waterbirds, peace, bolivia, mining, earth day, uranium

Wed Apr 2 14:09:54 EDT 2008

Cormorants at Leslie Spit  need your help!

from: Peaceful Parks Coalition

The Toronto Region and Conservation Authority (TRCA) have scheduled a
public meeting to discuss cormorant management options  at Tommy Thompson
Park/Leslie Spit.  

WHEN: Thursday, April 3, 2008

TIME: 6:30 – 9 p.m.

WHERE: Mennonite New Life Centre, 1774 Queen Street East, Toronto (between
Coxwell and Woodbine)

The waterbird colony at Tommy Thompson Park is dominated by nesting
double-crested cormorants, ring-billed gulls and black-crowned night
herons, and is currently the largest waterbird colony on the Great Lakes. 
The Toronto Region and Conservation Authority is considering using
population control techniques such as egg oiling, harassment and nest
removal to limit the cormorant colony at the Leslie Spit.

The TRCA are not considering shooting the birds.  However, other
techniques being considered can cause such extreme stress to the wild
birds that it jeopardizes their overall vitality. 

Please attend this meeting and give the birds a voice.  Also, please send
Mayor David Miller an email <>mayor_miller at toronto.ca supporting the
natural evolution of the Leslie Spit which includes a vibrant
colonial waterbird colony.  Below is a sample letter to the Mayor. Please
copy Councillor Paula Fletcher
<mailto:councillor_fletcher at toronto.ca>councillor_fletcher at toronto.ca
whose riding includes the Leslie Spit. Please remember, an official letter
to your government representatives must include your full name and
address. Thank You !  

For more information, please link to:www.trca.on.ca/cormorants

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THE HUMAN RIGHT TO PEACE
Canadian Department of Peace Keynote
with Douglas Roche
Fri. April 4, 2008, 7:30, Holy Trinity Church (behind Eaton's Centre on Bay)
$15
--
Canadian Dept. of Peace Conference and AGM
April 5 and April 6
For info see:
www.departmentofpeace.ca

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BOLIVIA RISING

DATE: Saturday, April 5th, 7 p.m.
PLACE: Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street
INFO: boliviarising at gmail.com
COST: Donation of $5 or what you can

An evening of entertainment and solidarity, featuring Melodia de Bolivia,
Fraternidad Kantataki, Rosario Arce, Aztec Sacred Dancers, Gustavo
Saavedra, Las Imillitas, plus greetings from the Bolivian Ambassador.

Bolivia will soon vote on a new constitution.  The President of Bolivia,
Evo Morales, describes this charter as a break from a colonial and
neoliberal past and a turn to a new era of indigenous culture and social
justice.  Bolivia's pro-US opposition has responded with violence, threats
of separation, and promises of disruption.  The situation in Bolivia is
critical.  This event will explain the issues and affirm support of
Bolivian democracy.

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Land Rights Not Mining Rights
Free Robert Lovelace and the KI 6

Wednesday April 9th, 6 pm
Ryerson Student’s Union 55 Gould St (between Victoria and Church)

Featuring:  Ovide Mercredi, former National Chief of the Assembly of First
Nations, and members of the KI and Ardoch First Nations.

In a travesty of justice and a grave assault on Aboriginal rights, seven
Aboriginal leaders are in jail today for upholding indigenous and Canadian
law.  In March, Robert Lovelace from  Ardoch and Chief Donny Morris of the
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI)  community,  four councillors and one
community member were jailed for six months for contempt of court.  In two
separate cases, they refused mining exploration on their traditional lands
without their permission.   Additionally, Robert Lovelace and his
community have been hit with huge fines.

These Aboriginal leaders were not only protecting indigenous laws, they
were also protecting the Canadian constitution as interpreted by the
Supreme Court of Canada, which says that governments must consult with
Aboriginal Nations before licensing mining exploration on their lands.

The KI Six arguments  that the Ontario government has a constitutional
responsibility to consult with them before issuing a  mining permit in
their traditional  territories were rejected by the court.  The judge in
the Ardoch case threw out Robert Lovelace’s testimony that he was
defending Algonquin Law and responsibilities with respect to human
activity in their territory.

Support the right of a community to say NO to mineral exploration and
mining projects that threaten the health of people and ecosystems. Replace
the antiquated 'free entry' system of mining and exploration with a
process that grants exploration permits only after consultation with
affected First Nations communities, and consideration of competing land
uses and values.

Join us to show support for the Ardoch and KI communities, to protest
these harsh court decisions, and to demand action from Premier Dalton
McGuinty.

