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David West
Richmond Hill Ward 4 Councillor
Special Environment Newsletter
April 2016
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Our Environment - Our Community
As we approach Earth Day (April 22nd) I wanted to welcome you to the 2nd Annual Environment Edition of my e newsletter. It occurred to me last year that there is so much to say about the excellent work that is going on in Richmond Hill relating to the environment that I needed an entire newsletter edition to properly report it. I have been proud of the way in which we care for our natural environment in Richmond Hill. We are blessed with a range of natural areas, forests, and valleys, as well as a number of Kettle Lakes and one of the largest glacial moraines in Ontario, the Oak Ridges Moraine. In fact about three quarters of Ward 4 is located within the Oak Ridges Moraine boundary (generally speaking the moraine extends from the Mill Pond north). As such, we have a great deal of space in our community that requires natural stewardship. Below are some of the tasks and initiatives that Richmond Hill undertakes to be responsible caretakers of our environment, for now and also for the future.
I hope that you might be able to volunteer to plant a tree with us on Earth Day, or participate in a number of clean ups that are happening in April across the Town. We also have our Mill Pond Splash Eco Festival coming up in June and, a new event at the Splash this year, The Kids Run for Nature at the Mill Pond Park. As a part of the organizing committee for both of these events I would invite you to join us. Details of these and many ways to get involved in environmental initiatives are contained below in this newsletter.
As always, if you have questions, comments, kudos or concerns please do not hesitate to let me know. My email address is
[email protected] and my phone number is 905-771-2480. You can also read a number of articles from past newsletters at
www.davidwest-richmondhill.ca, including articles from last year's Environment Newsletter.
Of specific interest on my website:
David West
Ward 4 Councillor Richmond Hill
The Banner Photo - April Showers bring May Flowers - Rain Drops (at least it is not snow) on branches in Ward 4
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Progress Report -
Implementation of Greening the Hill
Our Environmental Strategy
We are committed in Richmond Hill to being responsible stewards of our environment. We have been blessed with a great deal of green space including the Oak Ridges Moraine and a number of kettle lakes. With this abundance of natural green space comes an obligation to act as responsible stewards. At Council on March 7th, we received a report from staff updating us on the progress of our recently passed Greening the Hill, Environmental Strategy. Below is the introduction to this report and a link to the rest of the report. I have also included a link to the Greening the Hill Document.
Excerpt from Staff Report SREIS.16.07 before Committee of the Whole on February 29th 2016.
The Town of Richmond Hill and its community are strongly committed to protecting its environment. Over the past decade, while environmental issues such as climate change were considered largely global concerns the tangible effects of environmental degradation such as severe weather patterns, flooding, drought, deforestation, rising food prices, smog and invasive pests have become all too real at the local level, affecting quality of life for our residents. Federal and provincial governments have been tackling these issues with cross-boundary agreements, industry targets and regulatory programs. Local governments have an equally significant role to play given their dual role as both a corporate business and a developer of public policy. These roles directly influence Town operations, as well as the community; through them the Town has an opportunity to protect the environment and adapt to new conditions. Richmond Hill's Environmental Policy outlines the Town's vision and commitments to achieving a more environmentally sustainable community. This same vision and commitments are reflected throughout Richmond Hill's Environment Strategy and its Environmental Management System.
Link to public guide to Greening the Hill click
here
Link to staff report SREIS 16.007 click
here
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Waste Management in Richmond Hill
In Richmond Hill we continue to offer a number of environmentally
responsible
and convenient ways to dispose of both organic and inorganic waste. It is important to know what options are available and how to make responsible choices regarding waste disposal. Richmond Hill publishes a Waste Calendar that has lots of great information (click here
for an electronic version) but if you are a "hip now" person like me you might want to try the new My Waste App to access information about waste disposal in our community. Never miss a yard waste or Christmas tree pick up again and always know which week is garbage week, even if the neighbours don't. You can also have the Hazardous Waste and Environmental Centre hours of operation and restrictions at your finger tips. To find out more click
here.
Below is a brief description of the App's features.
The FREE my-waste app provides you with:
*Collection details (accepted items and preparation requirements)
*Alerts to remind you about holiday collection changes
*Transfer station locations, hours of operation and fee guide
*A Reference Guide that explains what to do with most common materials
*Customer Service phone numbers
Customize my-waste to your collection zone and never miss another collection day for garbage, recycling and yard waste. Find drop off locations for household hazardous waste, electronic waste and more! My-waste is available for Apple and Android operating systems only.
Other Useful Links
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Certify your Backyard as a Wildlife Friendly Habitat!
We can all do our part in making our "corner of the world" a better place. No matter how big or small your backyard or patio, we can collectively make a difference to our environment. Birds, animals and insects all rely on a
variety
of plants to survive and thrive. By planting species that are useful to these species we can do our part to ensure that we are living in harmony with our natural neighbours. Your corner of Richmond Hill can be designated as a wildlife friendly habitat!
The Canadian Wildlife Federation's Backyard Habitat Certification Program recognizes the amazing efforts Canadians are taking to meet the habitat needs of wildlife.
