While changes to land use, (particularly agriculture to grow food), represent the single biggest driver to biodiversity loss, climate change is now playing an increasingly damaging role, causing direct loss of habitat, expanded ranges for disease and invasive species, and changes to food sources. A growing list of species extinctions can be directly attributed to climate change. The list is expect to grow exponentially as climate change worsens over the coming decades. And while climate change damages biodiversity, biodiversity is also an essential requirement for climate stabilization. The UN estimates that about 1/3 of the global target for emissions reductions could be achieved just by improving the ability of our natural ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. So the importance of protecting biodiversity cannot and should not be underestimated.

In light of this global situation, Peel Region is acting locally to develop a Biodiversity and Climate Change Strategy in collaboration with Credit Valley Conservation and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The objective is to establish a shared long-term vision and to outline priorities to enhance biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, and improve quality of life for residents in Peel. 

The strategy will be developed over the coming months with a targeted release date of Summer 2026. Initial engagement to help shape the strategy is already underway. Feedback is being solicited from First Nations and Indigenous communities, local municipalities, and members of the public. The Region is interested in your observations, concerns and opinions about climate and weather related changes that you have experienced. An on-line survey is open for feedback until December 10th.  It will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Visit Peel Region’s Biodiversity and Climate Change Strategy website for the latest information about this project.

Most Ontarians were not even aware of the government’s intention. The speed at which these bills were rammed through the legislature is nothing short of breathtaking, with next to no committee discussion or public consultation. Bill 5 was first introduced on April 17th and Bill 17 passed first reading on May 12th. Both bills were declared law by Royal Assent this past Thursday before the legislature adjourned until October.

Called omnibus bills, these legislative tools are large complex and far reaching. They limit the powers of municipalities, to make independent land use decisions, to protect important natural heritage features, and to implement sustainable development guidelines that will help our communities to both mitigate against the worst effects of climate change and adapt to those effects that we cannot avoid.

The main purpose of the legislation is to encourage developers to build new and affordable housing faster than they would otherwise. It does so, however, by putting the costs of providing services for those new homes on the backs of existing homeowners. It does this by deferring or eliminating development charges which the municipalities rely on to pay for building schools, recreation centres, roads, parks, etc.

I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago outlining the major problems with Bill 5. Below is a letter I wrote to my MPP Graham McGregor outlining my concerns with Bill 17. If you believe as I do that Bill 5 and Bill 17 are not the way to get more and affordable homes built, I hope you will take the time to let your MPP know how you feel and that you expect them to alter these pieces of legislation before they are allowed to damage our plan for a sustainable future.

Letter dated June 3, 2025.
To: Honourable Graham McGregor, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and MPP for Brampton North.

“Dear Minister McGregor,

I find myself once again in the unfortunate position of writing to you about a piece of legislation which, if passed will be egregiously damaging to municipal plans to protect our environment. I’m talking about Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Smarter and Faster Act, 2025. I am alarmed that Bill 17 is being fast-tracked without debate and that it attacks municipal decision-making powers.  I am particularly concerned that the Bill will threaten the ability of municipalities to continue to use Green Development Standards to ensure that new homes are safe, weather-proof, energy efficient, and more affordable to operate. Construction methods have been quickly evolving, and Ontario’s building code has fallen behind the times. Forward thinking municipalities, like Brampton, are filling the gaps so that new homes are built using modern technologies to withstand extreme weather conditions, while improving energy efficiency and facilitating low-carbon options such as electric vehicle charging, and efficient, clean heating systems.

As a case in point, this past November my wife Dayle and I received an amber alert type message on our phone at 2:00am indicating the presence of a tornado in the vicinity of our home! It didn’t wake me; I was already awake because of the roar of the wind outside. While vicious storms in November have historically been the norm, a late fall tornado in southern Ontario is not. There should be no question that the severity of weather events in our area is increasing due to climate change along with the probability of significant property damage. Our governments, at both the municipal and provincial level, have the power to implement policies that will either mitigate or exacerbate the risks. I’m disappointed that the province has chosen the latter approach in the interests of meeting short-term objectives that are driven by ideological rather than evidence-based factors.

