Help Ontario Greens Protect Greenbelt Land

Dear Green Friends:

On Friday we received an email from Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner, asking for our help to protect agriculturally and environmentally sensitive Greenbelt land from a proposed gas powered peaker plant.

Thanks to intense community pressure, the Ontario government scrapped plans for a gas-fired power plant in Oakville. Now, more than ever, Ontario Greens need our help to keep up the pressure and ensure the Holland Marsh remains protected.

Please take a moment to read Mike's message below, and sign their petition.

Thank you in advance for your support on this critical issue!

Last week, the Minister of Energy admitted that the government's projections for energy consumption in southwestern Ontario were overly dramatic.


Citizens of Oakville won a victory in their battle to stand up for what is right in their community. Through their efforts, they forced the government to listen and the province announced yesterday that it is scrapping plans to build a gas-fired power plant in Oakville.


This is just the beginning! Now it is time for the Liberal government to halt construction of the ill-conceived gas plant in the Holland Marsh. In the same way the site of the Oakville gas plant made no sense, it is clearly wrong to build a gas plant in on this site, on an active flood plain, adjacent to prime agricultural land in the legislatively protected countryside of the Greenbelt.

We renew our call to the government to do the right thing and stop construction of the gas plant in the Holland Marsh.


There is still time to stop the peaker plant from going ahead in the Holland Marsh. Thank you for supporting our efforts, and please take a moment to forward this email to 5 friends and ask them to join our campaign by signing our petition. Together, we can pressure the government to listen to our concerns and reverse this travesty.

There are clearly better ways to meet the electricity demands in Ontario. The GPO has proposed an energy plan that focuses on energy efficiency and conservation as the most financially responsible, cost effective approach to meet our energy needs. Imagine how much money Ontario could save by adopting this plan!


The government has admitted that their forecasts are so off that they can cancel a 900 MW plant with no impact on the Ontario's energy needs. Clearly, it is not necessary to build a tiny peaker plant that hasn't been through a proper the environmental assessment, that violates the Planning Act and the Greenbelt Act, and that the community has actively campaigned against.

Thank you for joining me in this drive.


Regards,



Mike Schreiner
www.gpo.ca

New Canada News Gadget!!!

New Canada News Gadget!!!

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A new nickname for Prime Minister of Canada

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The Automaton: "The Economist magazine has a new nickname for Stephen Harper: The Automaton. Seems appropriate to me. And these are, after all, the same folks that gave us Mr. Dithers so who knows, maybe the nickname will catch on.

The automaton goes on and on

Jan 24th 2008 | OTTAWA
From The Economist print edition

In two years in office Stephen Harper has earned respect but not love. Yet Canadians show no sign of tiring of bloodless politics



But Mr Harper has been unable to do much more than survive. Respected for his competence, he has all the charisma of an automaton. “I thought that people needed time to get used to Mr Harper,” says Roger Gibbins of the Canada West Foundation, an Alberta-based think-tank. “But it's turned out that to know Harper is not to love him.”

News Alert: No serious injuries in Canadian military helicopter incident

News Alert

No serious injuries in Canadian military helicopter incident Five people suffered minor injuries when a Canadian Chinook helicopter made what military officials describe as a hard landing and caught on fire in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Thursday.

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News Alert: Windsor surgeon should have full privileges: report

News Alert

Windsor surgeon should have full privileges: report A report recommends that Dr. Barbara Heartwell, a surgeon who performed mistaken mastectomies in Windsor, Ont., should have full privileges restored.

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News Alert B.C. road crash kills 6

News Alert

B.C. road crash kills 6 Six people were killed Sunday in a two-vehicle collision on the Trans-Canada Highway, 20 kilometres east of Golden, B.C.

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News Alert - Twister reported near Sundre, Alta.

News Alert

Twister reported near Sundre, Alta.


A suspected tornado is reported to have touched down Friday about 25 kilometres west of Sundre, Alta., says Environment Canada.

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Yellowstone bear attack in Montana leaves 1 dead, 2 injured

Yellowstone bear attack in Montana leaves 1 dead, 2 injured

Three separate bear attacks at the Soda Butte campgrounds near the Yellowstone National Park in Montana left one man dead, and a woman and another man injured.

Three separate bear attacks at the Soda Butte campgrounds near the Yellowstone National Park in Montana left one man dead, and a woman and another man injured.
The female victim suffered several lacerations, bites and crushed bones, while the male survivor had a bite on his calf. Both of them were taken to a hospital in Cody, Wyoming.
A spokesperson for the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said that the officials are investigating the type of the bear that assaulted the campers, whether it was a grizzly bear or a black bear, and if there are more than one of those involved.
One camper that spent the night at the location said, “We heard a scream about 2. We weren’t sure what it was. We thought maybe teenagers yelling.”
Another camper said, “We heard a lady in the tent next door say ‘no.’ I said, ‘There’s a bear,’ and started hearing this snuffling. We heard her say, ‘a bear has attacked me.’”
The other people in the campsite ran to their vehicles and hid there until the animal went away.
Park officials have set five traps around the area and are doing aerial surveillance.

