november 2020

Bay of Quinte Greens, Newsletter
November 2020

Welcome to the Quinte Provincial Greens online newsletter. The idea  here is to provide info that that Greens – people who care about the  environment and social justice – might appreciate.. So we will range from  very local things (Picton Terminals, Ford’s Highway?) to international issues  (nuclear, electric?). Let me say that we welcome any feedback from our  readers.

Local Executive:

Our president is Lori Borthwick from Belleville. Our  Chief Financial Officer is Don Wilford in Prince Edward County. I am Jim  Colby, Secretary, in Picton. Other members of the executive are Beth  Wylie and Lynne Rochon in the County, and Ric Jones in Demorestville. 

Green Policies:

For readers who are new to the provincial Green  approach here is Green leader Mike Schreiner’s (MPP for Guelph) keynote  address from the recent Provincial Green Annual General Meeting: 

Below also is a concise summary of what we call People Powered Change  taken directly from the provincial Green website:

Online Speaker Series: Dimitri Lascaris

Don Wilford: We are excited to announce the first in our speaker  series, “The Importance of Being Green”. Dimitri Lascaris will speak  on,“Why Fiscal Conservatism is deeply flawed and is holding us back”. 

As I’m sure you all remember, Dimitri ran for the leadership of the Federal  Greens. Fiscal Conservatism is the ideology that tells us we can’t afford to  care for our seniors, educate our children, and provide free drugs for sick  people but we can afford to spend $12 billion and counting of public money  on a bitumen pipeline. Dimitri will explain why the ideology is so embedded  and why it’s impeding the kind of dramatic action we need to achieve a  sustainable and just society. 

Like all of you, I am sorry to be headed into winter with Covid-19 once  again escalating and being constrained to our homes with restricted access  to friends and family. 

I hope our speaker series will help through these difficult times and, as well,  help us understand that when the time comes (hopefully soon) to recover  and rebuild, it must be with Green policies leading to a Green recovery. 

Register for this first in our Speaker Series on Nov. 25th at 7 PM 

News:

Picton Terminals: The proposed rezoning plan of Picton Terminals (endorsed by the Prince Edward County Planning Staff), which would  jeopardize Picton Harbour and be of questionable cultural and economic  impact was unanimously rejected by a Council vote. The owner of the  Terminal has promised to appeal beyond the municipal level but the local  outcry was heard by Council. Good. We’ll see.

Ford’s Highway :

Becky Smit, Campaign Chairperson, GPO: 

Doug Ford is resurrecting the GTA West Highway – a $6 billion project that  would cut through thousands of acres of farmland in Halton, Peel and York  regions. 

The Liberal government killed the idea in 2017 when an expert panel  warned of huge environmental damage with negligible economic benefit. But now the Conservatives are bringing it back from the dead. 

It’s an urban legend that more highways mean less congestion. In fact, they  just invite more cars and climate pollution onto the road. And if this  highway gets built, it will only save drivers 30-60 seconds from their  commute. 

The environmental loss from the GTA West Highway would be grim: 

• 1500 football fields of Class 1 and 2 farmland 

• 2500 acres of Greenbelt land 

• Permanent damage to 75 wetlands 

• Degradation of the headwaters of the Credit and Humber rivers • 53 river and stream crossings 

Further developments from Reddit 

A member of Doug Ford’s Greenbelt Council, mandated to offer  government officials guidance on the protected environmental lands, has  resigned over the province’s decision to issue a ministerial zoning order for  a development that will destroy a provincially significant wetland in  Pickering. 

Linda Pim, an environmental biologist and planner who was appointed to sit  on the advisory committee in 2018, said she has been concerned with the  increasing use of ministerial zoning orders, or MZOs, by the government  over the past two years.

Bay Of Quinte Provincial Green Newsletter 4 November 2020 

Since 2018, the province has issued more than 30 orders, which give the  Minister of Municipal Affairs, Steve Clark, extraordinary powers to override  local planning processes, eliminate public consultation and environmental  assessments in order to fast-track development. Previous governments  used MZOs sparingly. 

