Environment Minister Jim Bradley and Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti speak with reporters at Queen’s Park. June, 2013. (Photo by Andrew Reeves) SO WE KEEP WAITING. Ontario’s environmental community had reason for optimism when Kathleen Wynne assumed leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in January 2013, knowing the new premier
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reeves report: Swimming against the odds
Few of the hundreds of thousands of Chinook salmon introduced into Lake Ontario each year survive to maturity, but the Ministry of Natural Resources is still betting on them to help to improve the health of the Great Lakes. Finance Minister Charles Sousa with MNR staff and representatives from the
Continue readingreeves report: Rebuilding ‘science team’ at ELA a tough task
Researchers at the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario. Getting the team back together at the Experimental Lakes Area may be tougher than saving the project itself. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on May 17, 2012 that funding for the Experimental Lakes Area would no longer be renewed by the
Continue readingreeves report: Toronto offering on-bill financing for home energy retrofits
A homeowner installing fiberglass insulation as part of Penticton, B.C.’s energy retrofit loan program. It might be time to replace that aging water heater in the basement. Or that thinning insulation in the attic. The City of Toronto is here to help, announcing last week that it’s taking steps to
Continue readingthe reeves report: Reports question NEB’s approval process for Northern Gateway and Line 9 pipelines
Enbridge under fire as opponents of controversial pipeline projects worry the Canadian energy giant will be ill-prepared to handle potential ruptures throughout Southern Ontario and on B.C.’s rugged coast. Opponents of Enbridge’s Line 9B pipeline in Southern Ontario are scrambling in the wake of its tentative approval earlier this month by the
Continue readingthe reeves report: Separate Great Lakes from Mississippi River to contain Asian carp: study
A recent study led by the University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that hydrologically separating the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River watershed would be 95 to 100 per cent effective at containing Asian carp. “Our study goes beyond just presenting barrier options by putting numbers
Continue readingthe reeves report: Federal court knocks Ottawa for failing to protect endangered species — Ontario could be next
Woodland caribou listed in Canada as a species-at-risk. (Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller is warning Queen’s Park could face sharp reprimands by the courts for its failure to uphold wildlife protections under the Endangered Species Act. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a federal court confirmed last week the Government of
Continue readingthe reeves report: Indirect Impacts of Pipelines Should Be Included in Assessments
If oil and gas pipeline proponents can talk about indirect economic benefits stemming from new pipeline infrastructure, opponents should be able to consider the environmental impacts of those indirect actions when arguing against them, according to the Pembina Institute’s federal policy director. Fair is fair, according to Clare Demerse, and
Continue readingthe reeves report: Ontario to roll out Green Bonds in 2014
GO workers wait ahead of announcement from Ontario government about green bonds (Oct. 30, 2013) Ontario made a small splash in the financial world at the end of October when Premier Kathleen Wynne and two top cabinet ministers announced the province was set to become the first Canadian jurisdiction to
Continue readingthe reeves report: Asian carp capable of breeding in Great Lakes: USGS scientists
Captured grass carp at Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans research lab in Burlington, ON (Andrew Reeves) Anyone doubting whether Asian carp could successfully breed in the Great Lakes watershed got their answer Monday as researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey and Bowling Green State University in Ohio announced four grass
Continue readingthe reeves report: Grass carp found in Grand River sterile
It could have been worse. When the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced on May 3 that a Grass carp caught in the Grand River near Lake Erie was sterile, biologists and invasive species experts on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border could breathe a sigh of relief. But not
Continue readingthe reeves report: National Energy Board commenting rules ‘undemocratic’
Enbridge buried pipeline marker – east Toronto. Credit: Adam Scott/Environmental Defence. Federal opposition MPs and environmental groups are crying foul over what they see as the government’s attempt to curtail public comment on Enbridge’s proposed 639-km Line 9 reversal pipeline route through southern Ontario and into Quebec. Tucked away in last spring’s
Continue readingthe reeves report: Local Knowledge Key in Land Restoration Program
Building off the idea that few comprehend the environmental challenges occurring in their backyards better than those who witness them daily, the Ontario government has re-launched yet another program to solicit local engagement in improving the province’s natural spaces. The Land Stewardship and Habitat Restoration Program– operating under the awkward acronym
Continue readingthe reeves report: Next Steps in Protecting the Great Lakes
Lake Huron shoreline/Photo by Jimmy Brown In the face of decades of environmental, pollution and development stresses on the shorelines, wetlands, river basins, flora and fauna of the Great Lakes, the government of Ontario realized making a difference in the health of these critical water bodies would require all hands
Continue readingthe reeves report: Yes, In My Back Yard!
Not Far From The Tree’s table at YIMBY 2011. Photo courtesy the Centre for City Ecology. The flow of information and ideas between community residents and policy makers is often a one-way street. When someone tries to flip that idea on its head, it seems almost utopian – until you
Continue readingthe reeves report: Algonquin Park: A Waste Diversion Success Story
Algonquin Park at sunrise. Flickr image by Karin Lewis. The crown jewel of Ontario’s provincial park system is being recognized for hitting a crucial milestone not often associated with our parks system: removing garbage. With approximately one million visitors flocking to Ontario’s largest and most popular park destination, Algonquin Park
Continue readingthe reeves report: Ontario Forests Will Be Net Carbon Source Until 2040
Ontario Forest in Spring. (Flickr image by jd_09) Ontario’s Crown forests are expected to remain a net source of carbon emissions for the next three decades, according to the latest forestry report from the Ministry of Natural Resources. The latest State of Ontario’s Forests report released January 3 – the third issued by the
Continue readingthe reeves report: Urban River Valleys Mean More Growth for Ontario Greenbelt
Ontario’s Greenbelt – Halton Region It’s a new beginning for Ontario’s 1.8 million acre Greenbelt. On January 10, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was in Newmarket to announce a significant new designation to Greenbelt legislation, which will make it easier for municipalities to add public land to what is already the largest greenbelt
Continue readingthe reeves report: Ontario Rangers Rally in Support of Life-Changing Program
photo by awreeves Until the first speaker reached the podium, the protest to save the Ontario Ranger Program at Queen’s Park on January 4 seemed more like a high-school reunion than a community rally. Approximately 100 people—many in standard issue yellow hard hats emblazoned with the Ministry of Natural Resources
Continue readingthe reeves report: Cleaning up the Niagara River
Niagara River © RokaB – Fotolia.com The Niagara River has come a long way since the 1980s. One would still be advised not to drink the water, swim in some of the public beaches or eat the fish you reel in, but the latest report on the remediation plan reveals
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