• Arbitrarily compress all federal decision-making for major projects into an one-year timeline, without specifying which types of “major projects” will receive this preferential treatment
• Wholly exempt major projects regulated by the Canadian Energy Regulator (i.e. international/interprovincial pipelines and electricity transmission lines) from the current legal requirement to undergo rigorous impact assessments under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA)
• Empower the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to conduct impact assessments of nuclear and uranium projects under the IAA, and to determine whether such projects would cause significant negative federal effects. This would effectively sideline the Impact Assessment Act for these types of projects, relying instead on the CNSC to carry out robust, credible, and participatory impact assessments of nuclear projects, and make final determinations about whether such projects may cause significant adverse effects that cannot be mitigated.
• Enact new legislation to establish “Federal Economic Zones” through regional assessments which would oust the requirement for project-level assessments for a broad range of “pre-approved” infrastructure and industrial development in such zones
• Eviscerate current federal permitting regimes in relation to navigation, ocean dumping, fish and fish habitat, and exempt major projects from the critically important provision in the Species at Risk Act which prohibits the federal Minister from issuing permits for activities that may jeopardize the survival or recovery of species at risk (i.e. orcas)
• Allow unspecified early construction activities for major projects to occur well before an impact assessment decision has been made to approve or reject the project.

The BEA Board approved the following position statement in response to the Government of Canada’s proposal.

My name is David Laing. I am 74 years old and have been living in Brampton Ontario for close to 50 years. I am also the President of the Brampton Environmental Alliance, and I am writing this submission both on my own behalf as well as that of the Alliance. After reviewing the “Getting Major Projects Built in Canada” discussion paper I have grave concerns about the direction being taken by the Government of Canada as outlined therein.

I have lived long enough to experience a time before there were robust environmental protection regulations in Canada, particularly in Ontario, when Lake Erie was considered to be a “dead lake” with no oxygen to support aquatic life, when Lake Ontario was so polluted that water activities such as swimming and paddleboarding in the Lake were considered unthinkable, when toxic effluent floating on the Don River was so concentrated that it actually caught fire on more than one occasion. If enacted, I fear that the proposals in this discussion paper will be taking us back to those times, of the environmental wild west in the name of economic growth. Surely there must be a better way for Canadians to address the threats to our national sovereignty than to destroy the very essence of what makes Canada great.

The purpose of having environmental regulations is to allow governments to make challenging decisions about which parts of our environment should be saved or destroyed based on scientific evidence and expert analysis. Their purpose shouldn’t be to merely slow down project implementation but to decide if a project should proceed or not. That analysis may take a year, or it may take 10 depending on project complexity and how much is known about the impact on affected eco-systems. Some projects simply shouldn’t be built because of the level of damage they will cause, no matter how much economic growth potential they promise. Do we really want to put the fate of Canada’s natural heritage assets in the hands of politicians who are almost always driven by 4- or 5-year election cycles and are prone to populist pressures? We think not.

Making decisions that cause environmental destruction must be carried out with the utmost care and with as much knowledge as possible. The stakes are very high, and the likelihood of “unintended consequences” is significant. We must be conscious of the fact that, once an ecosystem is destroyed, it is gone for decades, once a species is extinct, it is gone forever.

For environmental regulations to be truly effective, they must act more like a constitutional framework, representing the fundamental values of the country and its citizens. Support for the environment cannot be viewed as a “fashion statement”, in favour today, and out of favour tomorrow or next year. We must find out from Canadians what aspects of Canada they hold truly dear. The unique aspects of this country, such as the Salish Sea Orca, the rich aquatic eco-systems of the Douglas Channel and the eco-system services provided by the peat bogs of Northern Ontario, to name but a few. Only then can we truly know what should be saved and what can be sacrificed in the name of economic growth.

Accordingly, the BEA supports CELA’s position that being to, “immediately withdraw the ill-conceived Discussion Paper proposals which, if implemented, would constitute the most significant rollback of federal environmental laws in recent decades”. Like CELA, members of the BEA do not oppose economic activity, good jobs, or sustainable resource management.