If needed, I can provide you with the fact-based arguments as to why Green Development Standards at the municipal level will not impact speed or affordability of housing starts but will improve home efficiencies and reduce operating costs, increasing home affordability for years to come. I would ask you to please raise these issues in your Provincial caucus meetings and let your Premier know that he will be on the wrong side of history if Bill 17 and Bill 5 pass without major modifications.

Thanks for your time and interest.

Sincerely,

David Laing, L6Z 2A1

David Laing – President, Brampton Environmental Alliance https://bramptonea.org

Last year’s guide made a significant shift in its recommendations away from meat and dairy food groups. The 2024 guide emphasizes a diet rich in plant-based proteins including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and soy.

Last year research completed at McGill University, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, found that if half the red and processed meat in a person’s diet was replaced with plant-based protein foods, they could live on average nearly 9 months longer because of a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Changing diet in this way also reduces diet-related carbon emissions by 25%. Ruminant livestock such as beef, lamb, and goat, produce methane as part of their digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas with far more climate changing potency than carbon dioxide. According to research from the World Resource Institute, these animals produce seven times the emissions compared to chicken or pork and twenty times more than lentils and beans. Raising these animals also requires significantly more land for grazing which leads to a loss of biodiversity and a reduction in the land’s ability to store carbon. So eating plants vs. animals helps people live longer, healthier lives while making a positive contribution to climate change.

The Plant Based Treaty is a grassroots initiative that promotes a shift towards a just, plant-based food system that will enable the world’s populations to live safely within planetary boundaries and allow for reforestation of lands currently dedicated to animal food production. They are doing this through creating bottom up pressure that will ultimately attach a global Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Modeled on the Fossil Fuel Treaty, the Plant Based Treaty aims to, put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis, to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and, to promote a shift towards healthier, sustainable plant-based diets.

This past November, Brampton, joined Paris, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Rainbow Lake Alberta, among others, to become the first city in Ontario to endorse the Treaty and to make “a plant based approach part of the City’s climate plan”. The City committed to feature plant-based food and drink options at city council meetings and civic events. It will also promote a plant-based awareness week and use city communication channels to residents about sustainable food practices. The BEA is currently evaluating Treaty endorsement and what it can do to help further the cause.

Personally, my wife Dayle and I have, for several years, been on a journey to reduce meat in our diets. We’ve been mostly successful in eliminating red and processed meats. We’ve also switched from cow’s milk to soy and find that it works well for both drinking and baking needs. We still eat organically grown chicken and sustainably caught fish, although these proteins have recently become a smaller part of our diet. Price alone is a factor. Compare salmon or chicken at $5-8.00 per serving with grilled or baked tofu at less than $1.00 a meal. Certainly helps with the food budget!

And going vegetarian doesn’t have to mean compromising on flavour. We’ve had some great luck experimenting with recipes from the “new” Moosewood Cookbook, published in 2000 by Ten Speed Press and still available through on-line stores. Check out 12 of my favourite Moosewood recipes for soups, entrées, and desserts. I substitute Canadian Canola Oil in place of butter and use Canadian made Liberté yoghurt instead of creme. I still use milk based cheeses where called for. There are a growing number of reasonably flavourful vegan cheese choices now available although they are more expensive than their cow’s milk counterparts. As Earth Week approaches, think of your health and the health of our planet and try a vegetarian option instead of meat. You just might find that you like it!

Ontario Bill 212 will sadly result in more road violence deaths on unsafe streets. More than 34 cyclists from Brampton and Toronto gathered on Jan 25th to rally, ride and install a ghost bike to symbolize this prediction.

Members of BikeBrampton welcomed Cycle Toronto, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) who arrived at Brampton Innovation District GO station.

The group cycled down Main Street in Brampton. Several drivers honked in support. Some asked what we were doing and gave thumbs up to the response. We were given a safe passing distance by drivers.

The cyclists legally took the lane on most of the 5km route to Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria‘s constituency office at Hurontario Street & Ray Lawson Blvd. We traveled south on Main/Hurontario using the 1.3km bike lane from Wellington Street to Nanwood Drive. The LRT joining downtown to the south end of Mississauga has been pending for over 10 years. The line was approved only north to Steeles Avenue. Consequently, the road south of Steeles is in the process of construction and is quite uncomfortable. It is slated to receive quality active transportation as part of the LRT extension announcement made on Jan 24th.

