[greenon-l] Update and Freshwater Symposium

[cco at web.ca]

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<http://www.weconserve.ca/> 

February 20, 2009 

 

 

Greetings friends and conservers,

 

These are exceedingly busy times for us at the Conservation Council of
Ontario.   A quick update


 

First, I am having an amazing time working with the City of Toronto on
setting up community networks under the Live Green Toronto program.  I
believe that “community conservation networks” are one of the cornerstones
of a united movement.  Community groups are at the front lines of public
engagement and support, and they are an extremely cost effective avenue for
promoting conservation solutions.  A community network is a great way to
bring groups together to tackle common priorities.  It’s also a great tool
for municipalities that are working to provide their residents with
conservation and green solutions.  If any of you are interested in setting
up a network in your municipality or community, please drop me a line.

 

Second, we are working on a Great Green Directory for Ontario – simply put,
I want people to be able to access information on the products, services,
programs, and incentives available to them in their community simply by
typing in “I live here and I want help with this.”   Directories abound
already, so I am also interested in seeing if the GGD can incorporate or
support existing services.  Lastly, the directory needs to be adaptable to
local applications – any municipality or organization should be able to put
their skin on it and have a default search for their community.  Neat
challenge, and my thanks to the Ministry of the Environment for a seed
grant, and to the Centre for Social Innovation, Green Enterprise Toronto and
Live Green Toronto for rising to the challenge in the early stages.

 

Third, we received a very gracious offer of pro bono support from Tenzing
Communications ( <http://www.gotenzing.com/> www.gotenzing.com) to help us
develop a marketing strategy for We Conserve.  They are great folks, and I
have set them the very challenging task within a marketing strategy for “We
Conserve” of coming up with a way to unite “conserve”, “green”,
“sustainablity”, “ecological footprint” and all other terms in a way that
people easily recognize that it is all part of a common challenge to live
lightly on this Earth.  It’s the marketing equivalent of a universal
translator (for all you old Trekkies).  I suspect the answer, in true
Canadian fashion, is to embrace and revel in our diversity
 

 

Fourth, the Green Energy Act is coming.  I’ll pass on details as I get them,
but it is great to see the government place an emphasis on green jobs and
infrastructure as part of their economic recovery package.  


Fifth, I just got word that the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario will
be releasing a special report on Species at Risk on March 2nd , The Last
Line of Defence: A Review of Ontario’s New Protections for Species at Risk”
--  <http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/index.php/pubs/news-room/esa-advisory.php>
http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/index.php/pubs/news-room/esa-advisory.php 


 

That’s it for now, although much more wonderful stuff is in the works!  I
hope you are all well on a chilly Friday in February.

 

Chris Winter

The Conservation Council of Ontario

e: cco at web.ca 

i: www.weconserve.ca <http://www.weconserve.ca/> 

i: www.greenontario.org <http://www.greenontario.org/>  

 

 

P.S.  I’m forwarding you a notice of a one-day symposium  on Preserving
Ontario’s Freshwater that we are helping out with


 

 

The Ontario Headwaters Institute invites you to:

 

                PRESERVING ONTARIO’S FRESHWATER 

          A symposium and networking café to tap the wellspring of community
knowledge

 

                 8 am – 4:30 pm Friday, March 27, 2009, in Toronto

 

 

  Much has been accomplished in the few years since the Walkerton tragedy,
with more 

  initiatives underway, yet Ontario’s ground and surface water resources
remain finite as:

    *        our population increases;

            *        demand for water expands;

                    *        the climate changes; and 

                            *        we contemplate greater designs on the
boreal and the taiga. 

 

  Please join us for:

*        An address by Gord Miller, the Environmental Commissioner of
Ontario;

*        Discussions featuring 15 leaders working on freshwater issues; and,

*        A networking café to strengthen bonds and capture the expertise in
the room.

   

Share your observations and recommendations as we discuss:

    What is the health of Ontario’s freshwater? 

      What are we doing right to preserve our freshwater ecosystems? and,

      What more needs to be done by individuals, organizations, industry,
and government? 

 

 

Participating Organizations include: 

 

                                                  The Sustainability Network

                                               The Water Guardians Network

                                             The Ontario Smart Growth
Network

                                             The Conservation Council of
Ontario

 

                 See  <http://www.ohwi.ca/> www.ohwi.ca for full details and
registration information.

                         E-mail inquiries are welcome via
<mailto:Andrew at ohwi.ca> Andrew at ohwi.ca

 

 

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