Funny how things go in cycles.  In the 1980's, the environment was the number one issue.  By the mid 1990's, however, the priority was tax cuts and deficits.  Now, after some of the environmental costs of the cuts have come to light, we are beginning to see signs that the environment is creeping back onto the agenda.

The initial response to the Walkerton report has been positive, the government appears to be warming to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, financial support for transit is beginning to flow, and the Oak Ridges Moraine has protected under a special conservation plan.  

Now, more than ever, we need your support and involvement.  As the government begins to reinvigorate its commitment to a healthy environment it will need sound advice and good ideas.  We'll continue to let you know of the opportunities for public comment as they occur.  

We'd also like to take this opportunity to wish ourselves a happy 50th anniversary, and offer you the chance to join us in reinvigorating our own commitment to the next fifty years (see below).

Chris Winter,
Executive Director 

Justice Dennis O'Connor has released his Phase II report on the Walkerton tragedy.  It can be downloaded in sections from the Walkerton Inquiry website.

The first part of the Inquiry’s mandate focused on the events in Walkerton and the causes of the tragedy.  The second part of the mandate was to make recommendations that would ensure the safety of drinking water across the province. 

 There are a total of 93 recommendations in the report.  Here are the highlights:

Provincial Oversight

• Adopt a government-wide drinking water policy and a Safe Drinking Water Act for Ontario, and 

• Establish two specialized branches within the MOE. These branches would be responsible, respectively, for watershed planning and for overseeing water systems. 

• Enforce drinking water regulations strictly and commit sufficient resources, financial and otherwise, to enable the MOE to play this role effectively. 

Source Protection

• Adopt a watershed-based planning process, led by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and by the conservation authorities (where appropriate), and involving local actors.  

• Require large farms, and small farms in sensitive areas, to develop water protection plans that are consistent with the watershed-based source protection plans. 

Special Cases: Small Water Suppliers and First Nations 

• Allow variances from regulatory standards only where the owner demonstrates that safety will not be compromised, and never for cost reasons alone. 

• Give small systems that serve the public but that do not currently fall under regulatory standards – such as those at rural restaurants and campgrounds – the option either to comply with regulatory standards or to post a notice at every tap that the water is not potable. 

• For First Nations water supplies, the  Province should make available on request the services of the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), along with other technical assistance, as well as training.

Municipal Responsibility

• Require municipalities would be required to have an accredited operating agency (either internal or external) and to have an approved operational plan for their water system. 

• Require mandatory training for all water system operators, and grandparented operators to pass certification examinations within two years.

Standards and Technology

• Continually update Ontario’s standards and technology according to the most recent knowledge and experience.

The initial response to the report has been positive, with the government supporting the recommendation for a Safe Drinking Water Act. 

There are many recommendations that will have significant implications for other current initiatives within the government, most notably, the five year review of the Provincial Policy Statement, Superbuild, Smart Growth, ministry business plans, and, of course, the budget.

We will be watching closely to see how Justice O'Connor's recommendations are reflected in the government's actions over the next few months.

The report on the consultation process around the Provincial Policy Statement has been published and is available on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's PPS Review website. 

You can also find details of the report in the Environmental Registry, #PF01E0002.

Here are some details of the report, which summarizes what the government heard in over 200 submissions, eight regional workshops and six open houses.

Direction on Provincial Interests in Land Use Planning: Some stakeholders expressed their views on the importance of: articulating a land use planning vision for Ontario; providing more direction for growth management; giving greater direction for unorganized areas/Crown lands; promoting and being more actively engaged in planning for large geographic areas; being more involved in providing planning expertise and defending provincial issues; undertaking performance measurement for the PPS; and providing data to help implement the PPS in planning decisions at the municipal level.

Smart Growth: Stakeholders articulated that the full range of PPS issues have components related to Smart Growth. They also stated that the PPS and Smart Growth are directly linked and should work together to achieve common goals. The Ontario Smart Growth strategy was commonly viewed as an important additional vehicle to help achieve a number of PPS objectives, particularly in areas related to growth management or growth promotion; protecting the environment, natural heritage, agricultural and open space areas; cross-boundary coordination for transportation, infrastructure and other issues; "big-picture" planning; and enhancing quality of life.