Sonia Maset, Program Manager of Brampton Bike Hub, Different Spokes, who gave the safety briefings and led the ride, and MC’d the event, spoke of the urgency of protecting our diverse population in Brampton. Now the 3rd largest city in Ontario, Brampton is one of the fastest growing, and youngest populations in Canada. Many residents choose active transportation and transit for affordability, health, and environmental reasons.

Cycle Toronto launched a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 7 challenge to the provincial government’s Bill 212 — Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024, arguing the law’s mandated removal of Toronto’s bike lanes will put lives at risk. Joined by individual applicants Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo, and represented by lawyers from Ecojustice and Paliare Roland LLP, the lawsuit also seeks an immediate injunction to prevent the removal of target bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street.

Alison Stewart, Cycle Toronto Director of Advocacy and Public Policy (aka Bicycle Mayor of Toronto) announced the injunction is effective Mar 11th. Ontario had targeted the Toronto lane removal to begin Mar 20th. The court date to hear the Charter challenge is Apr 16th.

Jess Spieker, Chair of Friends and Families for Safe Streets, spoke eloquently about her personal journey with traffic violence, and how this led to her advocacy to end these preventable crashes. There is no such thing as an “accident’ on our streets!

Robert Zaichkowski, a Toronto bike blogger of Two Wheeled Politics, spoke about Common Ground Ontario. It is a grassroots initiative that prescribes taking action for a better Ontario, and 6 ways you can make a difference in local campaigns.

David Laing, Chair of BikeBrampton, expressed our gratitude of support from Toronto groups. He reminded everyone of the importance of voting in the upcoming provincial election. Only 18% of voters elected the current majority government. Bike lanes are only one of the issues. Ontarions are facing a high cost of living, housing scarcity, healthcare costs & availability, air quality, insurance costs & availability, and people migration and conflict. A non-partisan group, the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign is hosting a webinar on Feb 13th, 7pm to discuss these issues and how they impact your votes. For more information, contact info@bramptonea.org.

Bill 212 Ghost Bike

A Ghost Bike was chained to public property across the street from Minister Sarkaria’s office. This symbolizes the anticipated injuries and death due to unsafe streets when bike lanes are removed. Bill 212 prevents victims or their families from seeking legal redress for the harms of this bill.

BikeBrampton led the group on their return trip up Main Street to the downtown Brampton GO station.

A group of 10 cycled along Brampton’s signature east-west cycling corridor barrier-protected bike lane to Minister Charmaine Williams‘ constituency office. Despite having voted in favour of Brampton’s 2019 Active Transportation Master Plan when she sat on Brampton Council, she recently sent her riding residents a survey asking which bike lanes they want removed.

Our thanks to Sonia for organizing her volunteer group to prepare the creatives signs and for her leadership on this event.

Rob’s blog post

Jun’s blog post

That said, we must realize that, even if we could reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels to zero today, the earth’s temperature would continue rising for many decades accompanied by increasing weather-related risks. While carbon emissions reduction efforts are still critical to maintaining a livable future, steps must be taken now to prepare for the increasing hazards due to anticipated weather extremes both now and in the future.

Working with community stakeholders, City of Brampton staff have prepared the “Climate Ready Brampton” plan to address anticipated climate impacts on the City’s infrastructure, economy and natural systems. This plan defines the blueprint for action that will better equip the City to manage the changes and increase resiliency to recover quickly from adverse climate impacts.

The development of the plan has gone through three phases over the past 2 years, Research, Investigation, and Development. During the Research phase, staff along with expert consultants reviewed how Brampton’s climate has changed over the past 75 years. During the investigation phase the team solicited external expertise along with stakeholder engagement to define future climate scenarios, assess climate risks, and identify prioritized climate adaptation actions. The plan also includes financial cost analysis of those actions compared to doing nothing. Finally, the plan outlines performance targets, collaborative implementation approaches, and a framework for monitoring and reporting.

The plan identifies 6 Goals, 5 Themes, 15 Objectives with 55 supporting actions.

