On October 29th, BEA members Rajbalinder and Aneet were at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School in support of their community engagement event that included parent interviews. Harold M. Brathwaite is a school of approximately 1,700 students with programs including: International Baccalaureate (IB), Specialist High Skills Major in Justice and Business Studies, International Student Program, Developmental Disabilities Program.
Gunjan, Dayle, and David spent the afternoon this past Wednesday connecting with TMU’s very first cohort of medical students — an inspiring group with deep passion for how climate and the environment shape both physical and mental health.
Over the years, I’ve gained a reputation in my family for fixing things. Often, just a good cleaning or tightening a loose bolt is all that’s required to get an old appliance running like new. It turns out it is more about having the courage, (or stupidity) to take things apart and the patience to figure out how to put them back together again, than it is about knowledge or skill. I sometimes end up with an extra screw or two that I don’t know what to do with but if it works, what the heck!
Members of the BEA attended two school community events earlier this month.
BEA members, Gunjan, Yarim, Bill, pose with Noura from W.G. Davis SPS
On October 8th, Ghazanfar, Yarim, Gunjan, and Rajbalinder attended the W. G. Davis Senior Public School Open House. One-Planet Living and Plant-Based Treaty were among the topics discussed with students and parents.
“The Science is real, the problem is urgent. Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2030 to avoid climate catastrophe”. Those were the words from David Miller, the keynote speaker at the Ontario Climate Summit held at the University of Toronto this past weekend, attended by four members of the BEA Board, Polly, Rhythm, Dayle and David.
David Miller is the Managing Director of the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. The C40 Centre provides mayors, policymakers and city practitioners with the evidence, analysis and policy guidance needed to implement progressive and equitable climate action.
Mr. Miller went on to say that 80% of the people surveyed in Canada want governments to take stronger climate action, that people believe in the science but vastly overestimate the number and strength of the opposition. He said only 17% are climate deniers, the “drill baby drill” folks, but that their oversized voices tend to sway political discussions and policy making.
On Saturday September 20th thousands attended Draw the Line events across the country. Protests were organized to draw attention to the lack of climate action being taken by our civic leaders, and to highlight the impact this inaction will have, particularly on vulnerable sectors of our population.
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.
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.
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!
Heart Lake Turtle Troopers Family Fun Night 2025
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.
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.