Growth Management: Stakeholders identified a range of elements which they considered important for growth management. Some of these elements included: providing a vision for growth management on a large geographic scale; addressing regional priorities and rural areas; reviewing cross-boundary coordination for land use and infrastructure planning; emphasizing the transportation and transit connections joining communities; promoting
brownfields redevelopment and increased density for residential and non-residential use; and providing links between the PPS and Smart Growth. Stakeholders also said that growth management must recognize differing regional priorities.

Environment and Natural Heritage: Stakeholders pointed to environmental protection as a key priority in land use
planning and an important determinant of quality of life. Common themes included ensuring that the environment is a key consideration when balancing provincial interests, and addressing cross-boundary and cumulative impacts. Some stakeholders said that more detail and direction should be provided for water and that water should be seen as a primary resource.

Stakeholders also identified a range of important natural heritage features. Common themes related to protecting wetlands (including wetlands in northern Ontario and coastal wetlands), woodlands, species and habitat; recognizing cumulative impacts; and addressing cross-boundary issues.

HELP US CELEBRATE 50 YEARS

June 8, 2002
The Kortright Centre for Conservation

Please join us for a day at the Kortright Centre to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Conservation Council of Ontario and to share ideas on the future of conservation in Ontario!

10:30 a.m. Welcome

10:40 a.m. The Future of Conservation
In fifty years, we’ve seen our share of successes, and more than our fair share of losses. For the sake of a green Ontario, what do we need to do better? How can we integrate environmental values with the social and economic development of Ontario?

The Value of Partnerships Working Together for a Healthy Environment

• Jack Wilkinson, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
• Duncan Mac Donald, Programs Coordinator, Ontario Federation of Labour; past president Conservation Council of Ontario
• Dave Hardy, Director of Policy Development, Ontario Professional Planners Institute; past president Conservation Council of Ontario

• Chris Winter, Executive Director of the CCO on partnerships for smart growth

Open Discussion building on our strengths
Our successes and challenges for the future

12:30 p.m. Buffet Luncheon: New Directions
Lois Corbett, 
President
The Conservation Council of Ontario

1:30 p.m. Tour the Kortright Centre
Relax and enjoy the surroundings, or take a guided tour with naturalist Dan Stuckey

Reserve Now! Bring your whole family!
Send us an e-mail cco@web.ca to reserve tickets, and bring a cheque with you for $25 (cost), or $50 (for the 50th), per person, payable to The Conservation Council of Ontario.  Kids under five are free. 

Need a lift / Got space??
We’ll be organizing a car-pool to the Kortright Centre. Please let us know if you have space or need a lift.

Directions
The Kortright Centre is located off Pine Valley Drive, north of Rutherford Road. (Note that you can't go up Pine Valley Drive from Steeles -- there's a break in the road.)

(You can find a PDF flyer for this event on the CCO Meetings page). 

No word yet on the fate of the Ministry of Transportation's strategic transportation directions initiative.  The long range planning exercise was intended to link transportation planning with Smart Growth.  The regional forums were highly critical of the poor attention given to environmental issues and transportation alternatives. 

We are still waiting for the final report of The provincial government's Select Committee on Alternative Fuel Sources.

No doubt, alternative fuels has taken a backseat to the successful court challenge to the sale of Hydro One.  Hopefully, the renewed pressure to ratify the Kyoto Accord will help reinforce the need for a meaningful green energy and conservation strategy in Ontario 

In the meantime, you can now download a review of alternative fuel policies that was commissioned for the Select Committee and prepared by Navigant Consulting Ltd.

The report is called "Review of Policies for the Promotion of Alternative Fuels and Technologies"

The Conservation Council's next meeting will look at setting up a consultation process for ministry business plans.

In recent years, the Conservation Council has prepared a detailed submission on the business plans for those ministries subject to the Environmental Bill of Rights.  The Missing Values series can be found on our Publications page.

This year, the Council would like to provide more opportunities for groups and the public to contribute to our review.  The June 26 meeting will help us develop a public consultation plan.