As inspiration, I recommend that the Government look to the Haida Nation with the sustainable practices they have implemented with their vast wealth of forest, fish, and minerals, and the excellent relationships they have established with the B.C. Government as well as the various extraction industries. The Haida have managed to find that delicate balance, where the environment and the economy support each other helping to ensure the health of current and future generations by not repeating the mistakes of the past. I believe that most Canadians want what we want, economic prosperity in the context of strong(er) environmental protections, ensuring that, what we hold dear about Canada, will last forever.

David Laing – President, Brampton Environmental Alliance

https://bramptonea.org 416-402-3778

What if your front yard, backyard, or boulevard could become a haven for bees, butterflies, and the plants that sustain them — right here in Brampton?

​Join us for a guided walk and talk at Dorchester Park with a representative from the Friends and Stewards of Dorchester Park — a passionate group of neighbours who have been quietly transforming this green space, one native plant at a time.

​This guided, interactive outdoor walk is designed to connect residents with real, local climate action happening right in our community. At each stop along the route, you’ll hear short talks, stories, and see firsthand demonstrations of what community-led environmental stewardship looks like on the ground.

​You’ll discover:

•  ​Which native plants and pollinators call Brampton home
• ​What the neighbours have planted and nurtured at Dorchester Park — and why it matters for local biodiversity and climate resilience
• ​Simple, practical ways you can bring this work into your own neighbourhood

​Whether you have a balcony, a backyard, or a patch of sidewalk garden, this walk will leave you inspired and equipped to take action where you live.

​The event is open to all residents, families, and youth — anyone curious about climate action in a local context is welcome.

​Light refreshments will be provided.

​A few things to know before you come:

• ​ This is a rain or shine event — dress for the weather!
• ​ Please bring your own water bottle
• ​ Pre-registration is required — space is limited to 20 attendees

Pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems, food production, biodiversity, and climate resilience across Ontario. Creating pollinator gardens with native plants and installing bee hotels are simple but powerful ways communities can support declining native bee populations while helping mitigate climate change through healthier urban ecosystems.

Recently, Brampton Environmental Alliance partnered with Plant Powered for the Earth to bring a Bee Habitat Program called “ Pollinator Habitat Protectors” to W.G. Davis Senior Public School. Students participated in a hands-on seminar and workshop about the importance of native plants and pollinators, and decorated six bee hotels built and provided to the school by both organizations to help enhance the school’s pollinator garden and provide a habitat for solitary bee pollinators.

The workshop was facilitated by environmental educator Yarim Hinojosa to the school’s grade 7 students and Eco Club. The goal was to inspire and empower the students by teaching them all about native pollinators and pollinator-loving plants of Ontario, how to protect pollinators and their habitats and the advantages of bee hotels.

The workshop had the indigenous perspective or approach called “two-eyed seeing” (Etuaptmumk) as a guiding principle. Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshal originally introduced this approach and it advocates for looking at the world with one eye using the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and with the other eye using the strengths of Western knowledge and methods. We used this approach to help the students better understand the importance of native pollinator animals and native plants in Ontario.

One example that was shared was the indigenous perspective of reciprocity and connection between plants and bees proposed by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who is a plant scientist, poet, member of the Potawatomi Nation, mother, and student of Native American stories and traditions.

In her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer says “while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, she says, science also tells us that the two colors of purple asters and yellow goldenrod, having reciprocal colors in human and bee eyes and growing together, attract a greater number of pollinators than either would growing alone, therefore leading to better plant success.”

The students learned about botany, biology and ecology, as well as how to identify and grow native plants that attract native bees and butterfly pollinator animals in Ontario. There was a special spotlight on the plants that will be grown in the school’s brand new pollinator garden. These plants include bee-attracting specimens like Smooth Blue Aster, Oxeye ( pictured above with a green female Sweat Bee), Pearly Everlasting, Mountain Mint, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Blue Lobelia among others.

