Oak Ridges Moraine

Township drops six Earthworx fill charges

2011-12-02T04:00:00.001-05:00

Scugog Township abandoned its bylaw charges against Earthworx Industries last month, deciding that the cost of court would outweigh any positive financial outcome.
_Scugog CAO Bev Hendry confirmed that on Nov. 10, the township abandoned its six charges against the company for illegal dumping. Trucks full of soil continued to enter a Lakeridge Rd. property after municipal bylaw officials revoked Earthworx’ fill permit. The site - which remains dormant following a court-ordered injunction against the business and subsequent provincial court decision which ruled in favour of the township earlier this year - was the subject of numerous resident concerns over the last year. Samples from the Oak Ridges Moraine property tested positive for excessive amounts of toxins, raising fears of groundwater contamination.
_According to Ms. Hendry, the charges would have only brought a return to the township of approximately $6,000 - far below the expense of preparing a court case. The CAO said that legal expenses incurred by the township in dealing with Earthworx sit at approximately $50,000.
_“The additional expense costs of building a case were not worth the what the outcome would have been,” said Ms. Hendry. “I believe that we have accomplished what we wanted.”
By Blake Wolfe - The Scugog Standard.

Committee defers moraine development decision

2011-11-19T06:26:00.001-05:00

Group of Aurora residents preparing case

Aurora's committee of adjustment deferred a decision on whether or not to allow a developer to build houses on a portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine to give residents more time to mount a case against the project.
The residents received a further 90 days to gather facts, as they found out about the proposed development less than a month before the committee meeting took place.
Neighbours on Stemmle Drive took issue with the proposed development after claiming five houses proposed for the site would be squeezed into the space and developers would be forced to build a huge retaining wall on the sloped land.
Any construction would alter the hilly landscape and put the moraine at risk, the neighbours argued.
One of the lead campaigners and a neighbour of the proposed development, Anne Benton, said she was relieved by the committee's decision, but added residents have a tough task before them.
“We felt it was a minor victory,” she said. “We have been given three months, so we really need to get ourselves organized.”
On top of putting together a meeting with all the neighbours and anyone else who is interested in saving the moraine, she is looking into hiring a hydrologist who will speak to the importance of this part of the moraine.
A representative from The Save The Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition was present at the meeting and is acting as a consultant for the group.
The land in question is identified as settlement land in moraine legislation.

Summerhill Woods Trees Can Be Spared

2011-11-03T06:20:00.001-04:00

Trees can be preserved during the removal of arsenic in the Summerhill Woods development, according to report.
The report, presented at this week’s Newmarket committee of the whole meeting by Burnside and Associates’ Jim Walls and Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc.’s Elliot Sigal concluded it is possible to remove the soil containing elevated levels of arsenic without clear-cutting the trees.
The developers of the residential project, at the southeast corner of Mulock Drive and Bathurst Street, informed the town in 2009 of high levels of arsenic in the soil. Before proceeding with construction, the developer removed much of the contaminated soil, but was unsure how to proceed with removal in the wooded area that sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The town called for a risk assessment under the Environmental Protection Act to determine if the contamination could be removed without destroying the environmental features. While a plan was expected to be approved by the Environment Ministry by 2010, changes in the ministry’s guidelines caused a delay.
The assessment has now been approved.
“This is a good news story,” Mr. Walls told council.
Less than half a metre of top soil must be removed from the trail lands, northern forested lands and William Thomas Mulock Park, Mr. Sigal said. Two areas will require Criterion to manage removal and the public park will be the responsibility of the town.
Although the easiest way to remove the soil would have been to also remove the trees, the developer and town wanted to preserve the naturally wooded areas, he added.
As for future use of the land, the ministry will issue a certificate of property use in the next 30 days to limit the use to forested parkland.
The ministry and York Region Public Health have reviewed the report with safety top of mind, he said.
“We are being proactive for health and safety as well as the environment.”
Mr. Walls doesn’t expect the soil removal will take much time and doesn’t foresee dust or noise disturbances during the work.
“This should be able to be done without too much of a disturbance to residents,” he said.
Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen said people will be happy to receive the report and know things are moving forward.
Town staff has been directed to prepare a report exploring the cost of the soil removal on town land and report back to council.

Look At Bigger Picture Of Fading Moraine

2011-10-03T07:26:00.004-04:00

Letter to the editor - The Markham Economist & Sun

Re: Group calls for moraine protection, Sept. 22.From a distance, the Oak Ridges Moraine is a picture perfect landscape. Who wouldn’t want a piece of its beauty? But that’s just the problem. Its enticing fishing waters, pristine golf courses and scenic trails and parks have attracted thousands of residents.Reporter David Fleischer highlights several key concerns placing strain on the moraine including the degradation of animal habitats and threatening levels of phosphorus and E. Coli in the plants.
But, like a beautiful painting, it is easy to miss how the frame around the canvas can affect the overall picture. Not only does the land itself need restoring, but its outskirts that need paying attention to.
To the north of the moraine is an ever increasing urban development. Hundreds of millions of litres of underground water, filtered by the sand and gravel of the moraine, is lost in water and sewage pipes of residential and industrial areas and during the construction of the major sewage systems serving York Region. As the underground water is depleted, streams that flow off the moraine diminish and waterways dry up. It will only be too late when we notice fish species disappearing and the ripple effect of a suffering ecosystem soon after.
Saving the moraine itself is not enough. We must look at the region as a whole if we want to preserve the very beauty that drew it to us in the first place.
Jennifer Low
Richmond Hill

2011-10-01T06:04:00.000-04:00

The Oshawa Express - September 28, 2011

There is a STORM brewing in the name of saving the Oak Ridges Moraine.On the 10-year anniversary of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), Earthroots and Ontario Nature have teamed up to raise awareness about the severe threats facing the moraine, known as Southern Ontario’s rain barrel.

“We're pleased to announce the launch of our ‘Moraine Can't Wait’ campaign, which will focus attention on a number of serious issues facing the moraine,” says Debbe Crandall, executive director of STORM. “We can't wait until the 2015 review of the Conservation Plan, during which time these problems will only get worse. We're asking Ontario residents to make the moraine a priority in this provincial election.”The Oak Ridges Moraine extends for 160 kilometres and is north of the Greater Toronto Area, extending through parts of Durham Region.

According to a release, this land formation possesses important prairie, forest and wetland habitats, many of which are a refuge for rare plants, birds and turtles.

The moraine is compared to a rain barrel because it supplies drinking water to more than 250,000 people, the release continues, adding the area is now vulnerable to many threats.
“Unmonitored water taking is one of the most troubling concerns we have about the moraine,” says Josh Garfinkel, senior campaigner with Earthroots. “Millions of litres of water are pumped out of the aquifers every day and millions more leak into the sewage system.”Other threats to the moraine, STORM states, include ongoing development as a result of proposals that were approved before the Conservation Act was passed, dumping fill into abandoned aggregate pits and infrastructure that continues to be built, even in core natural areas.These groups say they are raising awareness about the deficiencies in the Conservation Act and Plan for the moraine in the weeks leading up to the provincial election.

“We need answers now. The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of the most significant green landscapes left in southern Ontario,” adds Crandall. “We cannot sit by and watch it lose any more of its natural values.”

Township seeks way to stop fill

2010-06-18T06:23:00.000-04:00

Concerns raised in a Scugog Standard story last week have municicpal and provincial officials looking into landfill practices at a Scugog property.

Township staff are looking into whether or not operations at a clean fill site along Lakeridge Rd. can be stopped, after consideration that the permit may have been “issued in error” in contradiction of environmental regulations, according to planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier.

The decision came after discussion and the passing of a new fill and site alteration bylaw at this week’s council meeting, following discussion regarding similar sites around the township. At recent meetings, staff and council have attributed the current increase of such fill sites to both a weak Scugog bylaw and the tightening up of fill rules in neighbouring municipalities.

According to Mr. Chartier, the township may have erred by issuing a permit to an operation located within the borders of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is subject to stringent environmental regulations. Mr. Chartier said that a legal opinion is now being sought by the township before taking any steps toward revoking the permit, adding that if the opinion is “cut and dry,” the township will likely “act on the bylaw’s provision.” The site is governed under the provisions of the township’s old fill bylaw and subject to any penalties contained within.

The new bylaw will now feature a ‘blanket restriction’ on fill dumps within the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a handful of exceptions, including site alteration directly related to building permits issued by the township or for purposes such as agriculture.

Concerns about the quality of fill being dumped at the Lakeridge Rd. site arose after residents alleged that questionable items were amongst the truckloads of fill being deposited there.

According to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson Kate Jordan, an inspector was sent to the site last week to conduct an investigation of the fill content after receiving a complaint from the township, but found no evidence of chemical contamination or other material not permitted in clean fill.

However, photos obtained by The Scugog Standard, allegedly taken of the site last weekend, show items such as PVC piping, cinder blocks, crushed chemical drums and plastic chemical pails clearly sticking out of the piles of fill allegedly on the property.

The site discussed, located along Lakeridge Rd. south of Regional Rd. 21, is maintained by Earthworx Industries, which advertises the property as a ‘clean fill dump site’ with a heliport. To date, no stop order has been issued and no illegal or improper fill has been confirmed by the MOE at the site.

Link: Township seeks way to stop fill

Relay supports Oak Ridges Moraine

2010-06-17T05:50:00.001-04:00

The Moraine for Life Adventure Relay has something for both veteran adventure racers and weekend warriors looking for a brand new challenge.

On June 20, the Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) hosts the fourth annual Moraine for Life Adventure Relay. The non-stop relay team event kicks off from Church Hill Road in Gore's Landing on Rice Lake at 7:30 a.m. then stretches west 160 kilometres to wrap up at King City between 7 p.m. and midnight. All proceeds go to the ORTA to help protect the moraine's healthy ecosystem and heritage, extend the Oak Ridges Trail and encourage responsible land use.

"We have grown from seven participating teams three years ago to 33 this year, making this one of the largest events of its type in Canada," stated relay committee chairman, Brian Millage. "It's also a cross moraine-supported race, with teams representing communities from Peel, York, Durham and Northumberland all challenging last year's winning ream from Uxbridge, the Trail Capitol of Canada."

The course is divided into 14 relay stages of varying distances consisting of water, road and trail portions. With the exception of the two-person canoe stage, one team member will complete each stage; however, people may do multiple stages. Teams may consist of up to 15 members. Times will be recorded for each stage and the team with the lowest cumulative time wins. In the spirit of adventure, participants must be self-sufficient. Each participant is responsible for bringing and transporting whatever supplies (equipment and nutritional) they may require during their stage.

For additional information or to donate, visit www.oakridgestrail.org or www.moraineadventure.com.

Link: Northumberland News

407 extension will take seven years

2010-06-16T13:21:00.001-04:00

MP Dean Del Mastro says it will be built, but admits he’s annoyed that federal government has no say in the timeline

It’s going to take seven years and $8 billion to extend Highway 407 50 kilometres to Highway 115, creating about 13,000 jobs.

MPP Jeff Leal says the project has been broken into two phases, with the first phase finishing at Simcoe Street in Oshawa in 2015.

No one expected the environmental assessment to take two and a half years, he says, which is why the roadwork is taking so long, but he states the assessment is now complete for both phases.
The connection to Highway 115 has moved south, MPP Leal adds, to deal with environmental issues when going through the Oak Ridges Moraine. He expects the two highways to connect near Durham Concession 8.
“It does present some environmental challenges,” he says.

MPP Leal notes the original 407 was built in three phases.

As the community continues to grow, he says the will be more of a need for the highway.
“It’s in all of our best interests,” he says.

If MP Dean Del Mastro could make it move ahead quicker by showing up with a shovel, he says he would.
“I think there’s going to be a number of folks disappointed,” he says of the time line.

Despite supplying half the funds, he says it’s frustrating to not have any say over putting it to use.
But, he emphasizes the extension will be completed as it’s critical to both the function of Highway 407 and critical for the region to give businesses access to markets and make up for the region’s infrastructure deficit.
For now, he says local businesses will deal with seven more years of traffic jams when heading into the Toronto area.

“Ultimately, it needs to be built,” he states.

This region, he says, has not received the same advantages in infrastructure as other comparable places. There are four main aspects to infrastructure, he says: highways, airports, rail, and broadband. We’ve done well in some areas, but are lacking in others, like rail, he adds.

In the coming weeks, he expects to release more information about his independent study of the Metrolinx report on bringing passenger rail service to Peterborough.

“I think people are going to be encouraged,” he says.

Link: http://www.mykawartha.com/news/article/833469--407-extension-will-take-seven-years

Rural Clarington residents want say on proposed wind farms

2010-06-06T06:31:00.001-04:00

Residents are bracing for possible winds of change in Clarington.

Two wind farm proposals are being considered in Clarington, which has some rural residents concerned about the consequences of wind turbines in their area.

"We are smack dab in the middle of both sites," said Heather Rutherford, who lives in Kirby. "We live on a farm and our kids are the fourth generation to live on this farm. It's a property that's important to the family, not just valuable but a lot of sentimental history."

Ms. Rutherford is the spokesperson for 'Clarington Wind Concerns', a group of local citizens who live in the study area of the wind farms.

The two wind farms, one by Energy Farming called ZEP Wind Farm Ganaraska and the other by Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy are both in the early stages.

ZEP Wind Farm Ganaraska is studying the area from Mosport Park to Kendalwood Park to see if it's suitable for a wind farm. Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy is considering the land from Kirby to Port Granby.

"It's really important for us to be in complete harmony with residents in this project. We take noise and concerns very seriously," said Ariel Bautista, Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy project coordinator.

Ms. Rutherford said residents are worried about possible health impacts, from sleep disturbance to migraines. With Kirby Public School in the middle of the study area, the group is concerned about whether the turbines could impact developing children. They are also worried about disrupting the natural habitat on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The noise is also a concern for the group. Provincial legislation has limited the noise from wind turbines to 40 decibels. Ms. Rutherford has concerns about how the noise level can be measured and the restrictions enforced.

Residents are also concerned their property values could decline.

"We're really concerned about the health effects. We're really concerned about our kids. We're protecting our kids," said Ms. Rutherford. "I don't want these in my backyard, but I don't want them in your backyard either, until they can prove it won't harm families."

But studies have found no direct link between wind turbines and health impacts, said Mr. Bautista. Over time property values around wind farms remain similar or even increase slightly, according to the project manager.

Mr. Bautista said Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy is proposing a small 10-megawatt project. He said the wind turbines will be set back from homes beyond the 550 metres the Province mandates. At that distance the wind turbines Leader Energy plans to use will be no louder than the hum of a quiet office, he added.

The turbines will produce green energy and setbacks mean the project will protect the agricultural land from urban sprawl, according to Mr. Bautista. The company is consulting with conservation authorities to arrange the final placement out of flight paths and away from streams.

"This is a community-owned project by Ontario residents," said Mr. Bautista. "We encourage people to approach us with their opinions. We do want to go forward transparently."

In an effort to create more renewable energy in Ontario, the Province passed the Green Energy Act last spring, which took control for these projects out of the hands of municipalities. The Province now approves new alternative energy and has control over safety regulations.

The doesn't mean local government has no involvement. The proponent has to consult with the municipality on municipal service connections, traffic management plans during construction and operation, rehabilitation of temporary disturbance areas and any municipal infrastructure damaged during construction, emergency management procedures and safety protocols and proposed site landscaping.

Clarington council asked for a staff report on the proposed wind farms.

"We know that wind turbines are the responsibility of the provincial government," said Councillor Charlie Trim. "In order to talk to residents it would be wise to have some details."