Co sponsors include:
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation
Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University
Ryerson Students’ Union
Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win North-South Partnership on Children
Ryerson Aboriginal Students Services
Christian Peacemaker Teams Canda
CPAWS Wildlands League
Indigenous Environmental Network
Mining Watch Canada
OCAP
Laguna Acoma Coalition for a Safe Environment

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<http://www.torontoclimatecampaign.org/reclaimearthday2008>RECLAIM EARTH
DAY: U-TURN ON CLIMATE CHANGE!
Sunday, April 20th, 12 Noon
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto
<http://www.torontoclimatecampaign.org/downloads>Download The Poster and
Flyer - Click Here!

12 pm: Rally at Yonge-Dundas Square, Featuring
<http://www.myspace.com/newkings>The New Kings and special guests
1 pm: U-Turn Parade West across Queen St., U-turn at Spadina back to Queen
and John St.
2-4 pm: <http://www.streetsareforpeople.org/blog/>Streets are for
People Street Festival on John St.

For info call  (416) 861-1303 or e-mail us at
<http://www.ecosanity.org/contact/>info at ecoSanity.org.
Sponsored by the Toronto Climate Campaign
http://www.torontoclimatecampaign.org

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Citizens’ Inquiry into Uranium Mining
Toronto, Sat. April 26, 2008

You are invited to speak at and/or attend a forum initiated in cooperation
with the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (http://www.ccamu.ca),
in response to the issue at Sharbot Lake, and related contest over mining
on aboriginal land near Big Trout Lake (the case of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib
Inninuwug First Nation versus Platinex and the Ontario government).

Citizens will be given approx. 5 minutes, and longer for special
presentations (if coordinated in advance). Please RSVP Paul York at
647-342-7995 or pyork_2002 at hotmail.com

This forum is also being held in four other cities in Ontario in Ontario.
April 26th is the Toronto date. See http://www.uraniumcitizensinquiry.com/

Toronto Citizens' Inquiry on Uranium Mining
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Hart House, East Common Room
7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
Toronto Ontario
9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 
Tentative Schedule

Morning
9:00 a.m - 9:30 a.m. - opening ceremony
9:30 a.m - 11:00 am - speakers
11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m - break (refreshments provided)
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - speakers
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - lunch (provided)

Showing of film "Uranium" (NFB) and discussion

Afternoon
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - speakers
3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. - break (refreshments provided)
3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - speakers
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - closing ceremony
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - dinner break (not provided)
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Film showing of talk on uranium by Dr. Helen
Caldicott
followed by discussion

Voice of Women, Mining Watch, Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition, Science
for Peace, Forest Ethics and the several First Nations groups involved are
among the groups invited to speak so far. I will send a full schedule of
speakers and time slots as we receive confirmations.

The issues include (but are not limited to):

* The social costs of uranium mining – notably cancer and the negative
effect on aboriginal communities, miners and pregnant women and their
children.

* The environmental costs of uranium mining – to boreal forests,
watershed, flora and fauna.

* The use of uranium in weapons, both nuclear and conventional (e.g.
depleted uranium).

* Aboriginal land claims and the exercise of two-tier justice in Ontario,
and current actions by the Ontario government are indistinguishable from
19th century racist colonialism. Additional issues include, the lack of
public consultation on mining in Ontario, and disregard for the Canadian
constitution, which requires consultation with First Nations peoples.

See the following for more information:

http://media.knet.ca/node/3456
http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/Frontenac/AAFN_rls_080219
http://www.kitchenuhmaykoosib.com/
http://www.waterkeeper.ca/content/drink/leader_speaks_from_jail_lovela.php
http://www.wawataynews.ca/node/12802
http://www.dose.ca/news/story.html?id=3965e0b8-d058-42f8-9fe1-6304da426403
http://www.aafna.ca/family_council.html

* The fact that 19th century Mining Act is still in use, its current
violation of small landowner property rights, and the Ontario government’s
disregard of this fact. See
http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/Ontario/Ontario_Law__Regs

* Industrial mining, uranium mining and extraction industries worldwide –
the recent boom in uranium mining due, the Halifax initiative and the need
to reform Canadian laws that regulate mining, the problem with voluntary
(not mandatory) “corporate social responsibility.”

See * http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/CNCA_Roundtables

* Nuclear energy versus renewable energy – the fact that Ontario has
(potentially) 100% of its energy needs met by wind power, but is investing
$46 billion into nuclear power without public consultation, and using this
as a pretext for uranium mining, despite the fact that the majority of
uranium is exported and Ontario already has stockpiles of uranium. See
http://renewableisdoable.com

* Water issues – discharge from mine tailings, misuse of water in mining,
tritium in drinking water.

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