Summary of the Regional Meetings

In September, 2010, the Ontario Headwaters Institute facilitated two regional meetings on Natural Heritage and Hydrologic Systems: Securing Sustainability in the Provincial Policy Statement.

The meetings were designed as part of the Institute’s contribution to an informal group of organizations called Planning for Sustainability: A PPS Review Collaborative. The collaborative had come together to identify common threads that might be shared by community-based organizations regarding the mandatory five-year review of the Provincial Policy Statement.

In particular, the OHI felt it important that the Collaborative augment easily-held discussions involving Toronto-based organizations with an effort to stage two regional meetings with primarily rural organizations.

We also felt these meetings might balance concerns expressed at a meeting held in Toronto, naturally focused on sustainable communities, sustainable energy, sustainable transportation, and a desire for greater public engagement, with comments potentially focused more on natural heritage, water, agriculture, and aggregate extraction.

The two meetings attracted a total of 48 participants from a wide range of sectors. In addition to bearing the anticipated fruit on natural heritage and water, they re-iterated the deeply-held urban concern about the need for better public engagement on development issues.

Key Aspects of the meetings are summarized below.

Meetings held September 21 and 23, 2010

Main Sponsors and Series Partners

Informal Steering Committee, Planning for Sustainability: A PPS Review Collaborative

Canadian Environmental Law Association Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy Ducks Unlimited Canada Ecojustice Canada

Ontario Headwaters Institute Ontario Nature Ontario Smart Growth Network Pembina Institute

Regional Event Partners

Citizens Alliance United for a Sustainable Environment
Mono Mulmur Citizen’s Coalition
The Rose and Thistle Group
The Trent Talbot River Property Owners Association

Communication Partners

• AMO – The Association of Municipalities of Ontario • Conservation Council of Ontario • Conservation Ontario • Halton Region Environmental Network • MNR - for the Stewardship Councils • Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation • OMAFRA – for regional farm organizations • Ontario Environment Network • Ontario Federation of Agriculture • Ontario Greenbelt Alliance

• Ontario Water Conservation Alliance • POWER – Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources • Rural Ontario Institute • STORM- Save the Oak Ridges Moraine • Trout Unlimited Canada • Water Guardians Network • York Region Environmental Alliance

Key points* raised at the two meetings included that:

• Ontario’s natural heritage, hydrologic systems, biodiversity, and agriculture are under increasing threat;
• The PPS must be strengthened and the bias of development over sustainability, especially regarding the expansion of settlements into agricultural lands and with respect to an un-level playing field for aggregate extraction, must be redressed;
• Agriculture, and the shift to sustainable agriculture, must be supported by an array of initiatives far beyond the PPS; and,
• There must be better agency cooperation, outreach, and accountability, and a shift to integrated watershed management and cumulative monitoring, to deal with rural development, climate change, and other threats to the natural capital and ecological goods and services upon which the well-being of Ontario depends.

The OHI extends our deep appreciation to all of the funders, partners, and participants involved in the meetings, with special thanks to presenters Anastasia Lintner of Ecojustice Canada, Amber Cowie of Ontario Nature, and Kevin Rich of Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Please proceed to the flip charts produced at the meetings only if you accept that these notes distill un-attributed comments expressed by participants and that neither the OHI nor other partners may be held libel for any errors, omissions, criticism, or perceived sleight that might be attributed or implied under any comment therein.

Andrew McCammon
Executive Director