Why certify your property?
- Gain official status into a community of Canadians helping local and migratory wildlife, including species at risk.
- Help raise community awareness of the importance of gardening with wildlife in mind.
- Certified gardens are eligible to obtain an official sign to place in their garden.
Visit
cwf-fcf.org to learn more about Canadian Wildlife Federation and click here to learn about eligibility and to apply for the Backyard Certification Program.
It is a fun program that produces a positive result and makes us all more aware of the remarkable world around us.
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Attention "Green Thumbs"
Create a Beautiful Garden at a Low Cost!
Between April 5 and 29, you can pre-order rain barrels, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers (while quantities last)! Kits range from $25 for 5 trees/shrubs, $10 for 2 trees/shrubs and $22 for a selection of wildflowers. Fruit trees and shrubs will also be available for pre-order this year!
On Saturday, May 14, pick up your order at our
Healthy Yards Event from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Operations Centre. At the event, you can talk to gardening experts, win gardening prizes and take home free wood chips! A limited quantity of FREE backyard composters will also be available for residents.
Help celebrate our 10th anniversary!
In honour of 10 years of our Healthy Yards Program, we've partnered with TD Friends of the Environment and Tree Canada to bring you an exciting and fun-filled day.
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Richmond Hill is Switching to LED Streetlights
More economical and better for the environment Richmond Hill is making the switch to LED lighting for our streetlights. We will be reducing energy use from our outdoor lighting network by converting approximately 15,000 street, park and parking lot lights from high pressure sodium (HPS) lights to light emitting diode (LED) technology.
Why convert to LED lights?
- They consume 50 to 60% less energy and have a 20-year life expectancy - this will save more than $1.5 million each year.
- They have superior light quality, making our community safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Introducing 'smart lighting' controls will help improve service to the community by immediately notifying the Town when a light requires maintenance.
It is better for the natural environment, and and more cost efficient!
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Keep Calm & Plant on this Earth Day!
Trees are an essential part of our environment. As well as beautifying our community, trees create energy-saving shade, improve air and water quality by absorbing pollutants and slowing down stormwater runoff, and provide homes for wildlife. Community volunteers and Town staff have planted more than 6,500 trees and shrubs in parks and natural areas at Richmond Hill's Earth Day events over the last 10 years. The contribution that volunteers make by building our urban forest will have a lasting impact on our community and our quality of life.
As we do each year, Richmond Hill will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration on
Friday, April 22, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the
Oak Ridges Community Centre. You can come out and join the fun by planting trees and helping to protect the environment with us.
Register early to reserve your spot by v
isiting
RichmondHill.ca/EarthDay
, emailing
[email protected],
or call
905-771-8800 for more information.
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| Councillor West planting "small but soon to be mighty" trees with some "small but soon to be mighty kids" |
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Celebrate our Environment at Mill Pond Splash!
Sunday, June 6, at Mill Pond Park
For the past three years I have been involved in organizing one of the premiere Eco Festivals in Southern Ontario - The Mill Pond Splash. Partnering with the TRCA, Richmond Hill, and many other groups we work hard to produce a fun day of family oriented actives that are all focused on the environment and most importantly, what we can do as individuals to effect positive change in our natural world.
This much-loved event features something for everyone, including park "greening" events, children's nature activities, wildlife demonstrations, environmental displays, music, entertainment and refreshments. A bike valet will also be available to park and safely store your bikes free of charge during the event.
For a link to past Mill Pond Splash reports click
here for 2015 or
here 2014.
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Ontario Municipal Board Parkland Decision
When a development application is approved in an Ontario municipality the municipal government is granted a sum of money (called cash in lieu), or a land dedication from the applicant to facilitate a new or expanded park or park facilities in the neighbourhood. In the case of a cash in lieu payment, that money will be used to buy land for a future park or these funds can be used, under specific circumstances to pay for improvements to existing parks. This rule makes sense, as any new residents moving into a community will also need parkland in order to serve their recreation needs. I believe parkland and open space is an important feature of our Richmond Hill - as we grow so should our parkland and open space inventory.
After updating our Parks Plan a number of years ago we were challenged at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) by a group of developers. They complained that the rate that we were asking for parkland dedication was higher than they felt reasonable, even though that very rate that was designated in our parks plan was clearly outlined in the planning act. However, the OMB ruled in the developers favour, much to the surprise of our council and staff, and dictated a much smaller parkland dedication rate.
Richmond Hill initiated a legal challenge of this OMB ruling based on what we believed was an error in law by the OMB. We were recently granted a right to appeal. A number of municipalities supported us in this appeal including Oakville, Markham, Vaughan, and Mississauga. While we will need to argue this case at a future court date, this represents a victory for our community in our ability to dictate the future health of our environment and needs of our residents, to enjoy a satisfactory supply of open space and parkland as we grow as a community.
For Media reports regarding this issue click here or here.
Below is a statement from Mayor Barrow regarding this issue.