The students also learned about the botany and ecology of butterfly-attracting plants like Wild Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Cardinal Flower, Butterfly Milkweed (Pictured above with a Monarch Butterfly), Hairy Beardtongue, Dense Blazing Star, Dense Blazing Star, Smooth Blue Aster, among others.

Did you know? Milkweeds are larval host plants for monarchs, which are a native species to Ontario. Increased plantings of these wildflowers will help populations of these regal butterflies in their efforts to make their grand migrations, a phenomenon which is in peril.

The students also learned about the challenges that native bee species face in Ontario, such as pesticide use, destruction of habitat and competition with non native species and actionable ways to help.

Did you know? A study by the University of Toronto suggests that non native species, including honey bees, which are an introduced species, are affecting Ontario’s native solitary Mason bee population.

The students were amazed to learn about the ecology of native solitary bee species, which many had never seen or heard about. This is not surprising as most media, illustrations and advertising portray bees mostly as “honey bee-looking”. They quickly became aware of the importance of learning about the various kinds of native bees in Ontario to protect them. Some of these beautiful, solitary species native to Ontario include those in the Osmia genus (Typical Mason Bees / Orchard Bees) and the Megachile genus (Leaf-cutter bees )

Osmia lignaria (Blue Orchard Mason Bee) – The most well-known native mason bee, metallic blue-black, and a highly efficient early-spring pollinator.

Megachile latimanus: A large, widely distributed, and extremely common leafcutter species.

Native bees face many challenges, but part of the solution, besides awareness and education, is protecting and providing habitat. The ideal habitat is a natural habitat, in urban areas, without pollinator gardens or plants; the students learned that humans can offer shelters or structures like bee hotels.

Everyone in attendance was inspired to plant more native plants in their homes, balconies, and communities that attract pollinators. We also showed them the benefits of providing solitary bees a “bee hotel” as habitat for their pollinator garden, which will provide native solitary bees a home near the school’s pollinator garden.

The workshop ended by having the students paint the outside of six bee hotels with colors which bees are attracted the most such as blue and yellow. These bee hotels were designed and built as a collaboration by the BEA and Plant Powered for the Earth, and donated to the school to enhance their pollinator garden.

The students also shared what they learned, and everyone expressed genuine interest, shared responsibility and excitement to help protect pollinators and native plants in their school and monitor the lifecycle of bees visiting their bee hotels.

The workshop and program will include ongoing monitoring by the BEA and Plant Powered for the Earth in collaboration with WG Davis SS of the bee hotels and their full lifecycle. The goal is to introduce students to hands-on environmental education and citizen science while helping support native solitary bee populations, encouraging the planting of pollinator gardens for biodiversity, food security and to mitigate the impact of climate change in Brampton.

Programs like this help advance local pollinator habitat goals, encourage the planting of native gardens, strengthen biodiversity, and contribute to climate action by creating greener, more sustainable communities.

If schools, organizations, or community groups are interested in bringing this Bee Habitat Program to their school or institution, please contact us, we would love to collaborate.

info@bramptonea.org

contact@plantpoweredfortheearth.org

After introductions I started each session by explaining the ecosystem services that trees provide. Trees help to keep our cities cool during increasingly hot summer months. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen that all animals, including humans, need to breathe. They help to slow down winter winds keeping our cities warmer during the colder months. They provide habitat for urban wildlife, And, finally trees are beautiful to look at. They provide city – dwellers an opportunity to engage with nature which has been shown to improve both physical and mental health.

Alice Casselman, ACER’s President instructed students on the use of tools used to measure tree height, trunk diameter and the volume of the tree crown, (the area covered by branches and leaves). The students also learned to identify tree species, and common diseases affecting tree health. They received instruction on proper mulching techniques to ensure that the ground around the tree trunk stays moist while preventing trunk mold growth and protecting delicate roots.

