News from Niagara, Ontario’s regional government
June 27, 2014 – Individuals, families, businesses, school and community groups from across Niagara were honoured last night for their contributions to the environment through the 2014 Niagara Region Environmental Awards.
Niagara Region gives top environmental award to Paul Ruzycki, a native Niagara resident and Greenpeace activist who spent several tense weeks in a Russian prison this past winter, protesting oil drilling in the Arctic.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the awards, making them one of the longest-running of their kind by any municipal government in Ontario.
Regional Chair Gary Burroughs and other members of Regional and municipal councils presented the awards. “The protection, preservation and restoration of Niagara’s renowned natural beauty are of the utmost importance for present and future Niagara residents,” said Chair Burroughs, “This year’s Environmental Award recipients have admirably advanced this noble cause, compelling us to be better stewards of our resources, so it’s with pride that we honour their achievements.”
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Mr. Paul Ruzycki for dedicating his life to raising awareness around algae blooms, climate warming and water quality.
Through his work, Mr. Ruzycki engages young people by reinforcing the importance of becoming active and voicing concerns over environmental degradation to local, municipal and federal governments. Mr. Ruzyckis work has meaningful impacts not only in the Niagara community but worldwide.
Other award recipients included:
- In the volunteer category – the Niagara Bruce Trail Club for maintaining, stewarding and promoting the Niagara portion of the Bruce Trail
- In the young people, elementary age category – the Connaught Eco Team for encouraging classmates to take action within their community in the preservation of the environment
- In the young people, secondary age category – Melisa Upwards, through her initiative “Sea the Change,” has educated individuals on different ways to become environmentally friendly
- In the green family award – James and Simone Deboer for dedicating their time towards protecting, restoring and conserving the natural environment
- In the green business category – Niagara College’s Sustainability Committee for improving and extending existing environmental, social and economic practices through transparent decision-making at the college
- In the green non-profit category – Julie Aresenault for working with young students at Lakeview Public School to educate and empower them to become environmental stewards
- The Niagara Region Environmental Awards are a platform for individuals, community groups and businesses in Niagara to showcase their commitment towards sustaining a healthy environment in the region for future generations.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
I do not normally comment on posts on Niagara At Large – a site that I post out to you as a reporter, commentator and publisher, but I simply wish to say this here.
What a brave move on the part of Niagara, Ontario’s regional gvernment – a government that has long been very conservative (often too conservative) when it comes to making many decisions across the more than 30 years it has been in existence.
No doubt, the regional government will take some flak from some of the shrill extremists I have already heard from who have a hate on environmental activists and for Greenpeace, in particular, and feel that its activists, including Paul, should be thrown in jail in Russia or whevever else where they just might throw away the key.
But to hell with them – for they are not voices for our future – and congratulations to our Niagara regional government for showing the courage to honour this dedicated environmentalist.
Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
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I don’t consider myself and extremist, but I do consider the recipient of this award as one. Anyone who is extreme enough to take his activism to a place like Russia qualifies for a very different kind of award. Viewed as noble selflessness by some can easily be interpreted as a manifestation of idiocy by others. It’s such blatant acts which get our people into foreign hot waters necessitating our governments to bail them out via diplomatic measures. Protestors are best advised to hone their craft with pen or keyboard, rather than delving into the murky physical arena, where a mug-shot is the resultant award of consequence, no matter how sincere the intent.
A response from NAL publisher Doug Draper –
Dear Mr. Tripp – If this is an example of best being advised to ‘hone ones craft with pen or keyboard’, you might want to think about getting out from behind your keyboard and standing up on the frontlines for something other than being a pawn for the status quo.
My 23-year-old daughter and her friends and cohorts are expressing increasing concern about the mess our generations are leaving them. They, more likely than us, will be here in the middle of this century to suffer the costs of our lack of vision. I have been honoured in recent years to speak to audiences of young people on university campuses on environmental issues, and I feel confident that they would be far more receptive to the voice of Paul, Niagara Region’s lifetime environmental award recipient, thant they would be to yours.
