Category: Land and Nature

Community and natural/organic gardening, park stewardship, rewilding, forest management, litter clean up.

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Have Your Say on Brampton’s Mobility Plan

The City of Brampton is updating the current 2015 Transportation Master Plan. The revised Mobility Plan will guide City investment in transportation infrastructure over the coming years. The Plan will move the City towards the 2040 Vision to be “a mosaic of safe, integrated transportation choices and new modes, contributing to civic sustainability, and emphasizing walking, cycling, and transit.”

Did You Know?

  • Transportation trips in Brampton nearly doubled from 1996 to 2015 from 480,000 to 880,000,
  • Travel to and from work represents 64.8% of all travel trips in the City,
  • 78% of Brampton’s transportation trips end in either Brampton or Mississauga. Only 22% travel outside of Peel Region!
    • For work only trips 62% end in either Brampton or Mississauga while only 38% travel to areas outside of Peel Region.
  • Currently 86% of travel trips are made by personal vehicle, (car, SUV, pick-up, etc), while only 14% use walking, cycling or transit.
  • 48% (426,000) of these trips are short trips of less than 5 kilometers. Only 13% of these short trips are made by active modes, (walking, cycling).
    • Only 1% of trips between 3 and 5 kilometers are made by active modes.
    • A 5km bike ride takes less than 20 minutes.
    • Shifting even a portion of these short trips to active modes could take about 100,000 cars off the roads in Brampton each day. Imagine what that would do for pollution and traffic congestion!

Source: 2016 Transportation Tomorrow Survey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_1kC3WTsHU

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BEA participates in fall Ecofest event

On Saturday September 14th, the BEA participated in a fall Ecofest event in support of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority. Organized by Unifor’s GTA West Environmental Council, the event boasted food, live music, kids games, and local beer supplied by Goodlot Brewery. All proceeds from the beer sales as well as a silent auction went to supporting the Credit Valley Foundation.

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BEA delegates to Peel Regional Council

Regional Council

The Emerald Energy from Waste facility has been operating in Peel since 1992, initially built and operated by Algonquin Power. The Region cancelled a waste burning contract with Algonquin in 2012 but the facility was sold to Emerald shortly thereafter and has been continuing operations by consuming waste from industrial, commercial and institutional sources.

In 2016, the Region considered building its own waste burning facility but cancelled those plans due to concerns about the pollution a second facility would emit. Instead it embarked on a plan to divert 75% of its waste by 2034, through a combination of improved policies, procedures and, technologies related to waste reduction, reuse, recycling and, composting.

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BEA and Partners to Deliver Summer Programming

Brampton Bike Hub pop up at Bramalea Secondary School
Post Author: Cindy Evans

This summer, with financial support from TRCA’s “Building a Healthy and Connected Bramalea” project, the BEA is providing 3 programs to the residents of Brampton – specifically aimed at engaging residents living in the E,F and K sections of Bramalea. This area has been highlighted as part of TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP). The objective of Bramalea SNAP is to foster neighbourhood revitalization that integrates local community interests and sustainability objectives under the overarching theme of working together for a green, healthy, and welcoming Bramalea SNAP neighbourhood.

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Your Washing Machine has a Dirty Secret

Woman smelling clothes fresh from the laundry

The smell of clean clothes pulled from the dryer, may rival that of brewing coffee or freshly baked bread as a “comfort” aroma. Of course that excludes clothes that have been soaked in fabric softener or dried with dryer sheets for that is both a personal and an environmental turnoff subject to an article for another day. Beyond that though, we all want to wear freshly laundered clothes. Most of us wear our clothes only once before tossing them in the wash basket. And more than 60% of the clothing we wear is made from synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels. Aka, it’s made of plastic!

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BEA May 2024 Past Events

May has been a busy for BEA involvement in environmental events.

On Saturday May 11th, the BEA participated in Reconnect Brampton’s Clothing Swap. Remember that most of our clothes today are made of plastic. Fabrics such as Nylon, Polyester, Spandex, and many other man-made products are derived from fossil fuels. Keeping these clothes in circulation rather than having them become garbage in landfill is very important. These fabrics take decades to break down in the environment but when they do, they end up as microplastic pieces that travel by water and air all over the world and are now ending up in almost every living organism including unborn babies.

Canada alone dumps 500 MILLION kilograms of clothing into landfills each year! Clothes swapping is a far better alternative that saves money and contributes to a healthier planet! If you missed the event but please visit Restyle Boutique – a local family-owned clothing store that sells chic lightly used items.

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Rooted in Hope 2023-24 Project finishes

Rooted in Hope Training
Rooted in Hope Training Gore Meadows
Rooted in Hope Training at Gore Meadows Community Centre

The Rooted in Hope 2023-24 project hosted its final event on Sunday April 21st. About a dozen and a half participants, one third seniors and two thirds secondary school students, enjoyed the bright sunshine yet below seasonal temperatures for the final tree monitoring training at Gore Meadows Community Centre.

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It’s Earth Month – Give your planet a hug!

Dayle hugging willow tree

April is a great time of year. It heralds the true beginning of spring with longer days, warm sunshine and soaking rains that wash away the winter blahs. Signs of love are everywhere, from the birds gathering nesting material to the young folk, holding hands in the park.

Perhaps the best part of April is that it heralds Earth Month, a time to think about all of the environmental challenges we are facing and to take positive action to create a sustainable future for us and all the creatures sharing this small planet we call home.

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