Our tax dollars should be used to better serve Canadians. These calendars serve no purpose but to promote MPs at the taxpayer's expense and they create a ton of unnecessary waste. MPs need to know that we expect them to spend our tax dollars as wisely as they would spend their own funds, even when it comes to something as seemingly inconsequential as millions of paper calendars that will end up in landfills and recycling bins.

Toronto's ravines provide a unique wildlife habitat and green space that is visited by hundreds of thousands of people and admired all over the world. The ravines provide home to many wildlife including foxes, deer, beavers, mink, owls, salmon and more. The Don Valley is enjoyed by paddlers, hikers, bikers, runners, wildlife watchers, or people who just want to get away from busy city life. Unfortunately our ravines are under serious threat, due to increased amounts of garbage and toxic waste filling up the land and the rivers. We find anything from plastic bags, diapers, food containers to car batteries, shopping carts, mattresses and even entire filled garbage bags. The City needs to devise a plan to clean up the polluted areas and prevent the garbage dumping from happening in the first place. We have an opportunity to do so with Councillor Layton's and Councillor Carroll’s budget proposal that would start a pilot project to pick up litter in the city’s ravines at a cost of $655,400 by increasing property taxes 0.022 per cent. Is it not worth your while to raise property taxes for less than $1 per homeowner to save the most beautiful parts of our City from being covered by garbage? ABOUT THE MOTION: https://bit.ly/2GKQaQu ABOUT THE RAVINES: https://bit.ly/2EHz8lk

Regardez l'émission Enquête du 21 février 2019 à Radio Canada. Voir les employés de Monsanto duper les agences de réglementation de tous les pays et aussi l'Agence de réglementation ARLA du Ministère de la Santé du Canada. Le glyphosate est l'herbicide le plus vendu au monde, au Canada on épand 20 fois plus de RoundUp qu'en 1980 et le nombre de personnes atteintes du cancer ne fait qu'augmenter.

La solution: Selon le rapport sur le projet pilote d’entretien divulgué le 9 octobre 2018, le déneigement conventionnel de la piste multifonctionnelle est tout à fait envisageable, bien qu’elle entraîne une gestion des opérations accrue et une communication constante avec le public par PJCCI. Nous exigeons donc l’entretien et l’ouverture de la piste multifonctionnelle du Pont Jacques-Cartier à l’année dès maintenant. Envoyons un message clair à la société Les Ponts Jacques-Cartier et Champlain Incorporée qui a tout en son pouvoir pour valoriser le transport actif, favoriser de saines habitudes de vie et s’attaquer aux émissions des gaz à effet de serres. The Solution: According to the October 9, 2018 report on the snow cleaning pilot project, conventional snow cleaning of the bride path is feasible even though it would entail more attention to snow cleaning operations and communications with the public by SPJCCI. We therefore request year-round opening of the multi-functional path across the Jacques Cartier Bridge.  We want to send a clear message to Les Pont Jacques Cartier et Champlain Incorporée which has in its power the ability to promote active transportation, favor healthy life-styles and reduce green-house gas emissions.

It is an expensive venture to fund sustainable energy projects, however, the climate change situation has reached a point where a proactive approach is crucially necessary. The raising of funds through an OLG "Green" lottery would support these initiatives without having to use tax payer's money..

Cruise ships are detrimental to both the water and the air, releasing raw sewage into waterways and emmiting massive amounts of carbon dioxide.

Plastic is not biodegradable and even when we place it in the blue bin it does not guarantee it will be recycled. Mountains of plastic are in the oceans and in poorer countries that import our waste. Despite being the source of a huge amount of plastic waste, supermarkets like Loblaws and Sobeys have been slow to reduce their waste. They have the buying power to tell major brands to start using more sustainable packaging.