Council has no power to approve or reject a wind farm, if it meets provincial regulations. There is no need for a zoning change or other municipally regulated public review and approval process.

"We get to comment but our comments are quite limited," said Faye Langmaid, Clarington acting director of planning. "Our comments are limited to roads, service connections and other things like emergency procedures."

Residents will have more freedom to voice their concerns. Under Green Energy Act regulations, the project proponents must give public notice to neighbours within 1.5 kilometres of the proposed facility. The proponents also hold a community consultation meeting, so residents and interested parties can be consulted. ZEP held a community meeting last July at the Orono Town Hall. Leader Energy is expected to hold its first required public meeting this summer.

The proponents must show community consultation and explain how they tried to address residents' concerns, according to Ms. Langmaid.

'Clarington Wind Concerns' is inviting residents to a public information meeting on Thursday, June 10 at 7 p.m. at the Orono Arena. There will be several guest speakers, including Durham MPP John O'Toole, and a chance for the public to raise their concerns.

"A lot of people I speak to don't know the development is proposed for this area," said Ms. Rutherford.

The group is hoping the meeting will educate the public.

"We're hoping to facilitate a community discussion," said Ms. Rutherford. "There's been no discussion in our community until this point."

Rural Clarington residents want say on proposed wind farms

No Signs To Warn Motorists Of Reptile's Presence

2010-06-03T20:24:00.002-04:00

NORTHUMBERLAND -- Residents of Cavan Road in Bewdley are concerned for the safety of the snapping turtles that nest on their street.

Cavan Road is situated in the Oak Ridges Moraine and is an officially protected wetland. Snapping turtles are one of the many species of wildlife that make their homes in the area, and this is the time of year when the females seek out sandy or gravelly areas to make their nests in. The turtles often make use of the gravel shoulders along roadways for this purpose, and every year such nests can be spotted on the sides of Cavan Road. They have even become a yearly topic of conversation for the residents of the area, according to one such man, Paul Clark.

"We always talk about how many turtles we have," he said. "It's quite a sight."

But there is obvious danger for the turtles and their young in choosing a spot so close to the roadway. The female turtles use their long term memory to return to the same nesting spot each year, regardless of the danger. Already this year, turtles have been crushed by passing vehicles during the nesting process. Just as damaging is when they are startled during the egg laying process, which leads to them becoming 'egg bound', a fatal condition that leaves them unable to pass the eggs inside of them.

The mortality rate of the snapping turtles, which are designated as a 'special concern species' under Ontario's Endangered Species Act of 2007, has motivated the residents of the street to try and help. Mr. Clark himself has been in contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources in the hopes of having signs placed on the road which will inform drivers of the turtles' presence. Accidents are inevitable, but if drivers are looking out for the turtles, they are less likely to happen.

The residents are also speaking out against a proposed ATV route that would include their stretch of Cavan Road, believing the presence of such vehicles would only heighten the danger for the beleaguered turtles.

The Cavan Street residents don't want to shut their area off to visitors, according to Mr. Clark, who points out that seeing the turtles could be an interesting tourism opportunity for some. They just want their visitors to keep an eye out for the animals and to show them the proper respect.

If the snapping turtles and their young are to survive, they will need that respect.

Source: Northumberland News

Governments feel the sting of private prosecutions

2010-04-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

By Dianne Saxe

April 23 2010 issue

For most of the last 200 years, prosecution of those who break the law has been primarily a government prerogative. However, determined private prosecutors can enforce the law with more credibility and success than seemed possible a generation ago. And governments have been the principal targets.

Environmental Defence Canada recently succeeded in a private environmental prosecution against the Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC). ORC was convicted of breaching the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act after selling public land that contained the remains of a Huron longhouse, to build a Catholic cemetery. It was required by its class environmental assessment document to consult with First Nations representatives before disposing of land with First Nations cultural significance. Instead, ORC simply protected the longhouse with a heritage easement. The ORC was fined $7,500.

A few years earlier, the City of Hamilton pleaded guilty to private charges that it discharged toxic leachate from its Rennie Street landfill into Red Hill Creek, contrary to the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act is one of the few Canadian statutes that rewards private prosecutors; they get one-half of any fine imposed. (The other half goes to the Crown.)

The private charges shamed the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) into laying their own, and provoked the city into funding a massive cleanup ($8 million). Justice Casey imposed the lion’s share of the fine ($300,000) on the private prosecutor’s charge, resulting in a payment to them of $150,000. The city was fined another $150,000 (plus a $37,500 victim fine surcharge) on the MOE’s charge, and was ordered to implement a plan to prevent future discharges.

Admittedly, private prosecutions have a much lower success rate than public prosecutions. Most private prosecutions are ultimately withdrawn or dismissed. In part, this is because public prosecutors (i.e. the government) have the right to take over any private prosecution and discontinue it; or to take over the prosecution and continue it; or to allow it to continue.

For example, the attorney general took over and withdrew charges by Jim Robb against York Region for alleged violations of the Fisheries Act in building the York Durham Sewage System (known as the “Big Pipe”). In order to construct the controversial $870 million sewage pipe, the region dewatered parts of the huge Oak Ridges Moraine aquifer, drying up wells, creeks, and fish habitat. There was far more environmental impact than originally predicted, and the region did not obtain either a federal environmental assessment or a Fisheries Act permit for the dewatering.

Some prosecutions by the British Columbia Fraser River Waterkeepers have also been taken over and dismissed.

Still, even prosecutions that fail to result in convictions can have an impact. In R. v. MOE, the private prosecutor charged the MOE with failing to stop arsenic leaking from the abandoned Moira River gold mine. The MOE had taken over Ontario’s most contaminated site as a “remediator of last resort” in 1979. By 1997, it had not complied even with its own certificate of approval. The MOE was acquitted after a long trial, for reasons that remain unclear and certainly would not have amounted to due diligence for other defendants. But if not for these charges, the remediation funding might well have been cut again.

Janet Fletcher provoked millions of dollars’ worth of corrective work by laying private charges against the City of Kingston for oozing landfill leachate into the Cataraqui River. Both the city and the MOE had known about this for years, but neither had done anything about it. Once the private charges were laid, the MOE was shamed into action, and quickly levelled their own charges against the city and its Director of Environmental Services. The city then began an aggressive (and overdue) campaign to contain and treat the leachate. Although the Court of Appeal set aside the convictions on Fletcher’s charges, this was a major success, and led to similar charges and a guilty plea by the City of Moncton.

The Lake Ontario Waterkeeper also claimed a hard-earned victory when it withdrew charges of mercury pollution against DTE Energy, in exchange for a U.S. government pledge to take action on mercury emissions from coal plants (see www.waterkeeper.ca/2007/03/08/edwards-v-dte-energy-information-page/).

Public prosecutors are less likely to discontinue a private prosecution today than they used to be, and are supposed to do so only when:

- there is so little evidence that there is no case to answer; or

- the prosecution is likely to damage the interests of justice.

But that is only the first step. A generation ago, if environmental groups escaped having their charges withdrawn by the attorney general, they received a cold welcome from the courts. In R v. Cyanamid Canada Inc., (1981) 11 CELR 31, where the judge had no choice but to convict, he showed his displeasure by imposing a $1 fine.

Today, private prosecutors get a lot more respect from the bench. As the Canadian Law Reform Commission put it:“This form of citizen/victim participation enhances basic democratic values while at the same time it promotes the general image of an effective system of administering justice within the Canadian state.”

Although private prosecution remains difficult and expensive, “how to” information is freely available (see www.e-b-i.net/ebi/guide.html) and several environmental groups are committed to it. For anyone with a controversial project, private prosecution remains a force to be reckoned with.

Dianne Saxe is an environmental law specialist and heads the environmental law boutique Saxe Law Office in Toronto.

Governments feel the sting of private prosecutions

A New Revelation: Wind Energy Needs Wind To Work

2010-03-25T14:43:00.002-04:00

By Nick Loris

One of the common arguments made against wind power is that without government subsidies, mandates or tax credits, wind turbines would not be built. But even when companies do receive preferential treatment to build windmills, just because they’re built doesn’t mean they’re going to work. For that, there needs to be (drum roll, please)…wind! A report from Britain says:

“The analysis of power output found that more than 20 wind farms are operating at less than one-fifth of their full capacity. Experts say many turbines are going up on sites that are simply not breezy enough. They also accuse developers of ‘grossly exaggerating’ the amount of energy they will generate in order to get their hands on subsidies designed to boost the production of green power.

While it is possible some of the results were skewed by breakdowns, the revelation that so many are under-performing will be of great interest to those who argue that wind farms are little more than expensive eyesores. The analysis was carried out by Michael Jefferson, an environmental consultant and a professor of international business and sustainability. He believes that financial incentives designed to help Britain meet is green energy targets are encouraging firms to site their wind farms badly.”

In other wind farm news, although the event was called “exceptionally rare and highly unusual”, Europe’s largest wind farm had to be shut down because a 14-ton turbine snapped. It’s not the first time a windmill broke and fortunately no one was hurt. A turbine snapping is no reason to stop building windmills just as coal mining accidents are not reason to completely cut off our coal supply. Accidents happen in any industry and it’s a company’s job to learn from them and improve both quality and safety.

If businesses find it profitable to build supply energy in a variety of ways without government handouts, increased competition will only benefit the consumer. Yet, we’re being told we need to transition to a clean energy economy and that the United States needs to be the leader in building these technologies because, “the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation,” said President Obama in his State of the Union address. If renewable energy eventually competes in the marketplace, economist Don Boudreaux says, “So what if the Chinese are world-leading producers of such equipment? Specializing in the production of other goods and services – things that we produce more efficiently than the Chinese – we Americans can then buy solar panels and wind turbines from the Chinese for use in our homes and offices. The latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of the factories where the final assembly of such equipment occurs are irrelevant.” That’s not to say U.S. can’t be a leader in wind mill production, but market-based policies are the best way to ensure that America’s renewable energy production is as competitive as possible.

In addition, the cleanliness in the President’s mission to green our economy may be a bit over hyped. We not only use fossil fuels to make turbines but also provide back up power when the windmills don’t spin. Since it’s too costly to stop and start a power plant, wind simply creates more emissions. Or, as Todd Wynn of the Cascade Policy Institute points out, in some instances wind replaces CO2-free sources of energy, like hydroelectricity: “So when the wind blows, the dams stop generating electricity, and when the wind stops, the dams continue to generate electricity. So, in fact, wind power is just offsetting another renewable energy source. It’s not necessarily offsetting any fossil fuel generation.”

Wind may be economically viable in some parts of the United States, but we should let businesses and electricity consumers, not the government, decide that.

Contributing Author Nick Loris writes at The Heritage Foundation and he is a Research Assistant at The Heritage Foundation’s Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.

Read more informative articles at Heritage – The Foundry

A New Revelation: Wind Energy Needs Wind To Work « PA Pundits International.

Humber, Don rivers added to Greenbelt

2010-02-27T07:32:00.001-05:00

Mayor David Miller today celebrated the imminent inclusion of Toronto’s Don and Humber River Valleys within southern Ontario’s protected Greenbelt, making them entirely untouchable by developers.

“There are still always attempts to encroach on this greenspace,” said Mr. Miller. “If you want to live in a city with these beautiful ravines, you have to protect them.”

Speaking from the banks of the Don River, a picturesque sight following this morning’s snowfall, Mr. Miller called Torontonians “great environmentalists” who want the greenspace mixed with their urban landscape protected from development.

On Tuesday, city council unanimously agreed to request the province add the two ravines to their protected greenbelt. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jim Bradley said the province will quickly approve the city’s request, making it the first greenbelt to cut through Toronto’s dense urban population.

“Ontarians wanted something better than unsustainable, sprawling development and the congestion and pollution it brings with it,” said Mr. Bradley.

Ontario’s Greenbelt includes 1.8 million acres of farmland, forests and watersheds, including areas in the Niagara escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine area. Toronto’s Rouge River park, east of Markham, is already protected.

The 37-kilometre-long Humber River and the 53-kilometre-long Don River would connect other areas of the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario.

Ontario’s Greenbelt plan celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend. In 2008, the province developed criteria for municipalities who want to add land to the Greenbelt. Toronto will be the first region have an area added since then.

The city had already placed major limitations on construction in the flood plains, following 1954’s devastating Hurricane Hazel. This move, Mr. Bradley said, is more than just symbolic.

“This adds some permanency to that,” he said. “This area is provincially protected now.”

Mr. Bradley said the Greenbelt already “pays a lot of ecological bills” by cleaning the air and protecting agricultural farmland, adding it works out to be $2.6-billion in economic benefit.

Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/02/26/humber-don-rivers-added-to-greenbelt.aspx#ixzz0gjsHS8BN
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Humber, Don rivers added to Greenbelt - Posted Toronto.

Town loses appeal on golf course

2010-02-21T07:56:00.001-05:00

Aurora has been handed another setback in its fight to stop a golf course and housing development on the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine.

Earlier this month, a divisional court dismissed an appeal by the town and local residents arguing a joint board hearing involving representatives of the Ontario Municipal Board and the Environmental Review Tribunal would be necessary to gauge the suitability of the Westhill Development, eyed for an area near Leslie Street and Bloomington Road.

Lebovic Homes plans to build an 18-hole golf course and 75 luxury homes on the site, but the application was denied by council in 2008.

Since then, the matter has bounced back and forth between the OMB and the divisional court with the former body denying a joint board hearing and the latter supporting its lack of jurisdiction to even order one.

As such, the divisional court has repeatedly said the OMB is the appropriate venue to address the myriad of concerns raised by the town and residents.

Undaunted by the recent divisional court ruling, Mayor Phyllis Morris said she and her colleagues have since ordered their counsel to launch another appeal.

It's important for the town to win the Westhill case, she said, as it could well prove precedent-setting for future developments on the moraine.

"The cost of doing this is expensive, but the cost of not doing it is far greater as far as the environment is concerned," she said.

At stake, according to Mrs. Morris, is the water upon which residents around the proposed development rely. It's a fight now two years and counting, Mrs. Morris said, adding the town isn't about to abandon citizens in need.

"If you were one of the landowners on well water, wouldn't you want your council to do whatever it could?" she said.

Residents adjacent to the Westhill development shouldn't have any fears about their water levels, Lebovic Enterprises executive vice-president of Lloyd Cherniak said.

The new homes would draw well water from a different aquifer, he said, adding golf course sprinklers wouldn't draw water from the ground at all, instead making use of collected rain water and treated wastewater from the 75 homes on the site.

"They never really understood the proposal, even though we tried to explain it to them," Mr. Cherniak said.

It's difficult to understand the position of those opposing the project as the only end they've achieved so far is delays, Mr. Cherniak said.

That said, developments, such as the divisional court ruling, aren't surprising, he added.

"How do you argue the OMB isn't qualified to deal with this? It's their mandate," he said. "For God's sake, at least half of Aurora is on the Oak Ridges Moraine as it is. The people objecting to us are on the Oak Ridges Moraine, too."

Despite arguments to the contrary, resident Susan Jones said she isn't convinced her well is safe.

She has one golf course to the north of her property and another proposed for the south. As a result, she is somewhat perplexed by the resistance of the various government bodies to holding a joint board hearing.

"We're still concerned about water usage and the environment," Ms Jones said. "I'm not sure if anyone knows for sure if local wells will be affected or not. There hasn't been any good science on the effect of all of this cumulative water-taking on the moraine.

"As it is now, I'm within walking distance of four golf courses here on Leslie Street."