Climate Ready Brampton Vision

“Brampton will be a climate leader fostering resilient, low-carbon, and adaptable communities, with thriving natural systems, climate-ready infrastructure, and a robust economy that advances equity, innovation, and quality of life both now and for future generations”.

Climate Ready Brampton Goals

1. Brampton is adaptable to predicted climate change impacts using best available science and climate data,
2. Climate action will prioritize the most vulnerable people, communities, and places in the City,
3. Climate resilience is the new normal where city staff, partners, neighbourhoods and generations work to protect each other,
4. Climate change preparation adaptation occurs within the context of a robust economy,
5. Climate resilience actions become more efficient and effective through collaboration and strong partnerships,
6. Progress is transparently reported against clear, measurable targets.

Climate Ready Brampton Themes and Objectives

1. Collaborative Leadership,
   • Brampton will be a leader in climate resilience
   • Municipal staff are prepared, informed and have all required tools
2. Protected and Connected People,
   • Equity-deserving groups are prioritized,
   • Moving around the city is safe and simple in all conditions,
   • People are prepared for climate disasters through emergency planning
3. Resilient Infrastructure and Buildings
   • Essential infrastructure is resilient
   • Community is safe in their daily life,
   • Buildings and homes are climate proof
4. Resilient and Healthy Natural Systems,
   • Naturalized spaces help protect Brampton from climate impacts
   • Natural systems are healthy and intact
5. Community Involvement and Communication
   • Brampton is prepared for climate emergencies
   • Emergency communications keep the community safe
   • The community is involved in climate action

The 55 actions are assigned to each of the objectives noted above. They cover different aspects from addressing climate risk, to protection and enhancement of forests and wetlands. Here a just a few examples:

• Hiring a Climate Risk Officer,
• Staff training on climate adaptation strategies and risk assessment,
• Climate emergency preparedness training,
• Creating a climate toolkit for businesses,
• Vector-borne disease management,
• Extreme weather traffic impact notification system,
• Shading standards for public spaces including bike parking and bus stops,
• Tree planting and natural cover target including survivability rates
• Heat management plan for public events
• Development of an urban agriculture strategy
• Look for opportunities to acquire additional land for greenspace
• Enhanced building codes for energy efficiency and resilience to severe weather,
• Minimize hard surface ground cover that impedes water absorption,
• Provide flood plain models to assess flood risk,
• Implement emergency water supply program

Please visit the City’s website for more information and to download the draft plan. Provide your comments to growgreen@brampton.ca by January 15th.

The Etobicoke Creek watershed is highly urbanized with large amounts of hard surfaces and low amounts of natural cover compared with other watersheds in the greater Toronto area. This contributes to issues with flooding, erosion, and negative impacts to both animal and plant habitat. The added stress of further urbanization and climate change impacts will further degrade watershed health unless immediate remediation and mitigation actions are taken.

In that context, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority developed a new watershed plan for the Etobicoke Creek, (ECWP), that was recently approved by the TRCA Board and endorsed by the City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, City of Mississauga, Region of Peel and City of Toronto. The plan’s development was a collaborative activity of the above municipalities with input from First Nations/Indigenous communities and other stakeholder organizations including the Brampton Environmental Alliance.

The watershed plan was created to inform decision-making over the next 10 years related to land use and climate resiliency policies. The ECWP Vision is that, “the watershed be protected and restored to a cleaner, healthier, and more natural state, to sustain its waterways, ecosystems, and human communities“. The plan includes a management framework consisting of 3 goals, 8 objectives, 10 indicators and 36 actions.

Goal 1 – Achieve sustainable land use and infrastructure development patterns to improve watershed conditions and enhance climate resiliency.