You may not believe you are an “extremist” in your views in the context of the concerns younger generatons of North Americans harbour, but you could not be more retrograde if you tried.
Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
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Doug
I certainly concur with your well-timed comments in respect of the brave young man who was honored today and to hell with those who would deflect hatred onto anyone who cares about the planet.
Thank You neighbor and Greenpeace Activist Paul Ruzycki, for it is people like you that encourages we blue collared to hope and dream.
These so called “Activists” are extremists whose only selfish concern is the bottom line on their semi annual investment statements. I wonder where they plan on settling in the future if they and their Conservative government continue to pollute and destroy the the water, the air, the very soil we look to for our nourishing food… and this beautiful planet that is the only home we have in this universe for “ALL” Peoples.
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Doug
This Country was built on the rights to speech and one never knows their next door neighbor until they spill their guts in ranting and raving proclaiming anyone that does NOT agree with them is unpatriotic..Consider where it comes from and take it accordingly… WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
Harper and his accomplice Peter Mac Kay together completely eliminated The Word “Progressive” from a Political Party that in the early states of Canada’s History “blocked” the pro American Liberal Party from annexing Canada to the American dream merchants for the proverbial 40 pieces of Silver. This so called HARPER Conservative party has transformed this old and to some, a venerated PROGRESSIVE Conservative Party….into a non entity…..And I think it is only fitting to add the true meaning to HARPER’S Party by renaming it the “REGRESSIVE” Conservative Party.
Thanks to David Orchard’s History of Canada “The Fight for Canada”
for the insight into the JUDAS action that eliminated a focal ingredient in our Canadian History.
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The Blue/Green algae blooms could be the death knell for the lower lake system, this algae is also propagated by clinging to geese and other water birds feet , which then enters other waterways , and is further propagated . This algae harbours a variety of super toxins,that killed over 180 Mannatee in Florida last spring and are now killing fish, birds and will kill us, sooner or later,E-Coli ,cyanobacteria, the tropical bacteria Cylidrospermosis was found in our Lake Erie, this stuff appears brownish in colour , not Blue/Green like it’s cousin, it goes underwater not on top..We are told not to breath or touch these algaes. They are that dangerous. The blooms feed of the runoffs from farmers fields, fertilizers , pig,chicken and bovine manure. Buffalo New York is trying to seperate their storm sewage from household sewage as fast as they can, incredibly a group tried to stop the City from doing this overhaul, last week the Judge sided with the City of Buffalo. Buffalo get’s it, but what about us.!!! Several years ago a Fort Erie Town Councillor got a bunch of volunteers to Waverley Beach, and rake tons, of this very dangerous substance , put it in Town trucks and hauled it away, nobody was wearing hazmat equipment., they were clueless as to what they were handling. These good folk put their lives ar risk so a politician could garner brownie points in the forthcoming election.
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Thanks Doug, for allowing me to air my unpopular views within your left-wing forum. At least in that sense, you do demonstrate a balance of fairness. People have to do what they believe in, and that’s that. Some people become monks, others crusaders, and others, perhaps out of the vanity of kicking against the goads, subscribers to the status quo. I myself have a 23-year-old son, and I know that the university crowd is predominantly atheistic, but resourceful in its initiatives to make a difference in today’s world, which yes, will be their world. But each generation has had its share of legitimate beefs concerning the state left by its predecessors, similar to political administrations placing blame retroactively. I’m wondering if you may have participated in any of the big-screen events such as Woodstock, or the Viet Nam war protests. I think your label “retrograde” was a bit extreme and perhaps uncalled for, but you’re the editor and I can certainly take it. I can’t expect that Canadian activists will ever get the red-carpet treatment in the international community, and that’s a status quo not worth fighting.
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