Councillor Evelyn Buck, the lone member of council who voted against denying the Westhill application, said she's concerned by the cost to taxpayers for the various hearings and court appearance so far, especially since the OMB hearing dealing with the actual application has yet to take place.

Costs have been cited at $135,000 and rising, Ms Buck said, adding they will only continue to increase during a two or three-week OMB hearing, whenever it actually takes place.

She said she doesn't dispute the rights of residents who became involved in the battle, but questions why the town did.

"The residents retained (a lawyer) and they had a right to do that," she said. "Everyone has a right to protect their own interests."

Mr. Beaman said he has already filed a leave to appeal. Should it be granted, the case will next be heard at the Ontario Court of Appeals, but if denied, it will go back to the OMB for a hearing.

Either way, there likely won't be any progress in the case until fall.

York region - Town loses appeal on golf course.

MyKawartha Article: Wind turbine motion blows through school board

2010-02-12T06:49:00.001-05:00

(LINDSAY) A round of applause rang out after public school board trustees agreed to support a community group's drive to have an independent study on the health effects of wind turbines conducted by the province.

More than a dozen members of the Manvers Gone With the Wind group were at the Lindsay education centre on Tuesday (Feb. 9) to hear how Trillium Lakelands District School Board trustees, via videoconference, would deal with a motion put forward by trustee Don Alton.

Energy Farming Ontario proposes to construct up to 30 wind turbines in the Bethany area. The Settlers Landing Snowy Ridge Wind Park project spans east to Porter Road, west to the Manvers-Scugog Line, north to Lifford Road and south to Telecom Road.

Two schools - Rolling Hills and Grandview public school - are within the proposed site. Concern for the safety of children attending the schools led the group to seek the school board's assistance in identifying possible health effects prior to development; echoing a letter sent to the board late last year by City of Kawartha Lakes council.

Since presenting it as a notice of motion on Jan. 26, Mr. Alton had amended the motion to remove 'in principle' and add a recommendation for greater setbacks around schools.

Trustee Elaine Beatty expressed concerns over the motion, asking for clarification as to if the motion was meant to potentially influence permit approvals.

She was assured this was not the intention of the motion.

"They just want to have the study done in advance," explained Mr. Alton.

Director of education Larry Hope also expressed concerns over removing 'in principle', citing, if the matter becomes a legal issue for Gone With the Wind, the school board could be liable for costs.

As a result, the words were returned to the motion.

The motion was further amended to remove the added statement regarding setbacks as well as sending a letter to more than a dozen agencies and individuals, as well as all MPPs, MPs, health unit medical officers, school boards and municipalities. Trustee Judy Saunders supported the latter change, citing there was no need to distribute the motion to so many others as it would be "on public record" if approved by the board.

"I would leave it there," she added.

All but one trustee - Ms Beatty - voted in favour of the much-adjusted motion.

While the motion must still be approved by the board at its Feb. 23 regular meeting, Heather Stauble, Gone With the Wind member, is pleased the local board has joined a growing number of schools boards and 48 municipalities in requesting the independent health study. She hopes the province will take notice, put a moratorium on further wind projects and calls for the study.

She cites potential health problems caused by wind turbines, including tinnitis, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation and headaches, the environmental impact on the Oak Ridges Moraine as well as livestock and wildlife, and the need for greater setbacks - the minimum is 550 metres but 1.5 kilometres is recommended - are key issues which need to be addressed before any permits are issued for the project.

"If they can solve all those problems and wind energy turns out to be the efficient solution we're being led to believe, then there may be a place in our infrastructure," said Ms Stauble. "There is a much greater cost to this than we realize. . . If people are going to become sick because these are too close to homes and schools, then it's too great a cost."

MyKawartha Article: Wind turbine motion blows through school board.

Climate change debate is overwhelming

2010-02-12T05:51:00.001-05:00

To the Editor:

Re: 'Cause of climate change worthy of debate', guest column, Feb. 7.

The ongoing debate about man's role in climate change, at times, is more than just a little overwhelming.

The present cycling started about two-and-a-half million year ago and is continuing.

The last million years have been documented by drill cores from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, the CO2 content of the ice is related to the atmospheric temperature.

Man's role today may cause some fluctuations in the cycling, but that is an area of 'who knows?'.

Living here in Northumberland, we have a picturesque landscape due to the last glaciation, the Wisconsin, or in Europe, the Wuurm. The hills are mostly drumlins and the Oak Ridges Moraine gives us a northern border. This moraine is an interglobal moraine from the Wisconsin stadial.

For reasons unknown, many people believe that the 'Ice age' ended 10,000 years ago, but it did not, after the Arctic and Antarctic ice finish melting a new cycle will begin, or one can consider it just as a continuum.

The reasons why the cycling began is unknown, some people blame South America, but we had glaciation in the Precambrian, there is an argument that it is caused by events in outer space, whatever the cause it has been with us for a long time and will continue.

I have even been told the climate problems are more related to the hot air given off by various governments.

Richard E. Bridges

Cobourg

newsdurhamregion.com |Climate change debate is overwhelming

Millbrook water fight runs deeper

2010-02-05T04:22:00.002-05:00

Residents in and around Millbrook have expressed substantial opposition to a proposed development of massive proportions in nearby Fraserville. Cavan Monaghan Township has planned an expansion to the Kawartha Downs casino, as well as nearly 700 homes, a golf course, big box stores, an entertainment complex, and so on. The crux of the issue is water; due to contamination of groundwater in Fraserville the township wants to pipe water from Millbrook's wells, 12 kilometres away.

One essential element missing from recent news reports is that two of Millbrook's three wells are within the protected area of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The moraine is a source of drinking water for more than a quarter million people. It acts as a giant filter for Southern Ontario, purifying water and then dispersing it into 65 rivers and streams that replenish the Southern Ontario lakes that millions more Ontarians draw their water from.

Earthroots actively pushed for protection for the Oak Ridges Moraine, which passed in 2001, and we are extremely concerned with this development. Under the Oak Ridges Moraine protection, Peterborough County is obligated to produce progressive water plans to safeguard and sustainably allocate moraine water resources, a requirement that has yet to be fulfilled. This fact forbids the county from allowing major developments like Fraserville. However, as the Fraserville development is not on the moraine it can legally draw its water from the moraine, exposing a giant loophole in the legislation.

People in Millbrook and surrounding area are literally losing sleep over concerns for their water. If the water table is lowered it could severely impact wells for miles around.

Township Reeve Neil Cathcart is on record as stating: "The whole thing of it is if you go back to its infancy, it was about bringing water to Fraserville for Kawartha Downs. That's still the goal of the township." This makes sense, as Kawartha Downs is a massive revenue generator for the township and likely does not want to pay for an expensive water treatment system. The township's justification for spending $30 million of public money to pipe water from the protected Oak Ridges Moraine to Fraserville and the casino is seemingly to construct a brand new city on what is now fields and forest.

But wait a minute! Shouldn't the province's award-winning Places to Grow plan preclude a new city in a rural area, without usable water? When Millbrook citizens contacted the Growth Secretariat they learned that applications for Fraserville were submitted months prior to the growth plan's enactment, giving it a pass on this integral legislation as well.

We are witnessing a complete breakdown in provincial policies aimed at stopping exactly this sort of unsustainable development. If Fraserville establishes the practice of allowing development outside of the moraine to be serviced with moraine water, many lands surrounding the greenbelt with insufficient water for development will quickly become alluring opportunities for developers. As lands closer to Toronto continue to fall victim to more sprawl, tapping into the moraine for off-site development would not only have untold impacts on its water systems, it would also further diminish the greenbelt's ability to limit sprawl and keep development within urban areas already serviced by infrastructure.

Josh Kohler and Josh Garfinkel work for Earthroots, a Toronto-based environmental organization.

Millbrook water fight runs deeper - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA.

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Millbrook water defenders looking for a 007

2009-12-28T03:58:00.001-05:00

On a recent cross-country flight, I watched last year's Bond movie Quantum of Solace.And I was struck by its down-to-earth tone. For this time, the villain wasn't the usual creepy miscreant, but a bland-looking businessman. And his dark-hearted scheme was not for world domination, but for water diversion. His nefarious plan: to steal the fresh water -the essential and increasingly precious ingredient of life -from local, defenceless citizens.

Art imitates life. How similar to the situation facing our neighbours in Millbrook. Here, politicians and developers are planning to drain and transport water from three artesian wells - located on the Oak Ridges Moraine -for 12 kilometres overland. All to service the Kawartha Downs casino expansion, a golf course, and a sprawling new subdivision. The proposed increase in water demand? 800%. Experts predict that this will leave both local residents and sensitive brook trout, high and dry.

Who will stand up to the powerful forces promoting this ruinous plan? In 2006, concerned citizens spoke out, and were threatened with a lawsuit. A shocking sign of our times. Now, unfortunately, it takes a mythical James Bond, or Jane Bond, to defend us from these corporate raiders; our elected representatives don't seem to want to. Is our government really acting with our best, long-term interests in mind? Their stony silence speaks volumes. Enough said. SUSANNE LAUTEN

Millbrook water defenders looking for a 007 - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA.

Greenbelt not saving livestock operations: study

2009-12-27T04:38:00.001-05:00

For a protected area that was meant to preserve southern Ontario's farmland and agriculture, the Greenbelt doesn't seem to have done the job for livestock producers, a new study suggests.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that "traditional" livestock operations, such as dairy, beef and hog farms, have experienced a decline throughout Ontario since 2001.

But the new profile of the Greenbelt's agricultural economy, sponsored by the provincial ag ministry and authored by Prof. Harry Cummings of the University of Guelph's School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, finds that trend much more dramatic in the Greenbelt than anywhere else in Ontario.

For their study, which the university outlined in a release Friday (Dec. 18), Cummings and graduate students Sandra Moreau and Sarah Megens compared agricultural census data from 2001 and 2006 for the Greenbelt.

The Greenbelt is the province's designated zone of permanent protection for 1.8 million acres of farmland and other "environmentally sensitive" land around southern Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe, taking in the Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine, Rouge Park, several hundred rural towns and villages, and about 7,100 farms.

The study generated the only custom-tabulated agricultural census results for the Greenbelt, as drawn from a Statistics Canada database which allowed them to analyze census data from only farms and farm parcels within the greenbelt.

The data showed the number of dairy farms decreased by 28 per cent in the greenbelt, compared to 23 per cent provincewide. Greenbelt beef farm numbers declined by 24 per cent, compared to 13 per cent across Ontario. Hog farm numbers fell by 11 per cent provincially, compared to a 27 per cent decline in the Greenbelt.

The number of sheep and goat farms, meanwhile, grew 34 per cent in Ontario between 2001 and 2006, but declined by eight per cent in the Greenbelt.

As well, the number of poultry and egg farms grew five per cent across the province in that five-year span but dropped by 19 per cent within the Greenbelt.

Both the Greenbelt and the province in general posted increased in the number of farms in the "other animal production" category: bees, horses, ponies, rabbits, alpacas, bison, wild boars and so on.

However, while the Greenbelt saw a five per cent increase, for example, in the number of horses and ponies between 2001 and 2006, it was "outpaced" by the province overall, in which the numbers rose 17 per cent in the same time frame.

Overall, the number of farms in the Greenbelt dropped by seven per cent between 2001 and 2006. That's three per cent higher than the provincial decline, the university noted.

Questions of viability

"These trends, and the difference in animal population change within the greenbelt compared to the province, raise a number of interesting questions regarding the viability of animal production in close proximity to a major urban area," Cummings said in the university's release.

"There is some indication that the Greenbelt area has unique characteristics that influence the type and scale of production within its boundaries," he added. "We need to look deeper to fully understand the causes and implications of this change."

As they do in other areas of the country, farm consolidation and retirement account for some of the decreasing farm numbers, the study authors said.

However, Greenbelt farmers who took part in the researchers' nine focus groups said they were "generally unhappy with the lack of planning policy around the Greenbelt."

grainews.ca - Grainews is a magazine and web site for farmers and farms in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Canada. - Grainews is a magazine and web site for farmers and farms in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Canada. - 12/27/2009.

TURBINE CONCERNS

2009-12-25T06:13:00.001-05:00

Perhaps you have noticed the 'Stop the Wind Turbine' signs that have been put up along the highways and biways in the former Manvers Township in the past few weeks, and wondered why they are there.

Manvers Township, which includes Pontypool and Bethany, is in a proposed industrial wind turbine study area. As local residents who will be affected greatly if the turbines are erected, we have a number of issues relating to having up to 30 turbines, proposed in this first study, with a possible height well over 400 ft, and with rotating blades that span 260 ft.

Turbines farms in other areas have been related to health issues that include headaches, insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations, difficulty concentrating and are connected to epileptic seizures. The turbines may well be erected in close proximity to Grandview and Rolling Hills Public Schools, which includes a daycare.

The Green Energy Act allows the turbines to be placed as close as 550 meters from the base to the center of receptors, which are homes and schools. I believe it is imperative that the provincial government perform a full health study, including effects on children, before allowing the erection of the turbines, and increase the setback to at least 1.5 kms and preferably two kms, a distance that is generally agreed to prevent negative health issues.

Other issues include the disruption to the environmentally protected land of the Oak Ridges Moraine. This disruption includes not only the area required to put up the turbines, but the roadways and transmission corridors that must be built, on land that the residents themselves cannot develop.

We do not have fire fighting equipment to combat any fires that may occur in the generators at the hub, since the turbines are as tall as a 40 story building.

There will be a negative economic impact to properties in close proximity to turbines. The shadow flicker and the noise of the turbines will deter potential buyers.

While the lure of free and green energy lulls most people into believing that wind turbines are the energy answer, they may not be aware that the turbine companies receive a feed in tariff that is more than 2.5 times the amount we pay per kilowatt hour. If the wind isn't blowing, we still need to rely on nuclear, gas and hydro-electric power generation, since electricity can't be stored.

Industrial wind turbines will affect more and more rural areas, since the province has proposed 7,000 turbines to be erected in southern Ontario. We need to increase the distance of turbines from our homes for our health and wealth.

Nancy Lichacz Pontypool

TURBINE CONCERNS - The Lindsay Post - Ontario, CA.

Wind turbines is not as efficient as lobbyists would like the public to believe

2009-11-15T06:37:00.002-05:00

Editor:

The article in the Thursday, Oct. 27 edition of The Daily Observer, 'Energy solution blowing in the wind,' is an example of alternative energy propaganda funded by wind farm companies and promoted by environmental lobby groups.

Mr. Berton has nothing but praise for Spain and its supposedly 13 per cent production figure, but what he doesn't tell you is that although the wind is free, the means to produce power from it is twice as expensive as conventional power plants. Furthermore, Spain is now realizing how inefficient wind power is.

England is on the brink of a blackout in about seven years because of its commitment to wind power. The British have spent billions of pounds installing 2,000 wind turbines that barely produce one per cent of the power needed.

They signed on to Kyoto and are legally obligated to produce 32 per cent of their power from alternative energy sources by 2010. Let's do the math: If 2,000 wind turbines barely produce one per cent of need, then 32 times 2,000 means it would take 64,000 turbines to meet the target. Each turbine needs about four acres, four times 64,000 amounts to 256,000 acres and England would be hard-pressed to find room for 10,000 turbines. Prime Minister Brown and his group of
environmental dreamers are in fantasy land.

They are proposing to close their coal and oil-fired power plants and eight of their nine nuclear plants are so old that they will be forced to shut down, amounting to approximately 65 per cent of their power production.

The government is now reluctantly proposing to build a new generation of nuclear power plants, but it has waited too long and will not have them in place before the county runs out of power. Britain sold its world class nuclear construction company, Westinghouse, to the Japanese for a fire sale price.

