Niagara Is Not On List For Public Meetings As Ontario Launches Climate Change Consultations

A Brief Foreword to this News from NAL publisher Doug Draper

It should come as no surprise that Niagara is one of the very few regions in southern Ontario that will not see the provincial government host a public consultation session in the weeks ahead on what to do to address climate change.

Signs like this have dotted the rural areas of Niagara, Ontario in recent years – a message that if you want to generate energy from wind here, get out of town

Click on the appropriate link in the Ontario Government News Release below to review the list of regions that are included for a consultation session.

Niagara’s regional government made it clear more than a year ago that it is completely behind two of this region’s local municipalities – Wainfleet and West Lincoln – in their bid to keep wind energy farms out of their jurisdiction. And the regional government gave the province no reason to believe that it would not extend the same support to any other local municipality in Niagara that wishes to be a dead zone for green energy facilities.

Further to that, Niagara is falling many years behind other regions across this province that already have in place centralized, seamless systems of public transit accessible to all residents. In fact, there are a number of vocal members on Niagara’s regional council opposed to building a truly regional transit system – a position that militates against convincing Go Transit to provide more regular services to the region.

In Niagara, our regional gvernment might just as well adopt a motto and place it on ‘You Are Enteringthe Niagara Region’ signs that reads; ‘If yo don’t have a car we don’t care if you visit, live r work here.’

Frther to that, we have a prominent Conservative MPP in a Niagara Riding – Tim Hudak – who expressed strong opposition to provincial efforts to jump start green energy projects with subsidies during his years as party leader. Hudak’s views in this area are still echoed by many of the more libertarian and neo-conservative minded members sitting on Niagara’s regional council.

Meanwhile, other jurisditions, including our neighbours across the border in the Buffalo, New York area are seeing companies from across the continents come in with plans to set up green energy facilities that will create many hundreds of new jobs.

Little wonder why Niagara, with all of its backward thinking and naysaying when it comes to sustainable energy, transportation and other urban development plans, continues to experience one of the highest, per capita jobless and low income rates in Canada.

News from the Ontario Government

February, 2015 – Province Invites Public To Offer Ideas On Climate Change Action 

Ontario is launching public consultations on how the province can successfully fight climate change while fostering economic growth.

In-person consultations will be held across the province until March 24, 2015. Information about public sessions, including dates, cities and towns and venues, is available online at our climate change consultation page.

The province is also launching an online consultation tool – part of Ontario’s Open Government commitment to bring more voices to the decision-making table.

All comments from the public, industries, businesses, municipalities and First Nations and Métis communities will be considered in developing Ontario’s new climate change strategy and action plan to be released later this year.

Fighting climate change and supporting Ontario’s clean technology sector are part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.

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