The Ford government just tabled legislation to take over Toronto’s subway system, which will leave the TTC open for privatization or a two-tiered transit system, which will mean longer commutes, less control and higher fares. [1] The TTC already has the smallest amount of government funding of any big city transit system in North America with 70 percent coming from fares, [2] which are among the highest in North America. [3] When Rob Ford was mayor of Toronto, he made service cuts and raised fares. Doug Ford running the TTC from Queen’s Park won’t improve the TTC. Ford needs to keep the TTC’s control in the hands of the city and provide it with adequate funding. If we put our foot down with a huge showing of opposition, making sure Ford knows Torontonians want to keep the TTC public, properly funded, and in the hands of its users, he’ll have to pay attention. Will you add your name before the legislation moves ahead (any week now)? Sources: [1] https://globalnews.ca/news/4834294/ontario-government-upload-toronto-subway/ [2] https://www.cp24.com/news/ttcriders-hold-day-of-action-over-ford-s-plan-to-upload-subway-to-province-1.4197455 [3] https://www.blogto.com/city/2016/02/how_do_ttc_fares_stack_up_against_other_cities_in_2016/

Millions of non-smokers in our country, particularly in Toronto city are suffering every day due to unscrupulous smokers around all public places. These smokers interpret that "Law prohibits only smoking within 9 meters from a building entrance". Thus they claim they are legally permitted to smoke anywhere else. This is in addition to some who violate all existing laws and they smoke right at the entrance. Children at Risk A recent law revision has prohibited smoking near schools and play grounds. But that was a too short-sighted addition. Please note that, the same children get exposed to smoking on their way home at side walks, bus tops, pedestrian crossings, parking lots, walkways, public transit, and inside own dwelling units. Attention is requested to the menace of unscrupulous smoking in public places, which is causing health hazards to general public through passive smoking effect. While I appreciate the smoke-free Ontario regulation and similar laws across the country exist,evidently they are found to be not reaping the desired benefits. The rule that bans smoking within 9 meters from the entrance of any building, appears to have been miss-interpreted as if it just irritates the building. Any reasonably sensible person can understand that such rule is to avoid passive smoking-effect on other innocent nonsmokers passing by. But most smokers are seen smoking at a couple meters away from the entrance, if not at the entrance/ inside the confined area itself, and mostly right in the middle of other non-smokers by-standing / walking. Such violations are extremely high in crowded cities like Toronto / GTA and probably in other larger cities too . The trend might be proportionately less in other small cities. In either case the damages that would cause are enormous. Consequences of smoking in public: 1. One smoker could cause health hazard to multitude of non-smoking public through passive smoking. 2. Suffocating smell that linger when a smoker travels in a crowded transit vehicle/elevator, which cause all others around sick 3. Cause slow premature death to innocent passive smokers, including young children/ infants and elderly (senior citizens) 4. Huge burden on the exchequer via additional health / medical budget. 5. Instances of children picking up butts from those thrown by others. The teens may not legally get it from stores, but get free butts from the side-walk. 6. Makes the city dirty with butts all around. 7. Create an unhealthy community, and an addicted generation. 8. Fire hazard due to un-extinguished butts being thrown around high-rise buildings. 9. Electronic cigarette and vapes too cause equal health hazard as cigarettes

NOW until December 10th is our time to offer feedback. UPDATE- FEEDBACK PERIOD HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL DECEMBER 14. Wood Buffalo National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, in part because of its great concentration of migratory wildlife; its vast inland delta, the Peace-Athabasca Delta; and the fact that it is home to many endangered species such as the Whooping Crane. The park encompass an area larger than the country of Switzerland. The UNESCO designation means that this place has Outstanding Universal Value, and places it among such global treasures as the Great Barrier Reef and the Pyramids. It is also the traditional homeland of 11 Indigenous groups. In 2014, the Mikisew Cree First Nation petitioned UNESCO to add Wood Buffalo National Park to their list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. UNESCO agreed there were serious issues in the park, and gave Parks Canada 17 recommendations in order to keep Wood Buffalo off the list. Parks Canada has released a draft Action Plan for public feedback. At this time, there is no plan to address Recommendation 4 - to conduct a full social and environmental impact assessment of the impacts of the Site C Dam on Wood Buffalo National Park. We understand that much work has taken place with the 11 Indigenous groups within the Park, which we respect; however, we feel meaningful engagement with the Canadian public has not occurred. The sustained integrity of the Outstanding Universal Value of Wood Buffalo is a concern for all Canadians. Unfortunately, the Action Plan falls short in responding to all 17 recommendations from UNESCO’s reactive monitoring mission. A significant shortfall is the failure to respond to Recommendation 4 – “conduct, in line with ICUN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and environmental and social impact assessment of the Site C Project, and if moved forward, any hydropower projects potentially affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the Property” (p. 43). By failing to meet this recommendation, Parks Canada undermines efforts to successfully address the threats to Wood Buffalo National Park. Water quality and quantity are the key underlying challenges to the other 16 recommendations identified. From UNESCO’s 2017 Report on the Peace-Athabasca Delta: …Site C…has so far not been assessed in terms of its impacts of the already altered Peace-Athabasca Delta even though the latter is both a fundamental contributor for the justification of World Heritage and Ramsar status, and home to several Aboriginal Peoples.   …the 2014 federal environmental assessment of the Site C project didn’t examine the impacts on the delta because the projects proponent, BC Hydro claimed there would be ‘no detectable effect…the federal panel restated BC Hydro’s position, ‘without providing a conceivable technical rationale for this conclusion’… Parks Canada claims that, “previous assessments are sufficient”, despite presenting evidence at the Joint Review Panel that stated Site C would have a negative impact on the Peace-Athabasca Delta and despite continued calls from Indigenous groups for the discontinuation of the project. You can get more information and request a copy of the Draft Action Plan here: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nt/woodbuffalo/info/SEA_EES/action/engagement