Germany has installed more than 3,000 wind turbines and are in the process of building 40 more clean coal-fired plants, because they now realize how inefficient and expensive wind power is.

In Ontario, Mr. McGuinty and his group of socialist comrades are travelling down the same road, and if not stopped, WE will be looking at power shortfalls in 10 years. I suggest rather than wasting our tax dollars on wind power, we should be refurbishing or building new nuclear power plants and also clean coal power plants.

The notion that wind power can replace conventional and nuclear power production is ridiculous and just a means for extracting our tax dollars from naive political leaders by the use of alarmism.

The sad reality is there is a lot of money behind wind power promoted by environmental lobby groups, and I would love to follow that paper trail to see who is getting it.

Mack Thrasher,

Laurentian Valley

The reality of wind turbines is not as efficient as lobbyists would like the public to believe - The Daily Observer - Ontario, CA.

North Durham: Drain or gain to Region?

2009-11-14T05:47:00.001-05:00

At least that's what some Region officials are saying about the development woes faced by north Durham municipalities.

And although growth is stunted in the upper reaches of Durham, that doesn't mean those municipalities are a financial drain on the Region as a whole, they said.

Uxbridge and Brock in particular currently face development woes due to sewage capacity on top of Greenbelt, Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Simcoe Protection Act legislation. In a nutshell, Uxbridge is growing inwards, not outwards, beyond its current urban boundaries.

But Regional Chairman Roger Anderson was careful not to pin blame on the north for any fiscal challenges faced by Durham.

"A lack of residential development across the board in Durham will have an impact on the Region across the board," said the chairman.

And while there are noticeably less commercial and industrial operations in north Durham, the three upper municipalities have made gains in those sectors in recent years, with Region initiatives to further improve that situation, Mr. Anderson pointed out.

"Broadband is a big help to land business in the north," he said.

The biggest challenge, he said, is Greenbelt legislation he called "really restrictive.

"Unless the (Province) makes it more flexible, some across the GTA are going to find themselves in a predicament," said Mr. Anderson.

He added the Region will take an active part in the discussion when the Greenbelt rules are reviewed in 2014.

Uxbridge Mayor Bob Shepherd said while development is stunted, building alone is not the final answer to handle future costs.

"Growth is a short-term solution ... growth does not pay for growth," said Mayor Shepherd.

He said legislation such as the Oak Ridges Moraine Act "has created a whole new class of municipalities that cannot be supported under the old model ... we've got to find a new (solution)."

Mayor Shepherd said Uxbridge is getting a fair shake in Region services from the tax dollars it sends to Durham, and he hears no complaints from south mayors about their northern neighbours not pulling their weight financially. "We get more back from the Region than you think," said the mayor, pointing out policing, transit, water, major roads, garbage collection and social welfare are all upper-tier responsibilities.

But he noted Durham Transit, which Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock pay a share of, could have been put on hold for the north as the service is limited compared to the south.

"I would have voted to exclude the three north municipalities in the first term," said Mayor Shepherd.

Mr. Anderson pointed out a lack of growth could actually have advantages.

"A lot of people like small municipalities with a rural feel," said the chairman. Also, "there's enough land in Uxbridge for some big companies to come in ... I don't think the (company) president would mind living on a 100-acre lot with a nice house."

newsdurhamregion.com | North Durham: Drain or gain to Region?.

Premier's green energy plan is faulty

2009-11-13T05:10:00.002-05:00

This is in regard to the 'Green Energy Bandwagon' and the media's comments that go something like, "It's not as if wind power is controversial."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. More than 4,000 (some say as high as 7,000) of these massive, noisy, 250-foot high industrial behemoths are being erected in the backyards of people living in developed communities throughout south central Ontario, for no practical reason whatsoever.

A cost-recovery-benefit calculation of Dalton's Green Energy brain cramp shows his part-time industrial wind power plan is only beneficial to, and lucrative for wind turbine promoters and builders. They receive 14 to 19 cents for every kilowatt per hour they deliver to the grid - five times the current Ontario Power Generation purchase cost. Solar promoters receive 80 cents per kw/h, over 20 times OPG's current purchase cost. They also receive "incentive subsidies" covering new construction.

Industrial wind turbines and their infrastructure costs are extremely high while at the same time, totally inefficient. Each turbine costs over $5 million. Their huge concrete bases, new access roadways, new transmission lines, cabling etc., and equipment costs to clean the dirty electricity they produce are another $2 million each. All this, yet they will only generate power, on average, two part days a week, due to a lack of wind.

Why jack our electricity bills by billions of dollars for a measly 15 to 20 per cent power yield? Why destroy miles of beautiful Ontario countryside, and depreciate thousands of private properties for something that is not reliable, not cost-effective, or needed? It is reported that OPG is purposely bypassing low-cost hydro dam generators in order to create a false "need".

Dalton's government is being taken to court by citizens groups over his inadequate set-back rule of only 550 metres, the shortest set-back distance in the western world. Elsewhere the minimum set-back is 1,500 to 2,000 metres from a dwelling. Dalton's projected wind turbine build costs to periodically produce just 6,000 megawatts of unreliable, intermittent power is almost double the cost of one small nuclear power plant, which is capable of delivering clean electricity all day, every day of the year, something wind turbines can never do.

Citizens groups also oppose Dalton's Dynamos because, for some unknown reason, his plan targets smaller communities, not cities where electricity demand and waste is the highest. To add to this abuse, industrial turbine noise equates to living near Hwy. 401, causing property values to sink. As well, conservation efforts, habitat protection efforts, the Oak Ridges Moraine protection policies and a host of other issues have all been tossed under the bus.

We need to urge Premier McGuinty to re-visit his flawed wind plan, and prioritize building at least 800 of his industrial turbines (20 per cent) along the GTA's lakeshore, in Toronto/Hamilton parks, public spaces and malls, on the islands, along hydro transmission lines, rail corridors, and at the Pickering Nuclear and Lakeview Generation sites.

We need to generate power where the demand originates, and minimize the destruction of south central Ontario's unique, world-class countryside.
Al Matthews is a Grafton resident.

By Al Matthews

Link: northumberlandnews.com / indynews.ca | Premier's green energy plan is faulty.

Greenbelt expansion

2009-11-10T03:53:00.001-05:00

A ratepayers’ group is looking for local landowners and politicians to weigh in on expanding the Greenbelt.

The Mono Mulmur Citizens’ Coalition (MC2) is hosting a meeting Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mono Community Centre, to discuss the impacts of expanding the province’s Greenbelt to include most of Mulmur, Mono and Simcoe County.

“When the province put in the original Greenbelt in 2005, they dictated that there will be a Greenbelt and everyone will align their Official Plans to it,” explained MC2 representative Harvey Kolodny. “They’ve put out criteria for expanding the Greenbelt. One of the purposes of this meeting is to explain the criteria.”

The meeting is also aimed at finding “what the position of people in the local municipalities is about it” and to educate MC2 members, he added.

Somewhere between 40 and 60 per cent of Mono is already in the Greenbelt, which includes the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine areas, and 25 to 30 per cent of Mulmur. The Greenbelt Alliance has proposed expanding the protected areas in these communities to include all of Mulmur, about 90 per cent of Mono and all of Simcoe County.

Provincial officials, municipal staffers and politicians have all been invited to foster a discussion about “what’s good about this and what’s bad about it,” said Kolodny.

“This (discussion) is going to go on for years and years, so we want to get it on the table.”

The Orangeville Banner: Providing Local Community News for Orangeville, Ontario 24/7

York region - Sheppard's Bush trails to be reworked

2009-11-04T04:30:00.001-05:00

Aurora
November 03, 2009 02:56 PM

Sean Pearce
It has taken a few years to get it right, but Sheppard’s Bush Conservation Area now has a management plan.

Over the course of the next five years a number of new initiatives will be undertaken at Sheppard’s Bush as dictated by the freshly adopted plan. Some redundant and non-sanctioned trails on the 65-acre property will be closed and also filled in with trees to enhance the natural beauty and cut down on the amount of maintenance required.

A series of upgrades are planned for the Sheppard House and other on-site structures over the course of the five years that will improve efficiencies and enhance programming options.

Aurora town staff, the Aurora Lions Club, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition, the Windfall Ecology Centre, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Ontario Heritage Trust all had a hand in creating the new management plan. The latter two groups had already vetted the document and Aurora council’s endorsement of it last week paves the way to put it into action.

“As a community, we are extremely fortunate to have access to Sheppard’s Bush, a vital environmental, recreational, social and economic feature,” management plan steering committee chairperson Councillor Evelina MacEachern said.

“The elimination of some of those redundant trails will help to enhance the natural environment and then there will be tree planting there instead. Some of those trails in there just aren’t necessary anymore.”

Some trails were built to help with the collection of maple sap, which hasn’t occurred for years, she added.

The upgrades and retrofits at the Sheppard House, which is occupied by the Windfall and the STORM groups, are meant to improve the building’s energy efficiency while respecting its historical importance, Ms MacEachern said.

The late Reginald Sheppard who donated the entire property to the province of Ontario back in 1971.

The new plan effectively serves as a redevelopment of the first management plan, drafted in 1979. Overall, the cost to the town as a result of the new plan will be minimal. The town annually provides $7,000 worth of services in-kind at the site, as staff picks up garbage, lays down wood chips and performs other work. Work mandated by the new plan will cost an additional $3,500 per year, on average, over the course of the five-year agreement.

When one adds up the benefits, it’s a very small price to pay, Ms MacEachern said.

“The value of what we get in our community from the Sheppard’s Bush is priceless,” she said. “You couldn’t buy it.”

York region - Sheppard.s Bush trails to be reworked.

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Workshop On Local Species At Risk

2009-10-28T14:28:00.001-04:00

Did you know that we have 190 species listed as 'at risk' in Ontario? The Oak Ridges Moraine across Northumberland County is home to many of these species including the red-headed woodpecker, eastern hog-nosed snake, whip-poor-will and butternut tree. Even once common species, like the snapping turtle, have recently been added to the list.

Species at risk are a growing concern for us here in Ontario and across Canada. Since the new Endangered Species Act was implemented in 2008, there have been some important changes in what is being done to help protect them. This Act has made Ontario a "North American leader in the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats", according to the Ministry of Natural Resources website.

The Caring for the Moraine Project partnership in the Rice Lake Plains is hosting a workshop to provide more information on local species at risk. We will take a closer look at what the label 'at risk' really means for a species. The new Endangered Species Act will be briefly explained and how it is working to protect our species at risk, by local MNR Species at Risk Biologist Melissa Laplante. We will also look at what species are in peril locally and what you can do to help protect them. Kristina Hubert with the Nature Conservancy of Canada is currently working on projects involving species at risk and will discuss the local species she is targeting. Kristina's work is supported by funding from the MNR Species at Risk Stewardship Fund.

This will be a fun and informative workshop with prizes available throughout the evening.

This FREE workshop is happening on Wednesday, November 4th, 6:30 pm at the Alderville Black Oak Savanna Ecology Centre, 8467 County Rd 18 (west off highway 45, 25 min north of Cobourg). Registration is appreciated for planning purposes but is not required. Please contact Ashley Wilson at ricelakeplains@ltc.on.ca or phone (613) 394-3915 x 225.

The Caring for the Moraine Project in the Rice Lake Plains Area is made available through a partnership of organizations including Alderville First Nation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Conservation, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Northumberland County, Northumberland Land Trust, Northumberland Stewardship Council, Ontario Parks and Tallgrass Ontario. Funding for this program is provided by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation as well as the partners listed above. The Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation was founded in 2002 to help protect, preserve and restore the Oak Ridges Moraine, a prominent geological formation stretching 160 km across Southern Ontario and key in protecting our water resources. Please visit www.moraineforlife.org for more info.

Updated 10.26.09 Written by Lower Trent Conservation Authority

Related links:
www.ltc.on.ca
www.moraineforlife.org

NorthumberlandView.ca - A View Like No Other - Workshop On Local Species At Risk.

Seaton development will be anything but a sustainable community

2009-10-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

To the editor:

Don't be fooled by the provincial central development plan for Seaton in Pickering. The provincial government is giving away huge amounts of provincially owned land to developers in Pickering. They say it's to save the Oak Ridges Moraine. Don't be fooled by the spin doctors. Seaton land is more environmentally sensitive that any land in the greenbelt area.

The Province conducted a non-comprehensive "class" Environmental Assessment that did not fully examine the effects of urban development on the 111 wetlands, 38 species of fish, three cold-water streams, Duffin creek, 38-per cent woodlots, wildlife habitat and three aquifers in Seaton.

The Province's resulting Central Pickering Development Plan will fragment Seaton into 13 neighbourhoods surrounded by natural corridors. But 42 roads, bridges and utilities will cross the natural corridors to connect those neighbourhoods.

Dr. Ken Howard, a hydro-geologist in a review of the provincial plan, says the provincial plan ignores the complex hydro-geological systems, the sensitive aquifers and the potential long-term impacts of urbanization on the quantity and quality of water in local wells and river systems. From a hydro-geological standpoint, the provincial plan as it currently exists, is unacceptable.

A full individual environmental assessment would have included a complete sub-watershed study and the validity of the provincial plan for Seaton. The City of Pickering has not demanded a complete sub-watershed study. The City of Pickering does not have any development sustainability laws to this day.

Dalai Lama once said people know how to solve problems like hunger and environmental degradation but they don't act. Therefore the biggest challenge of our time is making bystanders take action.

Is our natural environment not worth our best effort?

David Steele

Pickering

Link: newsdurhamregion

Opposition to wind turbines starting to grow

2009-10-20T09:50:00.000-04:00

Opposition to wind turbines starting to grow
GREEN ENERGY: Health effects, noise, costs are concerns
By CONNIE WOODCOCK

There's a farmer in Northumberland County, east of Oshawa, who wants to build a house for his daughter on his farm, but he can't because he's on the heavily protected Oak Ridges Moraine.

But it's OK to lease his land to a company that will put up multiple wind turbines and turn his property into a wind farm. And they'll pay him five figures a year to do it.

That's just one of many contradictions emerging as wind project proposals multiply like rabbits across Ontario -- hundreds, totalling more than 3,000 turbines and counting, several of them on the moraine. (Only 10 major sites are running so far.)

Here's another: In the same week that Premier Dalton McGuinty rolled out his green energy strategy, one group of Northumberland residents jammed a hall to protest the moraine wind farm while another celebrated the arrival of a new factory -- to build wind turbines.

And all over Ontario, wherever similar events are taking place, lots of people who consider themselves green energy fans are beginning to have doubts.

Every time there's a public meeting to discuss a project, crowds gather with questions: How far should they be from homes? Are there health effects? Do they produce enough energy? How much noise should they be allowed to create? And what happens if they're not sustainable? Do we have rusting hulks dotting the landscape? (The recent unveiling of a solar energy project the size of nine Rogers Centres near Napanee to provide electricity for a mere 1,000 households did nothing to ease fears.)

Central Ontario is one of several prime targets. Others include Lake Erie and the Owen Sound area. At one public meeting in my area, 150 people turned out in a village with a population of half that. In Prince Edward County, another attracted more than 300. And in the City of Kawartha Lakes, a crowd of 500 got so worked up fist fights broke out.

"It looked," says one observer, "like the wild west."

And at every meeting, people already coping with wind turbines point out the problems: Nobody really knows about health problems or what proper setbacks should be. And it seems to take a whole herd of them to produce a significant amount of energy.

