Brampton Environmental Alliance
Exercise, yoga, meditation, well-being, volunteering, community events.
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 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!”
Emerald Energy from Waste is a private waste burning company located on Brampton’s southeast border with Mississauga. Emerald has been operating this plant since 1992. Recently, they submitted a proposal to the Ontario Government for permission to dramatically increase their plant capacity, to accommodate the equivalent of 1/3 of all of Ontario’s household waste and become the largest mass burn facility in Canada.
Emerald claims they are a clean, green technology company turning unwanted waste into sustainable electricity. Representatives, including experts from Environmental Defence, Toronto Environmental Alliance, and Region of Peel Public Health Department, dispute those claims citing the following facts:
Continue reading “Emerald Energy from Waste, Time to fight back”
Saturday March 22nd was a busy day for the BEA supporting two community tables.
In the morning, the Bramalea Community Network hosted a Health and Wellness Day at the Knightsbridge Seniors Centre. About 30 neighbourhood residents attended including seniors from the Centre as well as families from the surrounding community.
Continue reading “BEA Supports Events in Bramalea and Caledon East on March 22nd”
Leo O’Brien is a community advocate in the Heart Lake community of Brampton and the administrator for Heart Lake Happenings, an on-line community Facebook group that has over 4,000 subscribers. Leo also looks for ways he can give back to his community. Enter the Eco Heart Lake Community Outreach Project.
Continue reading “Creating a Sustainable Community One Project at a Time”
Canada’s Food Guide, produced by Health Canada, is a resource that provides practical, evidence-based recommendations to help Canadians make healthy food choices and develop healthy eating patterns. The guide aims to help Canadians meet their nutritional needs while reducing the risk of chronic disease and contributing to overall health and well-being. The first guide was introduced in 1942 and the recommendations have evolved over the years to reflect the latest scientific research.
Continue reading “How Eating Less Meat Helps Address Climate Change”
It was difficult to write this year-end review for the Brampton Environmental Alliance. Not because we didn’t work very hard to make a difference but because several things conspired to make this a very challenging year, environmentally speaking.
Among the issues we faced: the Province prioritizing building Highway 413, and the efforts of the Emerald Energy From Waste company to expand its garbage burning operations in Brampton without appropriate environmental controls being in place. Of greater concern is the general apathy of the public towards environmental issues and the vitriolic response to public policies aimed at climate change mitigation, notably carbon pricing and rebates. The fact that we seemingly cannot have an adult conversation related to these important topics is deeply troubling.
Continue reading “2024 BEA Year-end Review”