But the decision by Clark to issue an MZO last week for the Durham Live  project that would see 22 hectares of environmentally sensitive lands  replaced by a warehouse and movie studio in Pickering, was the “last  straw” for Pim. (Retrieved November 5 2020) 

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Lori Borthwick is honoured by Provincial Greens

Our President Lori Borthwick was honoured at the Green AGM as a recent but outstandingly active Green. We know her as a gracious and intelligent friend and are grateful for her energy and patience.

The Importance of Donating and Volunteering

Don Wilford: Being together, this year, will be difficult for all and impossible for many. Thomas Homer-Dixon – Canada’s renowned political and climate scientist talks about Covid-19 in his new book, “Commanding Hope”. “I was thinking about the pandemic as a really vivid example of how things can change extraordinarily quickly”. He tells the story of how the crude climate models of 20 years ago got it basically right – predictions of climate heating, fires, droughts, and floods. And what more sophisticated models tell us about the next 20 years – how impacts will accelerate and affect more and more people. He dedicates his book to children, “It’s the best I can do to explain what I think you need to hold on to in your future.” 

The Green Party is the only party that is unequivocally committed to a green future for our children and a new way of doing politics. You can listen to our leader, Mike Schreiner, describe our 5-point, post-Covid, “Green and Caring Recovery Plan” here – tinyurl.com/yye5e2co. 

Ontario’s next election is in June 2022 – just 20 months away. If you agree that Green voices are essential in our next Provincial assembly, please consider donating to us – the Bay of Quinte Greens – we need money to put up signs, organize, and mount a competitive Bay of Quinte campaign – go to tinyurl.com/y25geka.

Bay of Quinte Provincial Green Newsletter 2 December 2020 

Canada’s tax system provides generous reimbursements – total donations up to $423 receive a 75% tax refund, up to $1,410 a 50% refund, and up to $1,625 a 33.33% refund. 

Please think of us at Thanksgiving, talk about what it means to you and your family, and consider donating to the Bay of Quinte Greens. 

here is the 5-point plan for a green recovery as mentioned in the newsletter. 

here is the 5-point plan for a green recovery as mentioned in the newsletter. 

HERE is the 5-point plan for a green recovery as mentioned in the newsletter.

TORONTO, ON — At the Green Party of Ontario’s first virtual election, Mike Schreiner delivered an impassioned plea to Build Back Smarter from COVID-19.

Schreiner asked Ontarians to harness the resilience that has seen the  province through the pandemic thus far to build a greener and more caring  Ontario. 

“The path we were on was not doing justice to workers, elders or the  planet.” 

Schreiner blasted Doug Ford for using the pandemic as a cover while  selling off prime farmland and wetlands to deep-pocketed supporters. 

“His solution to get the economy moving is to rip up protections for our air,  our water, our land and our climate, which he calls red tape,” said  Schreiner. 

The Green leader urged the Premier to adopt bold ideas in the COVID  recovery like a universal school lunch program sourced from Ontario farms  and a job-creating, Made-in-Ontario supply chain for electric vehicles. 

“The only thing holding us back from leaping into the green economy is  political will,” said Schreiner.

Bay Of Quinte Provincial Green Newsletter 7 November 2020 

The Green leader pledged to hold Ford accountable on his promise to fix  long-term care by hiring more staff and guaranteeing more hours of direct  care. 

“How we treat elders in their final years should be a source of pride – not  shame,” said Schreiner. 

He pointed to safe and decent housing as being the most important lesson  from the pandemic and pledged to be a champion for affordable,  community-focused neighbourhoods. 

“It’s very difficult to stay home during a pandemic when you have no place  to call home.” 

Schreiner reflected on his many accomplishments since being elected,  including legislation to ban sick notes and help EV drivers, as well as his  advocacy for small businesses, community gardens and mental health  during the pandemic. 

“I am proud to say that the Ontario Greens have made their mark, even  during these unprecedented times when all eyes are on those in power,”  said Schreiner. 

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