But McGuinty has made it clear there'll be few obstacles in the paths of the companies rushing to install them. No NIMBYism allowed, he's said. A London Free Press report recently revealed 31 projects in the last four years have gone ahead with no provincial environmental assessment.

Funny thing, but the more environmental activists I meet, the more doubts I hear. These are people who originally saw wind turbines as the answer to everything -- free, clean and everywhere. As one woman told me, much as she loves green energy, "those structures are completely inappropriate" on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Substitute Lake Erie, Georgian Bay or Lake Ontario for the moraine and you've got the views of many others.

Gwyer Moore, of Grafton, east of Cobourg, knew nothing about turbines until Energy Farming Ontario decided to put some near him. He knows you can't stop these projects, but he hopes to talk neighbours out of hosting them and convince the province it should rethink some of its regulations. So he helped form a protest group, one of the 33 in Ontario so far.

Conservative MPP Bill Murdoch of Owen Sound, where towers are proliferating, will ask the province to declare a moratorium until the potential health problems are investigated. But don't count on it actually happening. A spokesman for Energy Minister George Smitherman has already said green energy is too big a part of the green energy strategy.

I still remember my first glimpse of a wind farm nearly a decade ago. The towers seemed massive, otherworldly, majestic --and a hope for the future.

Now? In Dalton McGuinty's Ontario, all I expect is a bigger hydro bill.

Opposition to wind turbines starting to grow - The Sudbury Star - Ontario, CA.

Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority New Web Page

2009-10-19T08:41:00.001-04:00

The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority has announce that their newly developed website is now live and would like to welcome the public to view it.

You will find it here... http://www.grca.on.ca/

The new website also provides information about the Ganaraska Forest Centre (GFC), the Authority's new outdoor education centre located on Cold Springs Camp Road north of County Road 9. The Centre is also home to the Oak Ridges Moraine Information Centre, serving as a connection point and local information hub for the residents and municipalities of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Don’t let Markham become ‘upscale Scarborough’

2009-10-14T05:38:00.001-04:00

Markham

October 13, 2009 03:02 PM

Keely Grasser

Markham should not expand its urban boundary for five to 10 years, according to the Friends of the Rouge Watershed.

The group, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the local watershed system, appealed for slower growth in Markham, where council is currently reviewing the Region of York’s official plan, a document that will shape how this area will grow in the next several decades.

The plan works around a forecast that has Markham’s population at more than 423,000 by 2031.

“Can you imagine the traffic, can you imagine the congestion?” Jim Robb, general manager of the watershed group, asked council at a Tuesday general committee meeting, adding that it will create a voter revolt.

He also raised concerns about environmental impacts of further growth.

Mr. Robb suggested, aside from the moratorium on urban sprawl, that three quarters of whitebelt lands — which will eventually be considered for development — be designated as greenbelt, thus making them untouchable. The town should also reduce its 25-year population growth target from 50 per cent to 25 per and increase intensification to 50 per cent.

He also asked council to support Rouge Park becoming a national park.

The group also suggests the town create strategies for foodland protection, subwatersheds, natural heritage, First Nations and pioneer heritage and infrastructure financing and susceptibility before making any decisions on expanding the urban boundary.

Mr. Robb equated the proposed growth as building a house of cards. If everything works out perfectly, he said, it may work. But he added that things often don’t work as planned.

“Markham should not become an upscale Scarborough,” he said, adding that is what the town will become if it expands.

These comments came as general committee discussed how to comment on the region’s draft plan, which it hopes to pass by year’s end.

The committee eventually decided to delay giving the region its comments, until it can hold a workshop and go through the plan piece by piece.

“This is the most important issue facing this town for the next 30 years,” said Councillor Erin Shapero, who added, “I just feel we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t look at this in the detail it deserves.”

“This is not something that is philosophical ... This is our road map for next 20 or 30 years,” Regional Councillor Joe Virgilio said.

Regional Councillor Gordon Landon said the town is under a lot of pressure to get its comments to the region.

Valerie Shuttleworth, the town’s director of planning and urban design, said there is urgency.

The region was looking for comments by the end of September, she explained.

She said she will advise regional staff that Markham is still working on it.

Ms Shapero said that if the largest municipality in York Region is not ready to go ahead with the proposed official plan, maybe the region should take a step back.

She has a feeling the region is trying to pass the plan before next year’s municipal elections, she said, adding she doesn’t want to feel rushed.

Mr. Virgilio said he understood, from a regional workshop, that if the urban boundary isn’t increased, there may be difficulty paying for infrastructure already in place.

“If that’s the driver, we need to know,” he said.

The urban expansion issue isn’t likely to be in the original official plan, said Mr. Landon. Instead, he said, it will likely be addressed in a future plan amendment.

Mr. Virgilio asked about how the public is being consulted.

Mr. Landon said information meetings held on the proposed plan weren’t well-attended.

He suggested going out to the public and showing what their communities will look like after intensification.

“That’s when you’re going to start getting the reaction of the public,” he said, adding that the town has to get the message out or it will face push back on every development application that comes through.

York Region has been working on the official plan since 2005. It takes into account a number of new acts that have changed how planning is done in Southern Ontario, including the Oak Ridges Moraine, Greenbelt, Clean Water and Places to Grow acts and Metrolinx.

Official plans affect many facets of communities, including development, economics, infrastructure and the environment.

Backyard Naturalization Workshop & Project Tour

2009-10-11T04:53:00.003-04:00

Backyard Naturalization Workshop & Project Tour

Interested in learning more about Backyard Naturalization and the Rice Lake Plains?

On October 24th, the Caring for the Moraine Project is hosting a FREE educational family fun day to thank local landowners. This event is dedicated to those landowners that are helping to conserve the natural features of the Oak Ridges Moraine in the Rice Lake Plains area. Learn more about the Oak Ridges Moraine, backyard naturalization and how to get involved in stewardship in your community. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The Caring for the Moraine Project is now in its third year in the Rice Lake Plains and has worked with many landowners to help them learn more about stewardship opportunities in the area. This program makes stewardship a one-stop-shop by bringing together various conservation groups, governmental and other agencies offering stewardship services.

"So many people are interested in learning more about their property and what they can do to be a good steward. The Caring Project actively gets people involved by providing them with the resources they need, instead of the landowner having to figure out who to contact," says Ashley Wilson, Landowner Contact Specialist with the Caring for the Moraine Project.

"This family fun day is a way to say thanks to those that have participated in the program so far, while also getting new people out to learn more about their local environment."

Roseneath, Centreton, Grafton & Baltimore area landowners are invited to a Backyard Naturalization Workshop and Project Tour, Saturday, October 24th, at Fenella Hall, 8071 Highway 45, just 20 minutes north of Cobourg.

Guests are invited to attend all day, but can register to attend only morning or afternoon sessions. The morning portion of the event is a backyard naturalization design workshop running along side a kid's project session where they will make backyard projects to take home. A FREE lunch will begin at 12 pm, followed by a presentation by Monitoring the Moraine and a project bus tour of landowners in action. Please reserve your spot by emailing Ashley Wilson at ricelakeplains@ltc.on.ca or phone (613) 394-3915 x 225.

The Caring for the Moraine Project in the Rice Lake Plains Area is made available through a partnership of organizations including Alderville First Nation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Conservation, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Northumberland County, Northumberland Land Trust, Northumberland Stewardship Council, Ontario Parks and Tallgrass Ontario. Funding for this program is provided by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation as well as the partners listed above. The Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation was founded in 2002 to help protect, preserve and restore the Oak Ridges Moraine, a prominent geological formation stretching 160 km across Southern Ontario and key in protecting our water resources. Please visit www.moraineforlife.org for more info.

For further information please contact:

Ashley Wilson - Landowner Contact Specialist, Caring for the Moraine Project: Rice Lake Plains Project
Area
c/o Lower Trent Conservation, 714 Murray St., Trenton ON, K8V 5P4
Telephone: 613-394-3915 ext 225
Email: ricelakeplains@ltc.on.ca
Fax: 613-392-5226

Marilyn Bucholtz - Communication Coordinator
Lower Trent Conservation, 714 Murray St., Trenton ON, K8V 5P4
Telephone: 613-394-3915 ext 216
Email: marilyn.bucholtz@ltc.on.ca
Fax: 613-392-5226

This program has been made possible by the Caring for the Moraine Project: Rice Lake Plains Project Area partners and with funding from the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

Updated 10.09.09 Written by Lower Trent Conservation Authority

Related links:
www.ltc.on.ca

NorthumberlandView.ca - A View Like No Other - Backyard Naturalization Workshop & Project Tour.

Happy Valley Forest grows by 72 acres

2009-06-25T08:16:00.002-04:00

Happy Valley Forest is 72 acres larger today thanks to a donation from a private landowner.

Dr. Henry Barnett's gift helped grow the King forest to more than 200 acres.

"Species need a large area of undisturbed forest to survive," Dr. Barnett said, while his wooden walking stick sat against the podium.

The preservation of this forest began when 20 acres of the Mary Tasker property was donated to Nature Conservancy Canada and it has snowballed into more than 200 acres of protected land. The Happy Valley Forest is considered a special area that could achieve old-growth status in the next 50 years.

Representatives of Environment Canada, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, York Region, Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, the federal government and the Nature Conservancy of Canada gathered at the entrance of Happy Valley Forest at the end of the 7th Concession Tuesday to celebrate the partnerships that have been formed, resulting in the preservation of the Oak Ridges Moraine's most mature, diverse and extensive upland hardwood forest complexes.

The forest is home to more than 200 species of plants, 110 birds, 21 mammals and 19 reptile and amphibian species.

Two years ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the forest to announce a $225-million investment through the Natural Areas Conservation Program to help non-profit organizations secure ecologically sensitive lands to preserve diverse ecosystems, wildlife and habitat.

As of last March, 336 properties have been acquired and the habitats for 74 at-risk species have been protected.

Newmarket-Aurora MP Lois Brown spoke on behalf of Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

"Eight kids in my family tramped these hills in our childhood," she said as a woodpecker tapped loudly in the trees above. "The great outdoors is where we live, where we work and where we play, but most importantly, it is how we forge our identity as Canadians."

As development continues to boom in York Region, only through these programs can forests be protected and preserved, said Dr. Ron Tasker, whose property begins where Dr. Barnett's ends.

"Just look at it - it's a beautiful thing," he said. "We want the younger generation to be able to experience what we have."

For more information, visit www.natureconservancy.ca/ontario

York region - Happy Valley Forest grows by 72 acres.

Gates to swing open

2009-06-25T08:09:00.004-04:00

BLACKSTOCK -- After years of striving to keep the public out, Kawartha Conservation officials will swing open the gates to the north Durham's newest conservation area, East Cross Forest.

A special ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 25, to mark the long-awaited opening of the Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area, located in the southeast corner of Scugog, just north of Clarington.

The opening "marks a significant environmental accomplishment," say Kawartha Conservation officials in a press release touting the agency's efforts to secure and rehabilitate the 1,134-acre parcel of land.

East Cross Forest had been closed to the public for a couple of years as Kawartha Conservation officials worked to turn the swath of land into a conservation area.

The official opening will run from 2 to 4 p.m., with a gate-unlocking ceremony, speeches and remarks, a guided hike, reception and refreshments.

Expected to be on hand are Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, Jim McMillen, Scugog's regional councillor and also chairman of Kawartha Conservation, and Kim Gavine, executive director of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

Members of the public interested in attending are asked to contact Cindy Haney at chaney@kawarthaconservation.com or call 705-328-2271, ext. 210.

The Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area entrance is on Devitts Road, east of the Cartwright East Quarter Line and west of the Scugog-Manvers Townline.

newsdurhamregion.com | Gates to swing open to Scugog's East Cross Forest Conservation Area.

Effects of climate change in forest examined

2009-05-17T07:12:00.001-04:00

A climate study on changes to the insects, trees and birds in the Ganaraska Forest is underway with a quarter-million dollar project from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Graduate student Ben Walters is moving to Campbellcroft from Port Hope to be closer to the three-year project in the northern reaches of the Municipality of Port Hope. It involves another Trent graduate, nine technicians and research assistants and two Trent professors working with study leader and biology professor, Dr. Erica Nol.

The findings here will be transferable to other areas along the Oak Ridges Moraine in Southern Ontario the county-owned Northumberland Forest, Nol said as rain soaked the Ganaraska Forest behind her. Some of the information will be pertinent to managing forests, she noted.

Northumberland County is in the midst of creating a new master plan for its own which is a plantation forest on either side of County Road 45 north of Baltimore.

The university-based study began with cores of snow being taken this past winter with an auger-like device to determine the amount which fell and remained, as well as when rain came instead of snow, running off the lands without being absorbed. During the past 20 years less snow has fallen and the study is to determine if this has impacted the forest trees, the insects that inhabit them and the birds that feed on the insect, she explained.

"The hypothesis is that the fewer insects, the fewer birds," she said simplifying one of the study's themes.

The study will look at the changes in precipitation on sandy soils, gravelly ones and loam used primarily for agricultural purposes.

The team is searching for these within the Ganaraska Forest north of County Road 9 and in nearby private forest lands.

An expensive probe will be used to check soil moisture at 90 sites this summer and this work will be overseen by hydrologist, Dr. James Buttle of Trent's geography department working with Dr. Shawun Watmough, a soil expert, world-recognized in the effects of acid rain on soil, Nol said.

Another hypothesis being tested is where there has been a depletion of accessible calcium for bird eggs because metals falling as acid bond with the calcium in the ground making it inaccessible to the birds.

Both the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources are supporters of the study.

"Our ultimate objective is to construct a predictive model that will allow us to identify the most productive forest types and slope positions for long-term persistence of the avian community and forest sustainability," Nol states in a media release.

A major part of reaching those findings involves researchers looking into the bird population in the forest and what changes are taking place.

Coincidentally, during the visit to the Ganaraska Forest for the interview, a mocking bird was sighted. The black and white bird with its unusually long tail is normally not found this far north, Nol and Walters agreed.

"The forest cleans the water for Port Hope," Nol said of another aspect of the study. It will look how reduced snow cover affects this and involves evaluating stream flows southward from the forest to the municipality.

"It's (a) fairly complicated (study)" and findings will be published during the three years it is underway, culminating in a model that can be used in other Southern Ontario forests, she concluded.

The Ganaraska Forest is the single largest tract of forest cover in the settled area of southern Ontario and contains more avian biodiversity.

Effects of climate change in forest examined - Northumberland Today - Ontario, CA.

No new laws for moraine

2009-05-07T04:22:00.001-04:00

After a two-year review, Ontario has rejected a call for new legislation to protect underground water supplies.

"I think it validates what we've been doing," Waterloo Regional Chair Ken Seiling said. "We're on the right path and we're doing the right things."

Local environmentalist David Wellhauser is disappointed with the province's conclusions.

"They incorrectly identified that the existing acts will protect the Waterloo moraine," he said. "They didn't look at any new information. They didn't look at any site-specific information. These are all major shortfalls of the report."

The Ministry of the Environment launched its review in 2007, after Wellhauser complained that local drinking water is not protected from planned urban growth.

The review generated three reports costing taxpayers $84,600 in consulting fees, plus undetermined ministry costs.

"We found that the current provincial policies that we have in place are adequate for the protection of the moraine," said Ann Marie Weselan, a bureaucrat who helps manage water policy for the province.

The province looked at the Waterloo, Paris and Galt moraines, which supply drinking water from beneath the ground. The review, just released, concludes that:

Water supplies are adequately protected by eight provincial laws and local government efforts.

There's no need for special legislation similar to legislation that protects the Oak Ridges moraine, north of Toronto.