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Canadians advised to cut sodium intake in half

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Canadians advised to cut sodium intake in half New guidelines saying Canadians should consume only half the sodium they now take in from salty foods and drinks could "save thousands of lives over the coming years," says Dr. Mary L'Abbé, the vice-chair of a federal working group releasing the targets Thursday.

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Canadian National News feed

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Canadian National News feed

Canadian National News feed

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B.C. sex tourist sentenced to 11 years

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B.C. sex tourist sentenced to 11 years Kenneth Klassen of Burnaby, B.C., convicted of child sex tourism and importing child pornography, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

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RCMP brass put pressure on PM to replace chief as rift deepens

RCMP brass put pressure on PM to replace chief as rift deepens

Daniel Leblanc

Ottawa — From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2010 10:51PM EDT Last updated on Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2010 12:51AM EDT

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is facing an unprecedented crisis in the RCMP and must choose between his hand-picked civilian leader and a group of high-ranking mutineers pushing for a new top Mountie, according to RCMP insiders and experts.
There is a growing rift in the national police force after at least seven senior officers formally complained to their bureaucratic bosses about the leadership style of Commissioner William Elliott. Sources said the conflict stems from Mr. Elliott’s abrasive and crusty personality and his frequent screaming matches with officers, often in relation to the rapid pace of reforms as the force comes under attack over its mishandling of high-profile cases.

But Mr. Elliott has his defenders within the RCMP, who describe his outbursts as examples of his passion for the force.
Sources said Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell, who commands the Ontario division and is nearing retirement, sent a letter to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and other government officials last week laying out a series of complaints about Mr. Elliott’s alleged dictatorial conduct. Other assistant and deputy commissioners vented their anger with the deputy minister at Public Safety Canada, and now the government has hired an outside adviser to determine the extent of the crisis.
A recently retired member of the brass, former senior deputy commissioner Bill Sweeney, said on Tuesday that tensions have steadily grown since Mr. Elliott became the RCMP’s first civilian leader three years ago.
“There was considerable discontent with the manner that the commissioner conducted himself, both around senior and junior officers. The tension was palpable, and I’m not surprised that people felt compelled to step forward,” said Mr. Sweeney, who left the RCMP on July 1 after nearly 36 years of service. “The commissioner is a man of extremes. In some instances, his conduct was unacceptable to others around him.”
The Clerk of the Privy Council responded to the crisis by launching a “workplace assessment,” hiring an independent adviser to determine the cause of the tensions and see whether there is a potential reconciliation among senior managers.
Mr. Harper’s office sent a clear message to the RCMP brass on Tuesday to calm down, saying the current exercise has “to occur expeditiously and without further rancour.”
Mr. Toews added: “Frankly, it is unacceptable for individuals in leadership positions in an organization as important as the RCMP to air internal disputes through the news media.”
Senior officials who support Mr. Elliott feel the conflict could be related to personal ambitions and rivalries between members trying to move up within the RCMP.
“The commissioner is a passionate guy,” said a member of the senior executive committee. “He expects the best out of everyone.”
Sources described the complainants as “Ottawa-centric,” saying Mr. Elliott does not face the same problems with senior leadership in the rest of the country.
But Mr. Sweeney defended his former colleagues, saying he believes their motivations are honourable.
“Many felt that the behaviours that [Mr. Elliott] was exhibiting were inconsistent with what we are asking our front-lines officers to do when dealing with the public. That contradiction was just becoming intolerable to some,” he said.
A number of RCMP watchers are questioning the government’s “workplace assessment,” arguing the rift between Mr. Elliott and his senior officials can no longer be bridged after more than a year of friction.
“This is too little, too late,” said Linda Duxbury, an expert on the RCMP at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.
Ms. Duxbury said the police culture is “based on trust,” and if the government insists on keeping Mr. Elliott in his position, it will have to ask, “How many of his leadership team need to be replaced?”
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, who has studied the RCMP extensively, said the Harper government needs to act decisively and appoint a new commissioner, all the while creating a board of directors to oversee the RCMP.
Mr. Elliott did not agree to an interview on Tuesday. Reached at his home after a CBC report on the matter the previous night, he blamed the conflict on “tremendous changes” within the force. A number of senior RCMP officers are nearing retirement and are being replaced, and there is tension within the force over the need to centralize or decentralize operations.

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O Canada

O Canada:The Canadian National Anthem:
O Canada - downloadable mp3

English: O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Français: Ô Canada! Terre de nos aïeux, Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux! Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, Il sait porter la croix! Ton histoire est une épopée Des plus brillants exploits. Et ta valeur, de foi trempée, Protégera nos foyers et nos droits, Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.