The students then went out to the planting areas to perform the measurement tasks, record the results on their data sheets, and spread city provided mulch around each tree as required.

Over 100 trees were measured over the two days and over 200 trees received mulch.

Brampton’s Forestry Department will receive the collected data and use it to help inform the city’s urban forest management plan.

It seems a good time was had by all.

The Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) is described as a large chunky New World sparrow. The male is recognizable by a black head, a black back with white spots, rusty-red sides and a white belly. They can be seen in thickets or bushy backyards hopping in the undergrowth and scratching for seeds or insects.

So what’s so special about this bird? Well they are commonly found along the west coast of Canada and the U.S. as well as the southern Canadian prairie. That means this Towhee in our backyard travelled more than 1,000 kilometres outside its normal range! According to our birder friend, the last time a spotted Towhee was “spotted” in southern Ontario was more than 12 years ago! Hence the excitement.

And word spread fast. Only a few hours later, the almost constant stream of human visitors started to come; more than 50 over the past 5 days, Ninety-nine percent were very respectful, staying at the edge of our property and trying not to point binoculars and long-range lenses directly into our windows. They were friendly and chatted with us as we passed by. Some came from as far away as Cambridge, Orillia, and Vaughan.

We wondered how this little bird could end up so far away from its normal territory. If only it could talk! When birds stray from their normal ranges, a phenomenon referred to as vagrancy, it could be because of navigation error, or environmental factors. Land use practices and wildfires are ravaging the shrubby habitats, and forest edges where the Towhee typically thrives. Perhaps this little guy is a pioneer, looking for a new area to set up home. Or perhaps he was caught in a major storm that blew him “off course” during migration. A birder who seemed knowledgeable said it could have taken four months or more to travel this far. Perhaps it was a combination of wind and wildfire smoke that this bird found disorienting. Regardless of the reason, we are happy he survived and that he has found a little haven in the messy undergrowth of our backyard!

According to the Canadian Climate Institute, “Climate-related damages increase the average household’s cost of living by $700 each year, in the form of higher grocery bills due to supply-chain disruptions, rising home insurance premiums and tax hikes to pay for disaster recovery and infrastructure repairs“. That figure is expected to rise to over $2,000 annually by 2050.

An Insurance Bureau of Canada report cited in the Globe and Mail January 13, 2025, tallied insured damage from severe weather events at $8.5-billion, shattering the previous $6-billion record set in 2016 when a wildfire burned much of Fort McMurray to the ground. The Globe goes onto report that, “the 2024 tally was triple the losses recorded in 2023, and 12 times the annual average of $701-million in the decade between 2001 and 2010“.

These costs are expected to continue rising significantly over the coming decades even as the quality of life for the average Canadian deteriorates. Many homes in risk-prone areas will be deemed uninsurable at any cost. Declining air quality and increased number of 30 degree plus days will combine to keep Canadians indoors more frequently, depriving us of much needed recreation time in nature.

When we are allowed to go outside in the future, the plants and animals that we experience will be very different from today. That is the key finding of a 2024 study conducted by University of Toronto postdoctoral researcher, Alessandro Filazzola and Marc Johnston the former director of UoT’s Centre for Urban Environments. 

Analyzing the climate change effects on more than 2,000 animal species in the 60 most populated cities in Canada, the research pair predicts every city in the study will experience substantial urban species losses. Toronto, for example, could see up to 195 species disappear by the end of this century. The study notes that as urban ecosystems continue to transform due to global warming, shifts in our urban wildlife will have implications for our cultural identity and our mental health. As Professor Johnson says, “We know that having more green space and natural areas around us is very important for our well-being. If we lose nature, and the animals associated with it, it can negatively affect our psychological health.” 

So, in light of these high stakes, what has the Brampton Environmental Alliance done in 2025 to protect our local environment?