Water quality is threatened in places by road salt and agricultural fertilizers, but strategies are in place to reduce impacts.

Reports are online under the water section of the Ministry of the Environment website.

The ministry says it will work with communities and other partners to develop new materials to help guide water policies.

TheRecord.com - Local - No new laws for moraine.

New forest centre

2009-01-24T04:03:00.001-05:00

The new Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) Forest Centre is nearing the end of the first phase of construction.

In a few weeks, Peak Construction -- which also constructed the new Northumberland County headquarters -- will turn over the Cold Springs Camp Road building to the GRCA and its staff. While the essentials of the building are completed, there is still a lot to do before the official opening in September.

Completed under the watchful eye of its designer, architect Ted Wilson with Aecom (formerly Totten Sims Hubicki), the building has been built to withstand the rigours of the many thousands of students who will make overnight stays during the centre's many years of service.

Fundraising for the $4-million project is still about $500,000 shy. Additional funding is being sought to help mount public teaching displays.

The forest centre started out as a boys' correctional facility in the 1950s. Then it became a Junior Ranger camp. In 1976 it became an outdoor centre and in '78 an outdoor education centre. Over the years, thousands of schoolchildren have been introduced to the Ganaraska Forest and its magic.

The 19,000-square-foot expansion will allow for a 50% increase in the number of children visiting at any one time.

As well, due to a major financial boost from the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, there will be an information centre in the building open five days a week, operating alongside the Forest Centre facilities.

The information centre will explain to the public the characteristics of the eastern end of the moraine.

When the Forest Centre is not filled with schoolchildren, it will be open for corporate training sessions and other groups, including weddings. The great hall has facilities to serve meals to upwards of 200 people. It has basic sleeping facilities for 80 persons, with a division for male and female students.

GRCA chief administrative officer Linda Laliberte says it is hoped the seclusion and beauty of the forest environment and the impressive centre will establish the facility as a desirable destination and, consequently, as a good source of money that will help the conservation authority refocus some of the funds it relies on from the supporting municipalities to increased programming.

New forest centre design brings the outdoors inside - Northumberland Today - Ontario, CA.

York region - Family donates 2 parcels of land to ORM Trust

2008-10-27T16:06:00.001-04:00

York Region’s Groombridge family has donated two 50-acre land parcels to The Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust to protect the area from development.

The donation of the conservation easements, located north of the Oak Ridges Moraine in the Township of King, was made possible through a long-standing partnership agreement between the region and the trust to protect environmentally significant properties on, or near, the Oak Ridges Moraine from development in perpetuity.

The land was donated by the families of Doug Groombridge and Earl and Margaret Groombridge.

The properties contain a portion of the provincially significant Hall Lake/Kennifick wetland complex.

They contain a diverse, regenerating and mature mixed forest with sugar maple, white ash, American beech, red oak, American elm, paper birch, black cherry and ironwood mixed with white pine, eastern hemlock and white cedar trees.

York Region teams with the trust to protect 100 acres bordering Oak Ridges Moraine.

York region - Family donates 2 parcels of land to ORM Trust.

Dirt road

2008-10-25T06:36:00.007-04:00

East of Claremount and north of 7th concession.

Developer anxious: ‘Can I build’ on moraine?

2008-09-13T09:36:00.004-04:00

By: Amanda Persico
The contentious trial to determine the fate of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Newmarket has come to an end.

The Ontario Municipal Board is now charged with the task of weighing the protection of the ecologically sensitive moraine versus the right of property owners Mademont Investment Ltd. to build on the land.

“The real question is, are we allowed to build here or not,” said Chris Barnett, counsellor for Mademont.

“It’s either yes or no.”

Weeks of testimony and resident concerns spanned more than 15 days and OMB members are charged with the task of filing through all the paperwork.

The land in question, which was incorporated into the official town plan in 1996, involves 25.6 hectares of forests, bogs and creeks on the east side of Bathurst Street, south of Mulock Drive.

In 2001, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act was introduced to protect the landscape.

But the same act allowing possible development encourages adjacent municipalities, such as Newmarket, to seek a higher level of protection for the area.

The town, which unanimously turned down the proposal to build 488 townhomes, redefined its official plan and sought a higher level of protection for the area, which was approved by the province.

Mademont, however, brought in a series of witnesses who testified development of homes on the lands falls within requirements of the act.

“We were given authority by the province and the region to be more restrictive,” town assistant solicitor Esther Armchuk-Ball argued.

Mademont hammered on the fact the wording of the province’s act has loopholes allowing for some development as long as it meets strict environmental guidelines.

During the hearing, for example, Mademont introduced witnesses who spoke on the existing water system and eco-system on the disputed land.

Development would be within the scope of the act as long as water mitigation processes are put in place, such as a reservoir plan to bring water back into the Oak Ridges Moraine system.

Meanwhile, the town argued there was no justification for development.

“Where is the public benefit?” Mrs. Armchuk-Ball said. “We didn’t see any justification for it.”

The town argued on the basis the lands in question are vital to the entire moraine water system, with its unique landforms and animal habitats.

Mademont and the town brought in hydrologists and environmental consultants to argue there wouldn’t be adverse effects as a result of developing on this portion of the moraine.

At the end of the day, the OMB has the authority to amend Newmarket’s official plan and allow for development.

“If development was allowed, it would be a real low blow,” Mrs. Esther Armchuk-Ball said.

“How can the province give authority, then turn it over?”

A decision isn’t expected until winter.

Couple donates easement for Oak Ridges Moraine

2008-07-13T09:44:00.001-04:00

When David and Janet Fayle give out gifts, they do it right.

Their most recent gift includes 25 acres of outdoor trails, streams and a private golf course. The gift is a conservation easement donated to the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust and will benefit generations of people to come.

The Fayles live in Adjala-Tosorontio and own the 25.55-acre property on Concession Road 3, just south of Highway 9. The property is part of the Oak Ridges Moraine and home to a forest with a variety of tree species, running streams, and a golf course.

The Fayles decision to zone the land as a conservation easement ensures it will look this way for years to come.

David said it was their decision to donate the land. He said they chose an agreement with the Oak Ridges Moraine because there is too much uncertainty with politicians. Even if they had gone through the political process to rezone the land, he said depending on politicians in the future the decision could be overturned.

“There’s no long-term safeguard with zoning bylaws, whereas a conservation easement is extremely difficult to change,” he said.

David Fayle is a former professor in the faculty of forestry at the University of Toronto. He and Janet have been involved with conservation and heritage issues for a long time.

It was Janet’s parents who originally bought the property in 1947. At that time it had been cleared of trees for farming. Planting trees began in the 1950s and the careful maintenance of the environment grew from there.

The Fayles have owned the property since the early 1970s, using it as their weekend house.

In 1996 they moved to Adjala-Tosorontio permanently.

In 1991 they added the historical home the Stooks-Langstaff House from Richmond Hill onto the existing farmhouse. Today they own and operate The Farm UpCountry, a bed and breakfast, on the property.

Signing the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust agreement won’t change how they already use the land.

“We can continue to enjoy the property as we have before,” said David.

He explained the trails that exist can be maintained, but if new ones are considered the planning would have to be discussed with the land trust. The agreement also won’t affect selling the property, however new owners must follow the same conservation rules.

David said the reason for the donation is to help preserve the water quality and quantity of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust steward Bill McMartin said the Fayle property is very diverse.

“It’s is a microcosm of what is best about the Oak Ridges Moraine,” said McMartin.

Couple donates easement for Oak Ridges Moraine.

Northumberland County: Local Tree Planting

2008-05-22T14:51:00.000-04:00

Trees Ontario, local planting partner Northumberland Stewardship Council and Lou Rinaldi, MPP Northumberland-Quinte West, hosted an official tree planting ceremony today in recognition of the important tree planting work that is being done across the province for the Ministry of Natural Resources’ 50 Million Tree Program.

In August 2007, the Ontario government introduced a program to plant 50 million trees by 2020, as part of its commitment to help fight climate change and green the province.

The 50 Million Tree Program is Ontario’s contribution to the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign, and is the single largest commitment made to date to this worldwide campaign.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is partnering with Trees Ontario, a not-for-profit organization, to deliver the first phase of this program. This spring, Trees Ontario’s partners will plant a total of 1.2 million trees for the program, mostly on rural privately owned land.

“Today’s tree planting activity, and ones like it right across southern Ontario demonstrate that we can and will meet the 50 million target,” said the Hon. Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources. “This is an example of how Ontario landowners are joining the battle to reduce our greenhouse gases and helping green our province.”

“I am very pleased to participate in today’s event,” said Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West. “This demonstrates that everyone in our community can help in the important battle against climate change. More than 30,800 trees been planted in this area over the past year with assistance from Trees Ontario and Northumberland Stewardship Council, and many more can and will be planted in the years ahead.”

Participants in today’s event planted red oak trees grown from seeds native to the Oak Ridges Moraine. These seeds were collected through funding provided by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation to help ensure the maintenance of the Moraine’s biodiversity.

Participants also had a first-hand opportunity to see how large-scale tree planting is being done. This scale of planting not only helps to capture carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, but also contributes to the protection of our watersheds and the diversification of our landscape. One healthy mature tree releases enough oxygen back in the atmosphere to support two human beings for one year.

Northumberland County: Local Tree Planting Contributes to Ontarios 50 Million Tree Goal - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy.

Healing a bruised forest

2008-05-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

Deep ruts lead through the bog to the hideaway in the woods. Under a sagging tarp, the ground is littered with broken beer bottles, car parts, remnants of automotive fluids and a couple of barbecues.

Off-roaders did their oil changes at the makeshift "Jiffy Lube," explains the custodian of this ecologically sensitive property that has been battered and bruised by years of illegal activities by trespassers.

Kristie Virgoe has a message for those who would mistreat East Cross Forest Conservation Area: Get out and stay out. To everyone else: Give Kawartha Conservation a chance to assess the damage and get the forest on the road to recovery before venturing back – as invited visitors.

"The illegal activity this spring is particularly concerning," says Virgoe, citing surface damage and water contamination from off-roading and burning vehicles. "A zero-tolerance policy is in full force to protect this ecologically sensitive area."

When the conservation authority acquired the biggest chunk of the property from a private donor in the fall of 2006, they immediately put up `no trespassing' signs and hired a security firm to patrol the 337 hectares, located in the southeast corner of Scugog Township. Vandals had destroyed the first sign before they got back to the office, recalls Virgoe, manager of environmental protection and restoration.

A year and a half later, the problems persist. Police have made more than a dozen arrests for offences related to drinking, driving, hunting, firearms and drugs.

In a recent trespassing incident, an off-roader told police he didn't see any signs. But when they opened his trunk, they found four of them, says Mike Brennan, of Canadian Shield Anticrime, which is working in partnership with Durham Region police to crack down on lawbreakers.

Security guards have been almost run down by ATVs and had loaded shotguns pointed at them, says Brennan, operations officer of logistics. A burned-out stolen vehicle had to be hauled away recently.

Trespassers include everyone from kids and families to birdwatchers and grandfathers. "We get every excuse from `I didn't see the signs' to `I've been coming here since I was a kid,'" says Brennan.

And therein lies part of the problem, says Virgoe. People believed the property was Crown land – still believe it, in fact – and they could do whatever they wanted on it.

Part of the Oak Ridges Moraine, East Cross Forest boasts red pine plantations, sand dunes, natural hardwood forest, tall grass prairie remnants and wetlands. It's home to a variety of plant species, birds, small mammals, deer, coyotes, a black bear and possibly a cougar.

"Every time I come out here, it's my joy and my sorrow," says Virgoe, frustrated over trespassers and troublemakers who care little about the breathtaking beauty. She points out one of the worst examples of ecological damage: "Mount Baldy," a 150-metre-long sand dune that people would charge up in old vehicles, until the cars gave out. Now, with vegetation stripped from the dune tops, deep gullies facilitate erosion and hinder the travel of small animals and insects.

"That's a long way down for some of those little critters," Virgoe says.

The property's sand and gravel floor are particularly vulnerable to pollutants from vehicles and ATVs because "anything that hits the ground travels quickly into the ground water."

It will take years to rehabilitate some of the worst-hit areas.

But by this time next year, they'll have made a good start and can open the gates to the public – except abusers.

TheStar.com | GTA | Healing a bruised forest.

Zero tolerance policy

2008-05-07T11:37:00.001-04:00

Durham Regional Police and Canadian Shield Anticrime have charged at least 7 people caught trespassing in East Cross Forest Conservation Area.

Located in the southeast corner of Scugog Township in Durham Region, Kawartha Conservation is rehabilitating and managing the area to protect important water features, a variety of plant species and cold-water fish habitat after years of ecological devastation from illegal activities.

The charges range from trespassing and driving without a license to having open alcohol in a vehicle. As well, a recently stolen vehicle was found burned-out on the property.

One of the off-roaders charged with trespassing claimed that he didn’t see any of the ‘no trespassing’ signs. However, a search of his vehicle uncovered 3 of the signs in his trunk.

As part of the Oak Ridges Moraine, East Cross Forest provides vital recharge areas for groundwater aquifers and headwaters for creeks and rivers. The East Cross Forest Conservation Area is closed to the public until next spring.

Preserving the moraine with paint

2008-04-11T05:21:00.001-04:00

The Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust (ORMLT), together with York Region artists, will be creating an art book to promote awareness of the moraine and showcase outstanding work by local artists.

The book will be released in October, to coincide with the Richmond Hill Studio Tour and Art Sale.

Artists may submit photographs of up to three paintings of the moraine completed this summer. ORMLT will arrange visits to secluded land trust properties for artists who wish to submit an entry. A jury of knowledgeable members of the arts community will determine which entries will be professionally photographed for publication in the book. ORMLT has contacted more than 50 art associations, councils and clubs from Niagara to Uxbridge to take part in this event.

ORMLT believes that visual artists have a unique opportunity to remind the public about the need to preserve our nature reserves. Producing this book is one way for ORMLT to carry out its mission, which is to ensure significant moraine properties, including lands for the Oak Ridges trail, are protected in perpetuity through strategic land securement and related long term stewardship.

The Oak Ridges Moraine Art Book will be available at art exhibitions, environmental events and through the ORMLT office.

For more information, call (905)751-1385 or email organizer Herbert Pryke at hpryke@sympatico.ca

Oak Ridges Moraine art book; Preserving the moraine with paint.

Caring for the Moraine workshop

2008-04-01T05:48:00.001-04:00

Oak Ridges Moraine landowners may wonder, "What can I do to help?" Rural, non-farm residents can refer to a new environmental property self-assessment publication created to assist their efforts.

The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide is fashioned after the successful Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) which helped farmers identify ways to enhance environmental features on their property, but targeted at non-farm landowners with properties generally greater than two acres.

The Caring for the Moraine Project's Rice Lake Plains area partners are hosting a workshop on this guide for residents living on the Oak Ridges Moraine in the Rice Lake Plains (which stretches from Harwood east to Carmel and from Roseneath south to Baltimore). The workshop will be 9 a.m. to 12:30 p..m. Saturday, April 5 at Fenella Hall with lunch and an optional field trip to follow.

Landowners will receive and work through the guide, learn about stewardship and hear from local stewardship organizations.

The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide helps landowners evaluate their property and identify areas where they might positively impact the local environment. The guide is a series of worksheets that landowners start working through during a short workshop.

Worksheets cover topics ranging from wells and septic systems to managing forest, stream and wetland ecosystems.

After the workshop, landowners can complete the rest of the guide and create an action plan for environmental improvements to be undertaken on their property. Landowners can take advantage of technical expertise both at the workshop and afterwards to complete the guide. The guide also contains valuable stewardship tips and resource information.