The Petition: WHEREAS the University of Saskatchewan was founded for, and has a proud tradition of serving as an institution of higher learning for all the people of Saskatchewan, advancing unbiased science and knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole, independent of commercial interests; WHEREAS the University of Saskatchewan’s administration has recently exerted its considerable efforts and resources towards suppressing information with regard to the University's corporate partnerships with agriculture chemical companies, like Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, Syngenta et alia; WE THE UNDERSIGNED do petition University Chancellor, the Honourable Roy Romanow (elected by University Senate), to make representations within the University of Saskatchewan Administration to cease their legal obstruction and to comply with the prudent and reasonable recommendations of Saskatchewan's Information and Privacy Commissioner to lift the University's heavy redactions on the proceedings of the Symposium on "Research Management and the Right to Know" (Dec. 2015) and similar documents requested for public scrutiny. End of petition With the redactions lifted, the blatant attempts to suppress and hide the collusion between U of S industry chairs, faculty and the GMO/AgriChemical corporations will be more clearly revealed. The next step will be an even more public indictment of these activities. And we promise to keep you, our supporters, informed as we continue this struggle. Please join us!!!

107 municipalities receive funding through the Provincial Gas Tax Program. The Provincial Government cancelled an estimated $364 million per year in promised funding to these municipalities without notice in their 2019 Provincial Budget[1], putting our public transit service at risk[2]. Municipal public transit in Ontario has been underfunded since 1998 when the Harris government cut the fifty per cent subsidy of the net operating costs of municipal transit agencies [3]. Instead agencies have received a much smaller amount of funding through the Province’s gas tax program since 2004 [4]. To make life affordable, we need good public transit. We need more funding for our municipal public transit systems, so we can have lower fares and better service. The Provincial Government has quietly announced that they are going back on their promise to honour the previous government's commitment to double funding for municipal transit [5][6]. This increase in funding is critical in supporting a growing number of municipal transit systems across Ontario, serving over 90% of Ontario’s population [7], that connect our communities. It’s also imperative that long-term stable funding is reinstated for our transit systems to serve our communities well. Together we can hold the new government to their promise to double their contribution to municipalities and urge them to re-instate stable operating funding. Supporting Organizations: ActionKeele - North York Citizens United for a Sustainable Planet (CUSP) - Thunder Bay CodeRedTO - Toronto Environment Hamilton Hamilton Transit Riders Union Friends of Sudbury Transit Healthy Transportation Coalition - Ottawa Keep York Moving - York Region London Transit Riders Alliance London Environmental Network Scarborough Transit Action Network South Etobicoke Transit Action Committee Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) Transit Action Alliance of Guelph (TAAG) TTCriders - Toronto [1] https://budget.ontario.ca/pdf/2019/2019-ontario-budget-en.pdf [2] https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2019/01/2018-19-gas-tax-funding-by-municipality.html [3] https://www.blogto.com/city/2016/04/the_year_it_all_went_down_the_tubes_for_the_ttc/ [4] http://www.octn.ca/uploads/userfiles/files/Kevin%20Dowling%20-%20Gas%20Tax%20Introduction.pdf [5] https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2017/01/enhanced-gas-tax-program.html [6] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-gas-prices-fuel-tax-1.4665386 [7]http://www.octn.ca/uploads/userfiles/files/Questions%20and%20Answers%20on%20the%20Provincial%20Gas%20Tax%20MTO%20March%202017.pdf