Blog Posts

5 September 20258 September 2025

Upcoming September Environmental Events

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful summer and are refreshed heading into the cooler temperatures of the fall season. This summer once again will be amongst the hottest on record with accompanying wildfires and destructive storms becoming the new normal.

While we at the BEA are very concerned about the negative consequences of a changing climate, we remain steadfast in our focus on local environmental sustainability and the positive things that we can do to both to adapt to the new reality and do everything that we can to reduce the risk of things becoming worse.

16 August 202516 August 2025

BEA Launches 2025 Bramalea SNAP Project

The BEA has once again obtained a grant from the TRCA’s SNAP Bramalea Program to engage residents in the E, F and K sections of Bramalea in community building activities. This is the second year that the BEA will partner with BikeBrampton and the folks from the Community Bike Hub Different Spokes to deliver bicycle safety and skills training to residents in the identified Bramalea neighbourhoods, (see post of last years program delivery).

This year’s grant will be used for the following projects:

BikeBrampton/Different Spokes will provide free pop-up bicycle repairs in a neighbourhood park in the fall of 2025 and spring 2026. Young adults are currently being trained to learn to ride safely on trails and the road.
These trainees will then become mentors to 10–15-year-olds in a total of six free workshops (fall and spring). The goal is to provide a safe, active means of commuting to the Youth Hub that will open next year at Century Gardens which is accessed by the protected bike lanes along Vodden .

Instructors Alina and Lisa with youth trainees at Bramalea Secondary School — Instructors Alina and Lisa with youth trainees

Three Nature Journalling workshops will also be held next spring for people of all ages and abilities. The workshops are free, and all art materials will be provided.

Thanks to BEA member Cindy Evans for spearheading these projects again this year!

If you are interested in any of these projects and would like more information, please contact Cindy Evans (cinsevans@icloud.com)

13 August 202513 August 2025

Invasion of the invasives

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.

11 August 202513 August 2025

BEA & Plant Based Treaty present a workshop on recycling , waste management and composting.

This past Thursday, July 24th, 3 members of our BEA board, including David Laing, Aneet Sandhu & Yarim Hinojosa, gave a presentation to the Knightsbridge Association in Brampton.

This presentation showed the benefits of proper recycling, waste management, composting and the benefits of eating more plants and how proper diversion of waste can help the region of Peel reach its waste diversion targets.

Did you know? The Peel Region has set a target to divert 70% of all waste away from landfill by 2036. Currently it sits at 50% and diverting more green bin waste would go a long way in helping the Region achieve their target.

13 July 202521 July 2025

Brampton to hold Public Consultations on the Future of Bike Lanes

Father and daughter ride along the Howden Bike Lanes

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.

4 drop-in public sessions at different locations/times so residents can learn more, review the data, and share their feedback in person:
- July 23 at BCC Terminal (2–6 PM)
- July 26 at BCC Mall (12–4 PM)
- July 29 & 31 at Chinguacousy Park Sandra Park Hames Centre (4–8 PM)
Online survey open from July 21 to August 7 on the City’s Let’s Connect page — we’ll be promoting this widely through mailouts, social, signage, and flyers.
We’re reaching about 6,000 households directly in the project area plus doing broader promotion to make sure people know how to get involved.

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.

7 July 20257 July 2025

Upcoming Environmental Events This Summer

Enjoy these events while thinking about the environment this summer.

FAMILY FUN NIGHT

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 FESTIVAL

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.

9 June 20259 June 2025

Another Provincial Attack on Environmental Sustainability

Brampton's Sustainable Development Guidelines

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.

2 June 20255 September 2025

BEA Past Events April/May 2025

Bike Safety Seminar Conestoga Public School

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.

23 May 202526 May 2025

BEA Attends Business Excellence Awards Dinner

BEA Board members attend Business Excellence Awards

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,

17 May 202523 May 2025

BEA Concerned about Ontario Government’s Bill 5

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:

FAMILY FUN NIGHT

CARABRAM FESTIVAL

Be informed on environmental issues affecting Brampton