Examples of Goal 1 actions include:

• Adopt green development policies and standards requiring new developments to utilize low impact development and green infrastructure that will reduce impacts of impervious cover,
• Include mitigation measures in the design of highway 413 to eliminate additional flood and erosion risk as well as protection of the Natural Heritage and Water Resource Systems including wildlife connectivity,
• Reduce chlorides entering the watershed through de-icing best practice on public property and through salt management education for private property,
• Update stormwater management criteria to focus on retention and filtration through the use of low impact development (LID) and green infrastructure,

Goal 2 – Protect, enhance, and restore the areas and features that comprise the Water Resource System (including aquatic habitat) for ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

Examples of Goal 2 actions include:

• Use “Evaluation, Classification and Management of Headwater Drainage Features Guidelines” for planning approvals in the Headwaters subwatershed,
• Removal of identified priority barriers to fish movement,
• Identify high risk spill areas and implement effective spill prevention and contingency plans,
• Educate commercial and industrial property owners on maintenance of oil and grit separators and other pollution control infrastructure,
• Participate in research initiatives to identify sources of microplastics and chemicals of concern for management and removal,

Goal 3 – Protect, enhance, and restore the Natural Heritage System and urban forest within the watershed to improve ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

Examples of Goal 3 actions include:

• Increase forest cover to at least 14% of total watershed area, through strategic tree planting,
• Increase wetland cover to at least 3% of total watershed area,
• Increase meadow cover to at least 5% of total watershed area,
• Create a connected and safe active recreation trail network from Lake Ontario to the Headwaters and to neighbouring watersheds while minimizing impacts to the Natural Heritage System (NHS) through
  • proper trail maintenance and signage
  • Education on the importance of NHS protection adjacent to trails,
  • Promoting community stewardship
• Improve wildlife passage at priority road crossings
• Municipal partners to include green development standards including green roofs, bird safe windows, habitat restoration etc.

Realizing the vision will require collaborative implementation of all aspects of the management framework. An Implementation Steering Committee will be responsible for development of a detailed implementation, tracking and reporting plan to hold the TRCA and the municipalities accountable for plan implementation.

Wetlands provide essential eco-system services including, flood and erosion control, water filtration, heat island mitigation, and habitat for a plethora of animal and plant species. Loafer’s Lake was considered a priority as its water quality was among the worst in Brampton. Flood risk management is important along this water course as the City looks to intensify development in the downtown core.

This past February the Provincial Government’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) announced $2.5 million in support of the Etobicoke Creek Wetlands Enhancement Project, designed to improve accessibility and recreational opportunities in Loafer’s Lake Park as well as build additional wetland habitat along the Etobicoke Creek valley between Sandalwood Parkway and Mayfield Road. A condition of funding is that the project be completed before the end of 2024.

Work started in March in multiple locations. A total of 8 wetland areas were created or restored including Loafer’s Lake. Three wetland areas were created south of Mayfield Rd.

The wetland just north of Conservation Drive was expanded and enhanced.

Large tree trunks were installed in the area behind Somerset Drive Public School, both for habitat and for soil stabilization.

A watercourse at the northern edge of this area known as the Snelgrove Channel received particular attention. This underground storm drain and water channel is the remnant of what used to be a surface creek that was buried when the surrounding residential subdivisions were built in the early 1980’s. The original channel washed away over the next 30 years eventually dangerously exposing sanitary sewer infrastructure.

The channel was restored in 2014 using large rocks to create a naturalized waterfall plus a series of ponds designed to dissipate the water energy.

Unfortunately nature had other plans and by 2022 further bank erosion was, once again threatening the sanitary sewer pipes.

This time a large volume of rock was brought in to stabilize the channel floor and banks. Most of the massive rocks were removed and the picturesque but impractical waterfall and pools were replaced with a gentler slope and more rocks designed to slow the water speed.

Let’s hope this restoration will last for many years. Hat’s off to the team who appear to be delivering the project on time and on budget!

Pollinators are responsible for enabling the production of about 1/3 of the food we eat including countless fruits, vegetables and nuts. They are also responsible for enabling the production of about 1/2 of the world’s oils, fibres and raw materials. The growth of these pollinated plants also sequesters vast amounts of carbon dioxide and the plants’ root systems prevent soil erosion.

Unfortunately this valuable ecosystem service is increasingly at risk as the populations of many pollinator species are in decline due to climate change, environmental toxins such as pesticides, increased levels of disease, and loss of habitat where they feed and reproduce.

A way to help reverse the decline in pollinator populations is through widespread conservation efforts. Pollinator week works to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators, the plight of pollinators and the conservation actions people can take.

The City of Brampton was officially recognized as a BEE City in June 2021. An area in Dearbourne Park was selected as a pilot pollinator plot and the city has had an expanded NO MOW program leaving many areas to grow naturally. Late last month, the City organized a pollinator maintenance and planting event in Dearbourne Park.

