Liz Garrison to visit Brampton North MP Ruby Sahota. The meeting’s purpose was to show support for the Government of Canada’s plan to impose a hard carbon emissions cap on the oil and gas industry as part of this county’s Climate Action Plan.

8 December 20228 December 2022

Peel Talks Climate

Last Thursday evening the BEA was invited to participate in the Peel Talks Climate event sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation. The event was held at Alderlea, a heritage conference building in downtown Brampton.

30 November 20228 December 2022

Bill 23 means Brampton residents will be paying much higher property taxes

In last week’s blog, I indicated Bill 23, the Provincial Government’s Building New Homes Faster Act 2022 would mean higher taxes for Brampton property owners. The Bill was passed by the Ontario legislature on Monday. Brampton staff have been working hard to analyse the bill and now the extent of the impact is emerging.

21 November 202221 November 2022

Ford’s Bill 23 will mean higher property taxes for existing Brampton homeowners

If you are a residential property owner in Peel Region, then you will be paying more property tax in the coming years if the Provincial Government’s Bill 23, New Homes Built Faster Act is passed by the Ontario legislature. Bill 23 is the Ontario Government’s response to home affordability. It is intended to make it easier and more profitable for developers to build new housing. The logic is that increased supply will reduce the pressure that is driving up home prices. This makes sense on the surface. But there are huge implications and unintended consequences of the approach this legislation is using to achieve the government’s aim.

11 November 202221 November 2022

We need you to speak out against Bill 23

David Laing speaking on Bill 23 at the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure, and Cultural Policy on November 10, 2022

Yesterday I had the privilege to present to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure, and Cultural Policy regarding Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act 2022 that is currently in second reading at the Ontario Legislature.

As stated in a previous article this Bill, unless substantially altered, has the potential to inflict massive environmental damage on communities all across this province but especially on those in the greater Toronto area. Below is the text of my opening remarks to the Committee. If you are like me and believe in building communities that are healthy and happy through environmental, social and economic sustainability, then I urge you to let your MPP know that Bill 23 needs a significant overhaul. An easy way to do that is through the David Suzuki Foundation’s letter campaign.

8 November 202221 November 2022

Bill 23, an attack on a Sustainable Brampton

Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act is the Ontario Government’s latest omnibus bill that is being fast tracked through the Provincial legislature. Purportedly designed to reduce red tape and allow developers to build 1.5 Million homes over the next 10 years, this bill proposes sweeping changes to multiple provincial statutes in support of the government’s “Housing Supply Action Plan”.

There are a few positive aspects to Bill 23 including:

1 November 20226 December 2022

BEA Annual Meeting Registration is Open

The next meeting of the Brampton Environmental Alliance has been rescheduled for January 11th, 2023. This allows the Board and Treasurer to produce a complete year end review and report. It will be a hybrid meeting starting at 7:00pm running ’til 9:00pm. Register to attend through Eventbrite. It is our first ever Annual General Meeting. Everyone is welcome to observe.

Become a voting member

Voting members have the opportunity to define organizational priorities for 2023, to review and approve the Treasurer’s Report, to vote on meeting schedule, and to select Board members. Individual annual memberships are only $15.00. Organizational memberships are $20.00. Membership fees are used to purchase insurance for our member and advocacy events and for things like hiring student interns to help run campaigns.

Nominations open for Board positions

Nominations are open for all Board positions. As this is the first AGM, we are electing all Board positions. We are an operational volunteer Board. Time commitment typically is a few hours per month. You may nominate yourself or another individual. Visit the Executive Team – BEA page for information on Board positions and to submit nominations.

25 October 202221 November 2022

Municipal Election

The people have spoken and we have a new municipal council, a new regional council and a new set of school board trustees.

Thanks to all the candidates who put their names on ballots and who had the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Congratulations to the winners who now have challenge and responsibility of following through on their campaign promises.

And thanks to those who took the time to research their candidate positions and then to vote for the candidate of their choice.