In closing let me say that the BEA couldn’t engage in any of these activities without your support both moral and financial. When representatives from the BEA speak to civic leaders about environmental issues and priorities it’s critical that we represent the views of thousands of Brampton residents who are concerned about environmental sustainability but who are limited in their ability to be involved. We still want and need to hear from you.

You can provide feedback in several ways. The simplest is to send us an email and let us know how we are doing. Tell us what you like or what you want to see changed. You can also tag us through social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Save the date to attend our annual general member meeting the evening of March 2nd, 2026. We’d love to meet you in person. Agenda and other details will be published soon.

Finally, we know times are tough but, if you can, please consider joining the BEA as a paid member. Our annual dues are very reasonable and these fees allow us to pay for things like our website, insurance and other administrative expenses.

Of course these projects and activities won’t solve the climate crisis or address the problems noted above by themselves. And there is always more that we should be doing. But it’s a start. It’s something positive. And maybe, just maybe, it will be the catalyst to encourage others. For sure it’s better than doing nothing besides hoping things will somehow work themselves out. They won’t. It’s up to use to help ourselves and each other. That’s our intention for 2026. Please join us in whatever way you are able.

Wishing all of you all the best for a happy, healthy, and environmentally sustainable 2026!

Aneet and Rajbalinder talked about the importance of One-planet Living, the concept of staying within the Earth’s limitations in terms of resource extraction, managing waste, and living with each other in harmony.

The BEA has participated in several past events at this school and has found the students, parents and staff to all be engaging and interested in environmental issues and local environmental sustainability. This event lived up to expectations as families signed up to receive the BEA newsletter and committed to participate in BEA events.

The answer of course is d. According to the Ontario Government website, “Invasive Phragmites (European Common Reed) is an invasive plant causing damage to Ontario’s biodiversity, wetlands and beaches. Invasive Phragmites is an aggressive plant that spreads quickly and out-competes native species for water and nutrients. It releases toxins from its roots into the soil to hinder the growth of and kill surrounding plants. While it prefers areas of standing water, its roots can grow to extreme lengths, allowing it to survive in relatively dry areas.”

The Emerald Ash Borer provides another example of the destructive power of invasive species. This striking emerald coloured beetle creates a small hole and lays its eggs under the bark of the Ash tree. The hatched larvae then feed on the pholem, the soft tissue layer that carries water and nutrients, effectively strangling the tree. Once infected, the result is almost 100% fatal. Hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America have been lost to the borer over the past two decades. It is estimated that ash tree population has dropped by more than 70% due to this invasive insect, including in the the City of Brampton.

Unfortunately, Phragmites and Ash Borer are but two examples of many invasive species of plants, insects, fish and other animals, that are rapidly invading our local habitat. How many species on the following list do you recognize?

Plants

• Garlic Mustard
• Purple Loosestrife
• Common Buckthorn
• Japanese Knotweed
• Goutweed
• Periwinkle
• English Ivy

Insects

• Spongy Moth
• Asian Longhorn Beetle
• Emerald Ash Borer
• Spotted lanternfly

Fish

• Asian carp
• Goldfish

So, what can be done? The City of Brampton has suggestions for things that you can do to slow down or prevent the spread of invasive species. You can also help by responding to a City survey that will take less than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is open until August 29th.

Help create the City’s first Invasive Species Management Strategy.

Parent Teacher Night at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School

This past Wednesday April 9th, Dayle and I participated in the parent teacher night at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School to promote the One Planet Living Challenge, create awareness about the Emerald Energy from Waste expansion project and encourage folks to register for Bike the Creek and other cycling events taking place in the city over the next few months. We had great conversations with both parents and students about the history of Earth Day, the importance of living within planetary limits and the joys of cycling and other forms of sustainable transportation. The student ambassadors were wonderfully supportive, coming to our table and asking how they could help. Report cards must been favourable to the students because everyone seemed to be having a good time!

Sustainable Procurement – Brampton’s Community Benefits Workshop

Friday April 11th, I participated in a Community Benefits Workshop hosted by the City of Brampton at the Rose Theatre. It is a fair question to ask what a Community Benefits Workshop has to do with building a sustainable Brampton. Lot’s it turns out.