To learn more about pollinators and Pollinator week, visit https://beecitycanada.org/pollinator-week/. Also check out the BEA pollinator series on Instagram . Finally the BEA will soon be hosting a pollinator walk. Stay tuned for more information.

The problem is the wastewater from your washing machine. When you wash synthetic clothes, tiny microfibres are stripped and flushed away with the wash water. They are so small, (about half the size of a red blood cell), that they are not caught in the filters of wastewater treatment plants and end up in oceans and freshwater bodies.

A 2016 study by the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management found that a single fleece jacket can shed up to a quarter million microfibres during a single wash! Scientists estimate that textiles are the largest source of marine microplastic pollution with about 2.2 million tons of microfibers entering the ocean annually. There they are eaten or absorbed by plankton and other microorganisms which in turn are eaten by larger animals, bioaccumulating as they work their way up the food chain.

Microplastics have been found in many places inside the human body including our blood, and lungs, even in breast milk and placenta tissues. The implications of microplastics on human health are not yet well understood. But recent studies in mice and cultured lung tissues demonstrate microfibres can cause disruptions in gut microbiome, tissue inflammation, reduced sperm quality, endocrine disruption such as lower testosterone, and negative impacts on memory and learning.

So what can you do? Here are a few suggestions as researched by Polly Thornham, a BEA and Sierra Club member.

1 – Buy a washing machine with a built-in filter which actually captures the micro plastics.
2 – Demand that all washers have these filters.
3 – Buy only non-synthetic clothing.
4 – Wear our clothes at least twice…. except maybe underwear…. before washing them.
5 – Buy an add-on micro plastic filter for the washing machine waste water.

Polly chose option 5 and purchased a filter from PlanetCare. While the BEA doesn’t endorse specific products here is Polly’s experience with the PlanetCare filter in her own words.

1. Installation is simple: add the filter and hoses to the exit hose on your washer.
2. Performance has some issues:
   • the adhesive meant to stick the filter to the side of my washer only lasted hours.
   • the filter tends to leak, though part of that was my fault. I didn’t push it onto the top
     hard enough at first. It still leaks, but not too much. My work- around: hang the filter on the inside of the laundry tub, which fixes both problems above.
   • the filter is supposed to last for 18-20 washes, but I average about 12. Then the filter
     gets too clogged, and the machine stops and leaves the clothes wet. I have to replace
     the filter and run the spin and drain to finish the wash. I have gotten better at judging
     when this will happen, and head it off.
3. I bought a box of a dozen or so filter replacements, and when I get close to using the last
   one, I will send them back in the same box, to be refurbished. I’ve had the box for many
   months (a year?) now, and still have lots of new filters. I’m only washing for two people.
4. Apparently, there has been a new Planet Care model put out within the last year, which may
   have addressed the above issues. I am content to continue with mine, now that I’ve learned
   how to use it.
5. Others may know more about the other brands of filters available. I’d be happy to hear their
   thoughts.

Polly Thornham – BEA and Sierra Club member

Earlier this month, the Ontario Government promised $2.5M to enhance wetland areas in four locations in and around Loafer’s Lake and along the Etobicoke Creek valley up to Conservation Drive. The Community engagement sessions provided more details on what will be built by when.

There is a need for this project. Loafer’s Lake is the third worst of all lakes in Brampton in terms of water quality. The shoreline is deteriorating and the trails are lined with invasive species such as garlic mustard and buckthorn. And increased risk of severe storms due to climate change threaten flooding. This project is designed to address the above issues and provide an opportunity for public education and environmental stewardship.

Construction will begin next month and the project must be complete prior to the end of December. The trail will be closed most of that time and the City has provided detour routes, one for walking and one for cycling. Some trees, including invasive buckthorn, will need to be removed to allow for restoration and construction access. Those trees that are removed will be repurposed in the restoration work to provide habitat for turtles and other aquatic species. The city is also promising to protect as many of the healthy mature trees as possible. 6,500 trees, shrubs and aquatic plants will be planted in replacement.

City staff are looking for your comments on the project. You are invited to fill out a feedback form. HAVE YOUR SAY!