Oakvillegreen

Bargains Galore at

Oakvillegreen’s 8th Annual Giant Community Garage Sale

Saturday, May 25 (rain or shine)

8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oakville Town Hall Parking Lot

1225 Trafalgar Road (just north of the QEW)

Find all kinds of great deals at Oakvillegreen Conservation Association’s 8th Annual Giant Community Garage Sale. With more than 65 vendors, this event will be an excellent opportunity to find bargains on toys, household items, books and more. On the same day, the Town of Oakville will hold its annual Oakville Conserves Energy Conservation Fair inside Town Hall. The garage sale is Oakvillegreen’s major fundraiser so please come out and show your support.

Hunted to extinction is Ontario, Trumpeter Swans were brought back to this Province 30 years ago by a dedicated team of volunteers led by a retired Ministry of Natural Resources biologist who got eggs from Alaska.

With a wingspan of up to 8 feet, Trumpeter Swans are the world's largest swan, made distinctive by their beautiful white plumage and completely black bills and feet.

After 30 years of effort, Ontario now has a Trumpeter Swan population of between 800 to 1,000 birds. 200 of these magnificent creatures, make their winter home in Burlington's sheltered LaSalle Park.

Unfortunately, a proposal to expand a marina and create a permanent wavebreak threatens this crucial swan habitat that 200 swans use as their winter resting and feeding spot.

The greatest concerns are as follows:
1. The permanent wave break will stop the wave action that keeps the water open in the harbour making it impossible for the swans to feed.
2. The current fall/winter construction schedule conflicts with the arrival time for the swans.
3. A longer marina operating season and allowing personal water craft will make it impossible for the swans to use the harbour.
4. Spills and pollution from increased boat usage could contaminate the water.
5. The larger marina will confine the swans to a smaller space that is inadequate for birds of their size and species.
6. The permanent wavebreak will interfere with the space they need (about 110 m) to take off and land. 

Plans for the marina are supposed to be coming forward in March 2013. Once they are received, the public will have 30 days to comment on them. Then Burlington's City Council will make a decision on whether the project can go ahead.

Oakvillegreen's position is that nothing that threatens the Trumpeter swans should be built. After 30 years of deidcated work by volunteers, the population of Trumpeters in this Province is still fragile. We believe the swans have an inherent right to exist and that they should not be threatened for the sake of private interests. These swans are a natural legacy of the people of Ontario and while it may be up to Burlington Council to make a decision on the marina, they need to understand that they have an obligation to protect 1/4 of Ontario's Trumpeter Swan population for the benefit of all the people of this Province.

Oakvillegreen will continue to work with the Trumpeter Swan estoration Group, BurlingtonGreen and other interested parties to ensure their winter habitat is not destroyed. We encourage our members to do the same. Please read the attachments to learn more and watch for Oakvillegreen's emails to get updates. If you would like to let the Burlington Council know your views please write the Mayor and Council at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Turmpeter Swan Restoration Group's letter to Burlington Mayor and Council

Dirty tar sands bitumen may be flowing through Halton if Enbridge, famous for it pipeline spills, gets its way.

Enbridge is asking the Federal government to reverse it’s Line 9B pipeline so that it can carry bitumen from Alberta to the east coast of the United States.

This aging pipeline passes through Halton via Burlington and North Oakville.

A spill of Bitumen, the heaviest, thickest form of petroleum, which contains contaminants and heavy metals, poses significant risks for land, waterways and human health.

According to Environmental Defence, Enbridge's application, " has asked the NEB to grant Enbridge an exemption under section 58 of the National Energy Board Act for an exemption from a public hearing."

Oakvillegreen is urging our Town Council to get involved in the issue, even though the project is under the jurisdiction of the National Energy Board (NEB) and does not require any municipal approvals or permits. Several communities along the proposed route, including Toronto, Mississauga, Burlington and Hamilton have asked for more information or to be included in the approval process.

Oakvillegreen has asked the Town and Halton Region be proactive and request that the NEB reject Enbridge's request and order a full public hearing. We will keep you posted on this issue.

Karen Brock

President, Oakvillegreen Conservation Association

http://www.enbridge.com/ECRAI/Line9BReversalProject.aspx

The Ministry of Transportation has just released an Environmental Assessment on a proposed new 400 series highway that would cross the Niagara Escarpment and run through Halton's Natural Heritage System. The report recommends construction of a 50 km long, 6-lane, highway corridor that would pave over prime farmland and cross 100 waterways, including 30 containing species at risk in Halton.

This portion is just one of three legs that would put a 130 km highway from Fort Erie to Vaughan. Halton Region is against this new highway as are 14 citizen's groups who have joined together to form the Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition (SEHC). This coalition includes Oakvillegreen, Miltongreen and Burlington.

Concerns about this highway and the EA report include:
* It does noting to address where actual and projected conjestion occurs namely in the Burlington to Toronto and east corridor.
* It would encourage sprawl along its length, pushing development into prime farmland and sensitive natural areas.
* It would destroy a portion of the Niagara Escarpment, a World Biosphere Reserve.
* The report under-estimates the possibilities of increased public transit in meeting transit demand estimating only 4% growth in transit use in peak times over the next 20 years. It also doesn't take into account how rail, shipping and other modes of tranist could move goods more efficiently.
* In its economic analysis it doesn't take into account the current value of the green infrastructure the new highway would destroy which, according to an independent study using the Ministry of Natural Resources own figures, is valued at $1 billion annually.
* It failed to consider Halton's vibrant agricultural sector in its economic assessment instead lumping it under "community factors".
* The estimated cost of the entire length of the proposed highway is $16 billion. This money could be better spent on improving transit in the GTA.

The next step for the MTO is to settle on a specific route in the second phase of the environmental assessment. Once this happens, land will be expropriated and the destruction will begin.

The Minister of Transportation, Bob Chiarelli, needs to hear that the citizens of Halton don't want this new highway that won't solve our traffic congestion problem, that will drain money away from public transit and that will destroy our foodlands and environment. Please send an email to Minister Chiarelli at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let him know that you are opposed to this highway.