The Power of Purchase is something that Dayle and I have been interested in for more than a decade. At the retail level this is called conscious consumerism where the consumer makes buying choices based on their values. When large volumes of consumers consciously choose to buy sustainably sourced products from ethical companies, using fair trade practices it sends a powerful market message that environmental and social responsibility is important.

Companies that ignore this message can see sales and profits negatively impacted. The threat is often enough to change how products are designed, manufactured, distributed and disposed of at the end of their intended life. A good example of this is McDonald’s Restaurant chain that, in 2018, replaced plastic straws with paper due to a customer-led campaign.

Customer-led change, however, is relatively rare because of the challenge involved in building a swell of spontaneous feedback. Sustainable corporate procurement practices, on the other hand, can be an even greater market force for good because smaller numbers of buyers are involved in very large purchase decisions both in number and scale of transactions. Corporate procurement, therefore, when driven by a “community benefit strategy”, can be a tool that unlocks transformative local economic opportunities, empowers workers, and leverages social value in creating conditions that will encourage and drive a circular economy.

The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that extends the life cycle of both raw materials and products. It does this through mechanisms of sharing, repairing, repurposing, refurbishing, recovery, and recycling. Each time material goes through one of these cycles, rather than being disposed of, it continues adding value to the global economy through job creation and product utility. The objective is to have these products and materials continue providing economic value in perpetuity, generating more wealth and prosperity while limiting the requirement to extract “virgin” material from an earth with rapidly depleting resources.

The City of Brampton is developing a Sustainable Procurement Strategy to leverage large infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life for Brampton residents by requiring community benefits from suppliers while stimulating the local circular economy. This has started with the implementation of a supplier diversity program and a fair wage policy. The current step involves adding a community benefits policy which involves buy-in from potential city partners and suppliers. Hence a reason for last week’s workshop.

The workshop was led by Dr. Mervyn Jones a globally recognized procurement expert with a PhD in Climate Change and over 25 years of sustainability experience. Dr. Jones used his home country of Wales as an example of a community benefits procurement strategy.

In 2015 Wales passed the. “Well-being of Future Generations Act”, which uses the indigenous “seven generation” approach to decision-making, that takes current and future impacts into account.

The Act requires municipalities in the country to work to achieve seven well-being goals, that aim to balance, social, environmental and economic objectives. It also defines five ways of working including, balancing short and long-term needs, integrating objectives of all public bodies, involving people that reflect community diversity, be open to collaboration and, acting to prevent problems from occurring or worsening.

Finally, the Act outlines 50 key performance indicators that are used to measure progress while ministers are required to set milestones in relation to those national indicators.

Brampton’s Community Benefits Policy is a transformative initiative, harnessing the City’s purchasing influence to create economic opportunities, promote inclusive training programs, and expand employment opportunities for residents, especially those from equity-deserving groups. It is paving the way for lasting change and the enrichment of the economic, social and environmental fabric of our community.

Reconnect Brampton’s “Sip & Stroll”

On Saturday April 12th, Dayle and I led a “Sip & Stroll” walking tour organized by Halley Patel the Regional Coordinator at Reconnect Brampton. About 15 participants met at Ryan’s Chai Cafe and enjoyed a complimentary hot brew before starting the tour.

Created by Environmental Defence, the Reconnection Project is designed to connect people with nature and community by making it easy to, know about, and participate in, local events that focus on the outdoors.

The tour used seven stops to illustrate how climate change is affecting Brampton’s downtown area and to discuss the City’s plans for managing flooding, creating new development opportunities and encouraging active and sustainable transportation. The tour also highlighted a bit of Brampton heritage and how residents can be more involved in the City’s planning process.