The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide for Ontario Landscape was produced by environmental partners including the Canadian Water Network, Environment Canada, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Nature, Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, Wildlife Habitat Canada, and the University of Guelph.

To register for the workshop, contact Ashley Wilson at Lower Trent Conservation, 613-394-3915 ext. 225 or through e-mail at ricelakeplains@ltc.on.ca .

Other workshops coming up, all on May 10, include: birds of the Rice Lake Plains at Alderville Community Centre, forest ecology and early morning bird hike at Millbrook Community Centre, and a family day celebration at Laurie Lawson Outdoor Education Centre in Cobourg. Contact Ms. Wilson for more details or visit www.moraineforlife.org for more events.

The Caring for the Moraine's Rice Lake Plains Partners include Alderville First Nation, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Conservation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Northumberland County Forest, Northumberland Land Trust, Northumberland Stewardship Council and Ontario Parks. This project is supported with funding from the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

Northumberland Today - Ontario, CA.

Golf course ruling shows OMB bias, residents say

2008-04-01T05:45:00.001-04:00

Water shortages concern homeowners
By: Simone Joseph
Developer — 1

Residents, environmental groups and Aurora council — 0

This is the score following a decision this week that left some residents, environmental groups and politicians shaking their heads.

The Ontario Municipal Board — an appointed provincial body that makes decisions on developments that often over-ride politicians — decided this week a more thorough environmental review of a planned Aurora golf course and condominium development is not necessary.

“I am very disappointed. I am still trying to absorb this,” Mayor Phyllis Morris said.

For homeowner Christine Sadler, the OMB’s decision has made her doubt if the development application will be stopped.

“I thought, naively, because we are on the Oak Ridges Moraine, they would not be allowed to have anything built, but, apparently, that is not the case,” said Ms Sadler, who lives on property north of the development.

“It seems obvious the development should not be built and, yet, the OMB seems pro-development. I don’t know if we will win this battle or not.”

Aurora politicians rejected Lebovic Homes’ plan to build an 18-hole golf course and 75-unit condominium complex on Leslie Street just north of Bloomington Road.

Aurora council also passed a resolution earlier this month to take “all necessary steps and actions” to support a more involved joint board hearing, rather than just moving forward with a straight OMB session.

It was thought a joint board, including the province’s environmental review panel, would give a more thorough review of the environmental aspects of the application.

It was decided, however, that since the developer’s application was already in the works when the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act was passed in 2001, only partial conditions of the act apply.

Councillors, residents and environmental groups have cited concerns about the development being built on the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine. They have voiced concerns about how building a golf course would affect water supply, especially since residents have been put on water restrictions for the past several summers because of low water levels.

“We are going to feel an acute shortage of water in the coming years,” said Harmeet Singh, who lives south of the proposed development. “What is going to happen to it (wildlife)? What is going to happen to wetlands? Is nothing sacred?”

The last two sentences uttered by the OMB adjudicator after the joint board hearing left Sue Walmer, of Save the Oak Ridges Moraine, shaking her head.

The adjudicator said: “The rights of the property owner really have to be preserved. We have to take special care to preserve them as you would require if it was your property.”

This statement showed the OMB favours the rights of developers rather than residents or other groups, Ms Walmer said. This is a complaint oft mentioned by residents and other groups in the past.

“To me, that comment seemed one-sided and biased. It raised a few eyebrows with the public. That was the warning sign that it may be biased,” she said.

But to Lloyd Cherniak, the decision to reject a joint-board hearing was fair.

“We think it is in the public interest. They (the OMB) say it is saving the public’s time and money. That is the way it should be. There is no justification for the motion (for a joint board),” said Mr. Cherniak, executive vice-president of Lebovic Enterprises Limited.

He suggested people often forget the background to the development application.

Mr. Cherniak reminded residents Lebovic Homes had originally planned to build single-family homes on two-acre lots but Aurora’s planner at the time suggested the company build homes in clusters to use less land.

Aurora council amended the development plan in November 1996 to reflect this change.

More than 10 years later, the company is still trying to get the development application passed.

“It was an attempt to stall things,” Mr. Cherniak said of the joint board hearing.

“We could not see a lot of legal precedent for doing this.”

There is also little basis for the water supply concerns, according to Mr. Cherniak.

The development would have a supervised system, he said. One well would provide water for the golf course’s clubhouse and for the bungalow subdivision. The golf course would use recycled water from the well. Water would not be taken from the groundwater in the Oak Ridges Moraine but would be collected through rain, he said.

The OMB hearing is April 7 and is scheduled to run for three weeks.

Yorkregion.com - Aurora - Golf course ruling shows OMB bias, residents say.

Breeding Bird Atlas

2008-03-28T05:25:00.001-04:00

Breeding Bird Atlas documents state Ontario's 12 biggest birds by weight are soaring in population compared to 20 years ago.

Everyone recognizes that Canada Geese - one of the big 12 - are plentiful, but the recently published Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario 2001-2005 shows that Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes and other big birds also are increasing in numbers.

Many factors have contributed to this surge, including banning the use of the pesticide DDT in the 1970s, conservation efforts by various government and non-government agencies, and reduced hunting pressure.

Tundra Swans were nearly extinct in the province and now "they're coming back, nesting all down the Hudson Bay coast and around James Bay," said Mike Cadman, atlas co-ordinator. "Wild Turkeys were extirpated from the province in 1909, reintroduced in the 1980s, and are doing very well now."

Great Blue Herons possibly are scarcer than in 1987, when the first atlas also co-ordinated by Cadman was completed. It may be a statistical anomaly, cautions Cadman. During the first atlas period, special effort was mounted to document heronries, which may have skewed the numbers.

Altogether, 286 bird species were documented as breeding in Ontario during the atlas period. At more than 700 pages, the atlas is stunning, with photos and a detailed, easy-to-read account on each breeding species. Maps show each species' range and distribution.

The atlas was a joint project supported by Bird Studies Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service (Environment Canada), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Field Ornithologists, and Ontario Nature (formerly Federation of Ontario Naturalists). It involved five years of field research by approximately 2,500 volunteers.

Ontario was divided into a grid of approximately 4,000 squares. Volunteers assigned to one or more squares followed a protocol that combined documenting breeding evidence and conducting point counts to determine both the distribution and an estimate of abundance of Ontario's breeding birds.

"There's an increase in birds of prey - raptors are doing very well," Cadman said, "particularly Bald Eagles, Merlin, Peregrine Falcons." Release programs developed over the past 20 years to help eagles and peregrines are paying off, suggested Cadman. Forest accipiters such as Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks also are increasing in numbers.

"Generally, owls are up," as well Cadman said, though "interestingly, Great Horned Owls are showing a marked decline. We don't really have a good idea why."

"We're losing grassland birds where forest is coming back," Cadman said, as well as "where agriculture is intensifying." Bobolinks, Upland Sandpiper, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark and Henslow's Sparrows are scarcer.

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"Aerial insectivores - they're way down," Cadman said. "They're all among the 25 species showing the largest declines." This group includes swallows, martins, swifts and nightjars.

Drier summers may be reducing the number of flying insects since many have an aquatic stage in their development, suggests Cadman. "Some birds are migrating earlier, and then whacked by bad weather. Cold snaps in May or June eliminate insects to feed on and the young are vulnerable. Insecticides also may be a factor."

The Oak Ridges Moraine and other areas with increased environmental protection are becoming more forested and forest birds generally are doing well. "It shows up in the Niagara Escarpment, down the Bruce, Grey and Dufferin counties, almost to Hamilton," said Cadman.

"Almost 30 species are expanding their breeding range south, including Yellow-rumped Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Hermit Thrush," said Cadman. "About 20 species are expanding their range north," Turkey Vultures, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbirds, and Carolina Wrens among them.

The atlas is distributed by Ontario Nature at a cost of $92.50. Call 1-800-440-2366 or see www.birdsontario.org and follow the link to Ontario Nature.

St. Catharines Standard - Ontario, CA.

A trail for all seasons

2008-03-19T05:58:00.001-04:00

It may be cold outside, but the Oak Ridges Trail Association is looking ahead to the spring, and a unique opportunity for residents to celebrate and promote the diverse natural beauty of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The moraine is a ridge of land that runs parallel to and about 60 km north of Lake Ontario. It extends about 160 km from the Niagara Escarpment in the west to the Trent River in the east and has many significant features, in particular the ground water, which results from rainwater percolation into the generally porous soils of the ridge. The moraine also forms the watershed divide between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe and is the source of headwaters to more than 30 rivers.

On June 14 and 15, ORTA will host the second annual Moraine For Life Adventure Relay to raise awareness of the moraine and its vibrant habitats, help protect its ecosystem and heritage, and work on extending the Oak Ridges Trail while encouraging responsible land use for everyone to enjoy. During the 24-hour relay, teams of up to 15 racers will bike, hike, run and paddle across 160 kilometres of the trail, which stretches from Rice Lake to King City, and encompasses the local communities of Goodwood and Ballantrae.

The course covers 14 stages of varied terrain with breathtaking views. Different categories of participation are offered to appeal to everyone from seasoned adventure racers to families and friends, and this year a recreational masters category has been added for older participants. “Folks of all ages use the Oak Ridges Trail every day and we’re confident those in the 55-plus group can give others a real challenge in the relay,” said ORTA executive director Harold Sellers. This year’s relay sponsors include legendary philanthropists Joey and Toby Tanenbaum.

Of course, no one has to wait for the relay to enjoy the beauty of the moraine, which is open for year round enjoyment. As you can see from the photographs, if you haven’t already taken a hike along the trail, you’re in for a big treat.

ORTA is a volunteer, community-based organization that builds and maintains the Oak Ridges Trail. Teams can register for the relay online at Adventure Relay or by calling 1-877-319-0285.

York Region Forest trail
Eldred King Woodlands off Hwy. 48
Vivian Creek, East Gwillimbury

Stouffville Free Press News

Green is not cheap

2008-03-16T07:44:00.001-04:00

Increasing restrictions on gravel development in the Toronto area are forcing aggregate producers to look farther afield for supplies, including to Grey and Bruce counties, Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association president Carol Hochu said Friday.

Grey County municipal officials have begun to warn in recent months of major proposals for aggregate extraction in the region. The warnings come after licence applications were made for large stone quarries and gravel pits, including one near Owen Sound and another south of Collingwood, that involve amendments to the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

There are strong business and environmental reasons for keeping aggregate extraction closer to Toronto, Hochu said. However, new restrictions on aggregate development on the Oak Ridges Moraine, together with escarpment plan restrictions, mean sources in the Toronto are running out, Hochu said.

“The industry is concerned that existing licence resources in the GTA are going to be exhausted in the next decade,” the association president said from her Mississauga office. “We need in an environmental, economic and social sense to have it located close to market. . . It’s becoming more difficult to license and expand an existing site or to bring a greenfield site onstream.”

There are other sources in the Kawartha Lakes region northeast of Toronto, in Wellington County, Simcoe and in Grey and Bruce, Hochu said. A 1977 provincial government study identified the area between Durham and Flesherton as home to half the total gross possible gravel reserves remaining in all of southwestern Ontario.

Durham Stone and Paving Ltd. has submitted a plan to take a maximum of 500,000 tonnes of material from a proposed pit on 70.75 hectares of farmland near Singhampton in the former Osprey Township in Grey Highlands. Two larger operators are also seeking to expand in the same area.

MAQ Aggregates Inc. and Georgian Aggregates and Construction Inc. are seeking permission for quarries on land within six kilometres of the Durham Stone site. Combined, the three operations could mean the removal of as much as three million tonnes of stone annually — some of it from land protected under the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

That’s more gravel than is now produced by all the aggregate operators in Grey County, judging by 2004 research by consultants to the county government.

Durham Stone and Paving proprietor Paul Arnill has designed his proposal to serve construction in the area. It’s still not cost competitive to haul gravel by truck from Grey to Toronto, he said in a recent interview. And Ministry of Natural Resources aggregate analyst Craig Lang figures trouble getting gravel out of Grey County might mean it’s more likely that areas of Simcoe County near Orillia will serve Toronto first.

“What I’m seeing in my part of Grey County is a response to local markets,” Lang said in a recent interview. He works from an office in Midhurst and is one of three ministry officials responsible for administering aggregate licences in the Grey County region.

“The difficulty you’ve got in Grey County, in my view, is that there aren’t any really good transportation systems to get the stuff out,” Lang said.

Area residents have speculated for years about the resurrection of rail service or dedicated trucking routes for substantial gravel resources identified in the county.

So far, nothing has happened to resurrect rail and highway transport via multilane highways north from Toronto through Barrie make identified gravel resources in the Orillia area more likely for development in the short term, Lang said. He and his colleagues in Owen Sound and Guelph with responsibility for aggregate in other parts of Grey say the 20 current licence applications on their desks represent the normal course of business for the region.

Lang has three current licence applications in his area of eastern Grey. James Williams looks after the southernmost municipalities of Grey from his Guelph office. He has six current licence applications, five in West Grey and one in Southgate.

Dave Munro oversees northwestern Grey County and most of the Bruce Peninsula from the ministry’s Owen Sound office. His area includes a concentrated area of production of “dimension stone” used in construction and landscaping.

“It’s pretty rare for me to be below 10 on the go at any one time,” he said of current files in his office. “This is sort of the hub of the dimension stone industry here around Wiarton.”

Members of the stone and gravel association with GTA customers would prefer access to gravel closer to the market, Hochu said. However, new government restrictions and the region’s growing settlement mean gravel development gets more difficult and costly as time goes by.

“It makes most sense to have the resources located close to the market so we don’t have extra truck-haul kilometres, which increases transportation costs and increases fossil fuel consumption and increases greenhouse gas emissions.”

“If anyone is an environmentalist, they have to acknowledge that it makes more sense to have it close to market. People acknowledge the need for aggregate. People say, yes, I know we need it to build and maintain the infrastructure of the province, but don’t get it from here, get it from somewhere else. That just doesn’t make sense.”

Grey Bruce - Ontario, CA.

Landowners options for protecting moraine

2008-02-16T04:55:00.001-05:00

The Rice Lake Plains Landowner Stewardship Program is heading into its second year of providing grants to help safeguard the Oak Ridges Moraine in this region.

Two hundred and thirty people came on board last year, spokesperson Ashley Wilson said this week. The actual project work is getting underway this spring.

The funding is 50 per cent of the project to a maximum of $2,500 and a workshop/meeting will be held in the Fenella Hall on Saturday, April 5 to explain and take people on an option field trip, Ms. Wilson said. It starts at 9:30 a.m. and includes information about environmental features on area properties.

Projects range from native tree and wildlife shrub planting to fencing livestock out of wetlands and rivers, restoring tall grass prairie and savannahs, and enhancing habitat for species at risk.

The moraine lands of the Rice Lake Plains project area stretch eastward from the boundary between Hamilton and Alnwick/Haldimand townships, including the Fenella area, Roseneath, Burnley, Castleton and Centreton, stated a media release about the program.

For more information contact Ms. Wilson at (613) 394-3915 ext. 225 or e-mail to ricelakeplains@ltc.on.ca .

Northumberland Today - Ontario, CA.

Keeping the Rouge Watershed healthy

2008-02-01T15:27:00.001-05:00

Although only a small portion of the Rouge Watershed falls in Pickering, City staff believe it's a significant public asset that should be protected.

