[greenon-l] Province to Honour Bob Hunter

[Conservation Council of Ontario]

Green On.
The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario
see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe

Editor:  Chris Winter, Executive Director


Throne Speech Highlights
October 12, 2005

In today's Speech from the Throne there were numerous references to 
environmental commitments.  Many old promises were restated and reinforced, 
such as the commitment to phase out coal plants by 2009. But there were 
some new commitments as well.

One new commitment is the creation of the Bob Hunter Memorial Park in the 
Rouge Valley. This is a fitting gesture for a man who was at the heart and 
forefront of the environmental movement and a founder of Greenpeace.

Bob once said, "conservationists are a pain in the ass, but they make great 
ancestors".  He'd probably be the last person to suggest that a hunk of 
nature should bear the name of a human, but tough.  He deserves to be 
remembered, and remembered as someone who dedicated his life, and even put 
his life on the line, to protect nature.  I hope my children's children 
will know and appreciate who Bob Hunter was, what he stood for, and how he 
chose to stand for it.

You'll further note, tucked away in the speech, a commitment to introduce 
new measures and new legislation to encourage conservation.  Duly noted, 
and as the conservation movement in Ontario is gaining momentum, 
legislative and economic instruments will be a tremendous support.

This is also an opportune time to offer our congratulations to the new 
Minister of Energy, Donna Cansfield, who is well known to us in her role as 
chair of the provincial Conservation Action Team.  We wish her well with 
her new responsibilities.

Chris Winter,
Executive Director
The Conservation Council of Ontario

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CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY:
EXCERPTS FROM THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE
October 12, 2005

Your government is determined to protect Ontarians' health by cleaning up 
the air they breathe and protecting the water they drink.

It will replace coal-fired electricity generation with cleaner forms of 
energy, with the last coal-fired plant slated to close in early 2009.

It will protect drinking water by introducing legislation, as recommended 
by the Walkerton Inquiry, that would protect water at its source.

It will improve the environmental assessment process by making it more 
transparent and efficient.
And because a healthy lifestyle includes activity in the great outdoors, it 
will introduce legislation that would ensure our precious provincial parks 
are protected forever, while pursuing our strategy to map and sign 64,000 
kilometres of Ontario trails.

To symbolize the value we place on our natural environment ... and the 
power of people to make a positive difference, your government will be 
creating a new park in the Rouge Valley -- the Bob Hunter Memorial Park.

To his children and his wife Bobbi, we say: Bob's passionate defence of the 
environment blazed a trail and left a legacy. It will not be forgotten.

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A reliable supply of clean energy at a reasonable cost is absolutely 
essential to Ontario's prosperity.

We have just 15 years to refurbish, rebuild or replace 25,000 megawatts of 
electricity supply.
In just two years, your government has brought more than 2,200 megawatts on 
line.

It has advanced new generation projects that will provide us with another 
9,000 megawatts over the next five years -- enough power for 4.1 million 
homes.

And it is on target to meet Ontario's goal of renewable generation 
accounting for five per cent of our electricity capacity by 2007.

But there is much more to be done.

To ensure the necessary long-term planning takes place, your government has 
created the new Ontario Power Authority, and it will act on the best, 
unvarnished advice on what must be done next.

Commodity prices for new generation will no longer be subsidized or capped. 
Your government has taken the politics out of electricity pricing. The 
Ontario Energy Board now sets residential prices.

But your government is taking action to ensure Ontario's prices remain 
competitive -- by achieving a diverse mix of supply, a reliable 
transmission grid and stability in the energy sector.

It will also give Ontarians the tools they need to better manage their 
costs, including the installation of smart meters in 800,000 homes and 
businesses by 2007, and every home and business by 2010.

Smart meters -- which tell you what you're paying for electricity at each 
time during the day -- will allow consumers to gear their energy use to 
when the price is lower.

Your government will introduce new measures -- and new legislation -- to 
encourage energy conservation.

We are making these changes in a way that will reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions by 30 megatonnes. This means cleaner air and healthier Ontarians. 
It represents 10 per cent of Canada's total Kyoto goal. We expect the 
federal government to recognize this contribution in their Kyoto plan.

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The Drive Clean program includes newer vehicles that are passing emission 
tests more than 99 per cent of the time.

Drive Clean will be reformed to end this waste of Ontarians' time and money.


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Your government was the first to provide gas tax funding for Ontario public 
transit.

The proof is now on the streets and rails of Ontario: there are new 
streetcars, new buses and new levels of service.


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