Wards 3&4 Earth Day Event at McCandless Park

Sunday April 13th, Dayle and I met up with BEA Board members Yarim and Amisha at Councillor Santos’s Earth Day Event in Andrew McCandless Park. There were several environmental activities to keep participants busy including, a tree-planting hosted by Credit Valley Conservation, and a park clean-up hosted by People Against Littering. There was also information about the City’s Plant-based Treaty initiative, which I’ve written about in a previous post.

While it was nice being part of this important environmental day and saying hi to friends and colleagues, one of the reasons Dayle and I wanted to attend this specific event was that we had a significant amount of electronics for recycling. Friends and family had added to the pile over the past several months and the collection included old cathode ray TV sets, rotary dial phones, a Blackberry Pearl phone, (with flip-down real keyboard), a night-side table radio with built in lamp, and a host of computer and stereo sound system equipment.

Alison, Rebecca and the other volunteers from the electronics recycling organization “Let’s Get Together” helped unload our van and then weighed and sorted all of the old retired items. LGT is a not-for-profit whose mission is to support the circular economy by repairing old computers and other electronics and then working to ensure that every youth has access to technology and equal opportunity allowing those youth to pursue higher education without barriers and with “purposeful support”. So far LGT has redistributed more than 5,000 computers back to the community, has diverted more than 120,000 pounds of e-waste from landfills, and has provided more than 12,000 digital literacy workshops.

Credit Valley Conservation hosts Fletcher’s Creek SNAP Workshop

On Monday April 14th, I attended a workshop hosted by Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC) in support of the Fletchers Creek Sustainable Neighbourhoods Action Program (SNAP). SNAP takes an integrated approach to improve the environment in a chosen neighbourhood, building climate resiliency by greening local infrastructure and encouraging positive behaviour change among the residents through programs, events, and education. The SNAP was initiated by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Both TRCA and CVC have delivered SNAP projects in Brampton including, County Court Blvd, Bramalea, and Fletchers Creek. Each project is unique and engages the residents in helping define project priorities and actions.

The Fletchers Creek project is focused around 5 themes, Living Parks and Nature, Green Streets, Strong Schools, Resilient Homes and Businesses, and Active People. Within those themes, 27 actions have been completed or are in progress. Highlights over the past 5 years include

• Installation of rain gardens at three schools,
• Delivery of a “Your Green Yard” program,
• Numerous tree and rain barrel giveaways,
• 5,628 trees & shrubs planted,
• 7,717 wildflowers, grasses, and sedges planted,
• 11 community projects started including a catchment basin painting project,
• 388 sustainable actions taken at homes
• 345 events hosted, and,
• 7,472 people engaged in the neighbourhood!

Each table was assigned one of the 5 themes and was asked to reflect on the accomplishments over the past 5 years, and help define the priorities and capacity requirements for how the project should evolve over the next 5 years. It was great to see the level of commitment, passion, competency and experience demonstrated by the workshop participants. I’ll write another blog once the workshop results have been synthesized and shared with the group.

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.

The event featured presentations on nutrition, mental health, and overall well-being by expert speakers from William Osler Health System and B.L.O.O.M. Empowerment Group.

It also included a short chair yoga session.

About 10 community service organizations, including BikeBrampton and the BEA, were invited to set up information tables around the room’s perimeter.

Feedback on the resources and information provided was positive.

That evening, the BEA attended an Earth Hour event in the Caledon East Community Complex. This first ever event was organized by Eco-Caledon and sponsored by the Town.

Almost 300 attendees and 25 exhibitors spent the evening celebrating sustainability, environmentalism, and our collective efforts to protect the planet!

Exhibitors were encouraged to include interactive activities at their tables and they delivered. Magicians, kale smoothies, blue planet cookies, bean bag tosses, and heat pump demonstrations were all part of the mix.

The BEA’s activity was a One-Planet Pledge. Participants were invited to select one of the ten principles from the One Planet Living Framework® and then pledge to take two actions that would help fulfill that principle.

Join the Contest, take the One Planet Living Pledge for Earth Day 2025