Council recently approved the final draft of the Rouge River Watershed Plan, a draft report from the Rouge Watershed Task Force, which has been working on it for two-and-a-half years. The task force includes members from the public, not-for-profit organizations, and representatives from all levels of government agencies, and is co-ordinated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Rouge Park. Ward 3 Regional Councillor Rick Johnson is the municipality's representative. The watershed spans 336 square kilometres of land and water and less than five per cent of that is in Pickering.

"It's got a rich, rich history and we're a little part of that, so we can celebrate it, too," said Catherine Rose, the City's policy planning manager.

Although the watershed is currently healthy, the plan finds it's showing signs of stress from the effects of urban development. Stress includes increased water pollution and surface runoff, greater annual flow volumes in rivers and streams and loss of biodiversity.

"They are signs that the ability of the air, land and water to absorb the negative impacts of human activities is strained and cannot be sustained over the long term unless fundamental changes are made," the report states.

Therefore, the plan recommends strategies to address those negative impacts and to develop and use sustainable practices for future development. There are also nearly 140 specific implementation recommendations. The three broad strategies are: establishing a targeted terrestrial natural heritage system; building sustainable communities; and, developing a regional open space system. The task force's goals address: groundwater; surface water; stream form; aquatic system; terrestrial system; air quality and climate change; cultural heritage; nature-based recreation; and, sustainable land and resource use.

Ms. Rose said since most of the developable lands that lie in Pickering already have homes on them, if any development were to occur on Pickering's part of the watershed, it would be "very minor infilling."

The plan will go to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Board at the end of March for its approval.
Related link:

newsdurhamregion.com

Kawartha Conservation presented with another 25 acres

2008-01-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

Twenty-five acres of environmentally-sensitive Scugog land was recently handed over to the Kawartha Conservation Authority as the agency continues it efforts to secure significant properties in the East Cross Forest area.

According to conservation agency officials, Leslie Beauchamp handed over ownership of the land, valued at more than $20,000, to Kawartha Conservation late last year as part of her desire to help protect the East Cross Creek headwaters and maintain the integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The lands, located off Devitts Road in southeast Scugog, south of Blackstock, were donated to the conservation agency through Environment Canada's Ecological Gifts Program.

"For a long time, I've envisioned a large conservation area connected with the Test Hill area, and this is a way of making that happen," explains Ms. Beauchamp in a press release.

"It has been a great experience working with Kawartha Conservation, who made the whole process seem easy. Having them as its 'guardian,' I know the property will be safe."

Just as pleased with the donation is Kristie Virgoe, the agency's manager of environmental protection and restoration.

"Kawartha Conservation is really grateful to Ms. Beauchamp," says Ms. Virgoe. "Her gift will have benefits that trickle through the whole watershed. It's a pleasure to work with people who are truly dedicated to environmental stewardship."

The property contains mostly wetland and is located within Kawartha Conservation's East Cross Forest project boundary. It is recognized as an important source of water for the East Cross Creek and surrounding aquifers.

The East Cross Forest project was initiated after many properties in the area were devastated by off-road vehicles and other illegal activities. Kawartha Conservation is rehabilitating and managing acquired lands to ensure abundant clean water for surrounding residents and businesses, and to protect cold-water habitat and sensitive species such as brook trout.

It's evident, continues Ms. Virgoe, that Ms. Beauchamp has been a good steward of her land.

"Most of the hardwood wetland is of high quality, and shows very little obvious disturbance," she says. "A barred owl, which was noted during natural heritage studies by our staff, is a good indicator of the quality and the overall size of the wooded area, since they are known to be area-sensitive species that prefer larger trees for nesting."

Kawartha Conservation is incorporating the land into the East Cross Forest Conservation Area, which will be open to the public in 2009.

Related link:

newsdurhamregion.com

Northumberland Forest plan

2008-01-26T14:50:00.001-05:00

The stage was set yesterday for different - and sometimes opposing - Northumberland County Forest users to respond to recommendations about the 5,300-acre forest on both sides of County Road 45 north of Baltimore.

There hasn't been a management plan for the forest since 2001, when responsibility for it was taken away from the Ministry of Natural Resources, those attending the public forum at the Alderville First Nation Community Centre learned during the event.

So, as part of the county process to complete a Forest Master Plan either later this year or by 2009 at the latest, various aspects of the forest have gone under a microscope. These range from fire protection and road allowances through Northumberland Forest, to use of forest trails. A forest advisory committee has been working on some of this since last March.

Along with the pressures on the county-owned forest from increased use (including motorized vehicles), water erosion has affected parts of this reforestated area and its sandy soils. In addition, a forest plan must comply with the Oak Ridges Moraine legislation to protect key natural heritage areas. The forest also contains unique habitat like savannahs and tallgrass prairies, with at-risk species of vegetation, insects and even endangered species such as the eastern hog-nosed snake.

The new Forest Master Plan must juggle and balance all of this - and ongoing timber harvesting as well - according to the displays and representatives of various recreational and conservation groups that were set up in the community centre.

The focus of the evening session, though, was on trails, and the draft report by the county-hired consultants, John Marsh and Al MacPherson of Trent University, was front and centre. Public delegations were scheduled for the evening, followed by a public discussion.

Among the consultant's key recommendations is that, even when trails are developed, people should not be asked to pay to use them.

That's for three good reasons, Dr. Marsh said in an interview: a paid permit system can't be put in place without proper administration and enforcement; often even with these in place, it's not cost-effective if there isn't enough traffic; and people will have increased expectations that could affect liability in the county-owned forest.

Another significant recommendation is that the Beagle Club trail area (bounded by Beagle Club, Bowmanton and Morris roads) not be used by motorized vehicles or for hunting, except for an east-west motorized route, to also be used for emergencies and fire management. Motorized trails currently go in several directions, crossing cross-country ski routes, for example.

Because groups like Northumberland and District ATV Riders Club, snowmobilers and motorcycle riders want to be able to traverse the forest, Dr. Marsh says he wants to sit down with them to come up with a solution.

Other zones he recommends be designated "non-motorized" would be ponds in the forest (for fire protection and currently used by animals as watering holes) and the area known as Look Out Mountain, a high point off Dunbar Road, east of County Road 45 and west of Peter's Woods.

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At least three interpretive trails should be developed, one of which should be accessible by physically disabled people, Dr. Marsh also suggests. Barriers should be erected and maintained to stop degeneration of areas within the forest and there should be comprehensive signage, together with three parking areas from which people can access trails, he said.

There is also a recommendation to establish a forest centre in the former ski hill area on the east side of County Road 45 (near the Scout club). A risk management plan should be developed related to assessing trails and hunting areas in the forest, he suggests.

Dr. Marsh is also recommending a full-time professional forest manager be hired.

Cobourg Mayor Peter Delanty is chairing the forest advisory committee which will bring its finalized recommendations back to county council.

See Monday's Cobourg Daily Star for the public's reaction to the consultants' report.

Related link:

Northumberland Today - Ontario.

Uxbridge to guide direction of Provincial land

2008-01-25T10:48:00.001-05:00

The public will soon have input into what to do with more than 1,000 acres of land once slated to become a huge housing development in Uxbridge.

A number of uses could be made of the former 'Gan Eden' lands, 1,332 acres previously owned by Joey Tanenbaum, who agreed to a land swap with the Province for Seaton lands in Pickering last year. John McCutcheon of Uxbridge Naturally explained Queen's Park has given direction to develop a management plan for the lands, of which Uxbridge Naturally will play a supporting role. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), whose jurisdiction the properties fall within, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) would be major players in the process.

The groups will be interested in hearing "what's the best use of the land from the perspective of the community, (while) maintaining ecological integrity (of the land)," he said.

Mr. McCutcheon explained the first step is to develop a "scope" for the plan, and then develop the plan itself. Public meetings will be part of the process, he said, with the first possibly this spring. "As the process moves forward definitely the public will be involved... a presentation will be made to the public about what sort of ideas (for the land) are being considered and what kind of things (the public) would like to see done," said Mr. McCutcheon. "Some people would like to see skeet shooting, some camping (for Scouts)." Another park similar to Uxbridge's 140-acre Countryside Preserve could find a home there as well, he added. A trail extension linking to south Durham is already in the cards.

Uxbridge Naturally is looking to enhance the lands through reforestation as well as offering limited "passive" recreational activities there, he said.

Peter Burtch of the LSRCA said that approach "really fits with our objectives... we look forward to working with Uxbridge Naturally for this planning exercise." Upon completion, the management plan will be presented to the Province for approval, noted Mr. McCutcheon.

The lands, now in the hands of the Ontario government, are located in Uxbridge near Hwy. 47 and Brock Road. Members of Uxbridge Naturally were involved when the Gan Eden proposal went to an OMB fight, which ultimately disallowed the development, followed by the introduction of Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act in 2001.

Related link:

Uxbridge to guide direction of Provincial land

Budget hike by Lower Trent

2008-01-20T07:30:00.001-05:00

Entering its 40th anniversary year, the Lower Trent Conservation Authority is asking for a $400,000 increase in its 2008 budget, to a new level of $3.5 million.

The proposed increase would bring individual taxpayers’ contribution to the conservation authority to an estimated $21.30 per household this year.

Most of the budget hike will be spent in three specific areas – watershed restoration of species at risk; the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation support for private land stewardship on the moraine; and drinking water source protection around municipal water supplies.

The conservation officials unveiled their budget and business plans before both Trent Hills and Brighton councils on Monday night. Five other municipalities in Northumberland Quinte West will see the proposals this month.

The Lower Trent budget will get final review by the authority’s board of directors in Trenton on Feb. 14 – St. Valentine’s Day.

But the authority won’t have to wait that long to receive a few love letters from its municipal admirers.

At Trent Hills Council, Depute Mayor Dean Peters declared: “What is the individual taxpayer getting for their money? When you read through this list of services, I become convinced that it’s good value for money. The authority is well-managed.”

What do the taxpayers get for their money? Everything from running flood control prevention to a local drought response, and operating the Goodrich-Loomis Nature Camp as well as selling trees seedlings for watershed restoration.

“Of course, we should remember that only 18 per cent of their funding comes from the municipalities, the balance comes from the federal and provincial governments and other organizations.”

Mayor Hector Macmillan was even more complimentary about the Lower Trent’s proposals for 2008: “At a cost of $21.30 per household, it’s a great deal, it’s a bargain.”

But in Brighton, Councillor Brian Ostrander was more circumspect, and said he hoped to see the annual budget increases of nearly 10 per cent start to “ease” at some point.

However fellow Brighton Councillor Craig Kerr defended the organization, saying: “We have to look at the point we’ve reached as a society and the shift on the environment. This is a pittance we are being asked for.”

In his presentation to the municipalities, Lower Trent’s General Manager Jim Kelleher says that task of managing conservation in the lower Trent watershed has expanded rapidly in the authority’s 40-year history.

In 1968, the authority was a top-heavy bureaucracy with 21 board members, and only one part-time employee. Today it has reversed the numbers and has only 10 board members but a full-time staff of 21 people.

But Mr. Kelleher noted: “The stresses on our watershed are increasing. We cannot rest on the success we have achieved for much remains to be done.”

Today the authority’s jurisdiction covers 2,121 sq. kms in seven municipalities, including 211 kilometres of shorelines along lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.

The 2008 budget for the authority will be used to target a number of key responsibilities – prevent flooding, protect drinking water supplies, provide environmental education, operate conservation areas and trails and manage sensitive environmental lands.

The Independent - Budget hike by Lower Trent.

Conservation dream

2008-01-14T05:47:00.000-05:00

Brian Denney likes to think his job is about building infrastructure, only it's the green kind.

He's in charge of protecting and nurturing one of the GTA's largest tracts of publicly owned river valleys and conservation areas.

Denney compares the network of waterways that stretch from Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridges Moraine to the roads, pipes and power lines found in the urban environment. In their own way, both create the foundations for a great city.

And it's vital not to forget that.

"We want this city to become more dense," says Denney, CAO of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, best known for managing publicly accessible conservation areas and trails.

"But it's really important that, as part of the city-building process, we have a green infrastructure layer that we are working to achieve, along with other aspects of urban infrastructure."

But it's not easy, and time is running out. The authority first drew up a wish list of lands it would like to acquire back in the 1960s – all part of a vision to knit together continuous ribbons of green, flowing from the Oak Ridges Moraine to Lake Ontario, that would preserve waterways, provide conduits for wildlife and allow amenities such as a continuous trail system.

The plan has been updated regularly, but the dream is only half complete.

Acquiring the missing links – some 16,000 hectares – along water systems such as the Humber River, Highland Creek, Rouge River and Duffins Creek is going to be a long slog.

That's because the authority has no money of its own to buy private land, such as the parcels it covets along the Humber near Highway 401.

In recent years, it has received modest but encouraging support from an unlikely source – cash-strapped municipalities (Toronto, York, Durham and Peel regions) that came forward with funds to buy small but significant parcels.

In Toronto's case, the money has come from something called the Source Water Protection Acquisition Program. Other regions simply have dug into reserve funds.

One parcel was the two-hectare Boyer property, which the authority acquired last month for about $285,000 provided by Peel and Toronto. It's situated at the headwaters of the Humber near Glen Haffy.

But the authority's larger dream will remain unfulfilled unless senior governments step in to make it happen.

Municipalities have contributed up to $3 million a year – just not good enough to fulfil a long-term vision.

"If we had $20 million a year for land acquisition over the space of the next two decades, most of this stuff is doable," says Denney wistfully.

"This is not a billion-dollar problem."

The immense area he's referring to covers nine watersheds, stretching from Etobicoke Creek in the west to Duffins Creek in the east, and encompasses municipalities that are home to more than 3 million people – one-fourth of Ontario's population and Canada's most densely populated region.

Councillor Glen De Baeremaeker, an environmental activist who champions a stable fund for the TRCA, says it's a race against time – especially because the agency is often competing for the land with developers. This is especially true in the northern headwaters, where developers and other private interests are staking claims, although strategic purchases are also needed in more heavily urbanized areas to the south.

What's desperately needed is a stable pot of money. That kind of funding would allow the body to move quickly and even approach private property owners to negotiate pre-emptive sales.

As it is, opportunities can be lost by the time funding is put together. Even sellers who would prefer to see land preserved don't want to wait a year or more as the authority scrambles to find the money.

"The government had zero muscle before, and now we have a teeny-weeny muscle," says Baeremaeker, in reference to budding municipal funding.

"Land acquisition for green space is no different from any other public policy issue," says a philosophical Denney.

"You make the most progress when the federal government, the provincial government and the municipal government are all aligned toward the same goal."

Denney says the conservation authority's most significant growth took place in the years immediately after Hurricane Hazel, the 1954 storm that killed 81 people in Ontario and left thousands homeless. Much of the land the body owns today was bought or expropriated in an effort to keep development out of areas vulnerable to flooding.

The province did give the authority a one-time grant of about 1,335 hectares in the Rouge River Valley, near the Toronto Zoo, in 2004. But in general there's been "less alignment" with the conservation authority's goals since the post-hurricane era, says Denney.

He praises the province for stepping in to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine and the new Greenbelt by freezing development.

But much of the protected land still remains privately owned, and unless the authority or some other preservation-minded body acquires it, a change of government could mean it could get built upon one day.

In recent years, as concerns about flooding receded, the authority also has seen its primary focus of flood control and dam-building evolve to address broader environmental concerns.

Denney says environmentally conscious municipal politicians have begun to walk the walk with their budgets, and that gives him hope other levels of government will step up.

"It's about air quality, aesthetics, wildlife in the city. It's about nice places to walk, all coming together in a green space system," says Denney.

"It's about maintaining some aspects of the natural system that are unique to this part of the world ... at the same time that we are building a big city."