(1) On January 24, 2021 we endorsed a submission from Ontario Nature to the Ontario Government regarding the government’s current consultation on Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs). MZOs allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to directly zone land for particular purposes without public notice or consultation or the right to appeal. There has been a sharp increase in the use of MZOs over the past year, opening the door to controversial developments on agricultural lands and significant natural areas. Here is a copy of the submission: http://nvecoboosters.com/MZO.pdf
(2) We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in support of the Township of Wilmot's application to implement a sanitary backwater valve program for residences and businesses located in the floodplain in New Hamburg. We applaud the Township for taking these steps to mitigate the effects of flooding. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent: http://nvecoboosters.com/valves.pdf
(3) We have sent a letter to Mike Harris, MPP Kitchener-Conestoga, to request that he oppose and urge the removal of Schedule 6 in Bill 229, the proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act which would undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity and build resilience to climate change impacts. We also urged Mr. Harris to support proposals to protect more farmland, natural areas and freshwater sources. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent: http://nvecoboosters.com/ConsAuth.pdf
(4) We have endorsed a letter that opposes the Ontario Government’s proposal to remove the prohibition on aggregate extraction in the habitat of threatened and endangered species in the regional Natural Heritage System of the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Here is the letter that was sent to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, and copied to Ministers Yurek (MECP) and Yakabuski (MNRF), the Commissioner of the Environment, the leaders of the other major political parties, and the federal Minister of the Environment: http://nvecoboosters.com/growthplan.pdf
In addition to the letter mentioned above, we have also endorsed an Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) submission that opposes the Ontario Government’s proposed changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. It includes the aggregates issue discussed in the letter, but other issues as well, and it is part of the official public consultation. It was written by the Canadian Environmental Law Association, with input from Ontario Nature and Environmental Defence.
(5) As part of our community activity, we are supporting the group Citizens for Safe Groundwater who are opposing the approval of a gravel pit in our community. To support their position, we submitted the following letter to the Township of Wilmot:
(6) Along with 111 other organizations, we are requesting that the Government of Ontario retain the current mandate of the province’s 36 Conservation Authorities in protecting, restoring, and managing the watersheds where 95 percent of Ontarians reside. The following letter was sent to Premier Doug Ford on behalf of all 112 Ontario organizations: