Brampton Environmental Alliance
Here’s a quiz. What is Phragmites? Is it,
a: A mineral deposit left behind by dripping water in caves,
b: A children’s TV sequel to the Muppet Show,
c: A particularly itchy skin rash resulting from drinking too much red wine,
d: An aggressive type of invasive European grass or reed that grows in dense clusters up to 15 feet in height, crowding out native species and destroying wetland habitat throughout Ontario.
Brampton staff are organizing public consultations over the next few weeks to solicit feedback on the future of Brampton’s bike lanes particularly the protected bike lanes along Howden Boulevard from North Park to Dixie. See below for currently scheduled sessions.
Whether or not you are a cyclist, or a support of active transportation, please come out to one of these sessions to learn the facts about how bike lanes affect traffic and road safety in our city.
If you are not able to attend one of the sessions, you can complete the survey on-line. First check out Dayle Laing’s BikeBrampton post for an analysis of the four options and more background information that will help you with your feedback.
This is more than just the future of a few bike lanes. It’s about the transportation vision for the City of Brampton that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Enjoy these events while thinking about the environment this summer.
Come on out to Heart Lake Turtle Troopers Family Fun Night on Tuesday July 22nd. Participate in interactive activities for all ages. See where turtles lay their eggs and where they bask in the sun on a hot summer’s day. Visit the Brampton Environmental Alliance table and take the ONE-PLANET LIVING PLEDGE!
Carabram is Brampton’s vibrant multicultural festival, celebrating diverse cultures through music, dance, food, and lively performances from around the world. For an eco-friendly option travel to and from the pavilions by bike. See BikeBrampton.ca for suggested bike travel routes and other information on buying your passport to attend this great event.
The Provincial Government continued its attack on environmental sustainability this past week, by passing Bill 5 “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act” and Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025″. They did so despite strong opposition from environmental groups, opposition parties, and First Nations Peoples.
Continue reading “Another Provincial Attack on Environmental Sustainability”
The BEA has been involved in many events over the past two months. Those earlier in April were already documented in a previous post. Here are ones that happened more recently.
Continue reading “BEA Past Events April/May 2025”
This past Thursday evening 7 members of the BEA Board, including: Pauline Thornham, Rajbalinder Ghatoura, Gauravi Sani, Yarim Hinojosa, Amisha Moorjani, Dayle and David Laing, attended a gala awards dinner hosted by the Brampton Board of Trade (BBOT). Each year BBOT recognizes individuals and businesses, large and small, across different categories for their work in growing Brampton’s economy and Brampton’s community through inspiration, innovation, dedication and, determination,
Continue reading “BEA Attends Business Excellence Awards Dinner”
The Ontario Government is proposing to introduce another in a series of sweeping policies designed to streamline development application processes and energize Ontario’s economy at the expense of maintaining environmental protections. The latest initiative is Bill 5, “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025”. Bill 5 aims to speed up development on projects including mining northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire, adding more landfill space in York Region, and exempting the Therme Spa development project from public consultation and review.
If passed by the Provincial legislature, Bill 5 would:
Continue reading “BEA Concerned about Ontario Government’s Bill 5”
Comments provided to the City of Brampton Planning Department regarding a proposed development on the east side of Heart Lake Road located about mid-way between Sandalwood Parkway and Mayfield Rd.
I want to provide comments on the above application on behalf of the Brampton Environmental Alliance Board and its members. The property lot in question is located across the street from the Heart Lake Conservation Area which is a valuable tourism and recreational asset for the City of Brampton. A main reason this area is so popular is because of the large number and diversity of plants and animals that can be experienced there. Biodiversity flourishes not just because of the natural heritage amenities within the park itself, but because of the richness of the surrounding natural heritage systems that, historically, have been left relatively undisturbed by development. That pattern of isolation has begun to change, however, in recent years.
Continue reading “Paving Paradise, One Block at a Time”
Your BEA team is taking advantage of April being Earth Month to participate in various activities to promote environmental awareness. Check out the sections below including: Parent Teacher Night at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School,
Sustainable Procurement Workshop at the Rose Theatre,
Reconnect Brampton’s Sip & Stroll Nature Walk in Downtown Brampton,
Earth Day Event at McCandless Park,
CVC Fletchers Creek SNAP Workshop at Brampton City Hall
April is the time of year when we celebrate Earth’s bounties, take joy from daylight as it emerges from darkness’s sheath, and as we are released from the ravages of winter cold, snow and ice. April is also a time for us to reflect on the importance of the earth’s natural environment to our health and wellbeing, and the damage it suffers as a result of human pursuit of perpetual economic growth. The old adage that, “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” is poignant today for many reasons but, perhaps, especially so for the environment. With government’s of all stripes and colours, north and south of the Canada, U.S. border, rolling back environmental legislation in the name of progress, growth and affordability, it’s worth looking back to the time before much of this legislation existed to examine the impact that unbridled growth can have on our quantity and quality of life.
Continue reading “April is Earth Month, Take the Pledge!”