RICHMOND HILL CONTINUES THE FIGHT TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE ITS OPEN SPACES
Ontario Superior Court of Justice Ruling paves the way for Richmond Hill to appeal the Ontario Municipal Board's ruling to cap parkland development charges
RICHMOND HILL - Yesterday, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Richmond Hill may appeal the decision of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) regarding parkland dedication and signals that the OMB may have exceeded its mandate.
On April 22, 2013, the Richmond Hill Parks Plan was passed to determine the need for parkland over the next 20 years through an extensive public consultation process. At the same time, a Parkland Dedication By-law was passed to help ensure enough park space is available for current and future residents to enjoy.
Developers disputed the Parkland rates to the Ontario Municipal Board where the Board decided to set a different rate and cap the maximum amount of parkland or cash-in-lieu that Richmond Hill would receive from developers. That decision would affect Richmond Hill's ability to obtain the necessary parkland needed to serve its growing community.
We are appealing the OMB decision as we believe that planning for the long term future of communities is a municipal responsibility. No one is better equipped to understand or respond to the needs of the community.
All residents, regardless of the type home they live in, should have access to local parks and open spaces. Parks enhance our quality of life, provide spaces that support healthy lifestyles, contribute to environmental protection and are especially important in high density areas as they beautify neighbourhoods and provide a place for people to enjoy.
Many municipalities support Richmond Hill's appeal including Markham, Mississauga, Oakville and Vaughan because they recognize that the Town's fight is a matter of broad public consequence.
Richmond Hill will proceed with the appeal of the OMB's ruling. This is a monumental step forward and Richmond Hill now has the green light to proceed and we're doing just that!
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Safe Drinking Water in Richmond Hill
The importance of safe drinking water is clear. After the tragic events in Walkerton, Ontario relating to their water supply there has been a greater focus on ensuring water quality in municipalities across the province. Richmond Hill continues to have a safe and reliable water supply. At Committee of the Whole on April 5th Council received an annual report on our drinking water supply for the past year. You can view the entire document by clicking
here
. I would like to highlight that Richmond Hill received a report of 100% water quality compliance in this report.
Drinking Water represents a joint effort between the Region of York who treats (and then tests), and transports Richmond Hill's water (as well as all other York Region Municipalities), and the Town who transport it under our municipal streets, ensure water quality and bill water usage. Some very interesting information about our water can be found by clicking
here.
Last year I was able to complete a brief Water Quality Standard of Care Course for Councillors. I found it really remarkable how much effort and care goes on behind the scenes by our town staff to ensure that everyone received clean water.
Conclusion contained in Recent Richmond Hill Staff Report
Richmond Hill takes considerable care in providing a safe and reliable supply of drinking water and, as a result, received an inspection rating of 100% in the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change municipal drinking water inspection program for the 2015 calendar year. Rigorous sampling and testing of over 300 parameters is completed at the drinking water source by the City of Toronto at each of its four filtration plants and by the Regional Municipality of Peel at its Lakeview Water Treatment Plant. York Region performs additional testing at their facilities servicing Richmond Hill. In 2015, Richmond Hill exceeded the provincial mandate of 1452 microbiological samples, taking and testing 2167 microbiological samples to ensure Richmond Hill's drinking water meets the Ontario Drinking-Water Quality Standards. Richmond Hill drinking water staff are certified by the MOECC to test and monitor water quality and to maintain and operate infrastructure. All relevant staff skills are continually being updated through publication notices and training.
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Community Stewardship Update
We take great pride in our natural environment in Richmond Hill. During our Annual Report on our Environment Council learned that in 2015 11600 native trees and plants were planted by staff and 2100 volunteers. We rehabilitated and restored 1.8km of streams and 20 Acres of land. To read about our 2015 Natural Environment Achievements click
here and go to page 130 in the report, to see our achievements in 2014 click
here.
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The Kids' Run for Nature in Support of World Wildlife Fund Canada
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Jasmine and Jett |
Last fall Councillor Hogg and I had the honour and pleasure of meeting two really incredible young ladies, Jasmine and Jett (both just 10 years old!). These two young ladies felt that they needed to organize a run to raise money to support endangered species in Canada. The size of the task did not deter them. With a little help from their moms, they began the Kids' Run for Nature in Withrow Park, Toronto last year, bringing over 200 kids and parents out to run for fun in nature. The run has now grown to 6 sites in Ontario and one in Alberta. Not bad for a couple of kids with a dream!
In Jasmine and Jett's words
Hi there! Our names are Jasmine and Jett and we have created the Kids' Run for Nature because we care about the earth and want to get kids and their families involved in our great natural community. We want to support our environment and all the amazing species it holds while getting our bodies active and healthy and we think having FUN RUNS in local parks and green spaces with tons of friends and family is a great way to do it!
This year, with the support of the Mill Pond Splash organizing committee we will be bringing this run "for kids and by kids" to the already great slate of events at the Mill Pond Splash. To find out more, or to register to run visit
www.kidsrunfornature.ca The Kids' Run for Nature takes place beginning with runner kit distribution at 8:00 am on Sunday, June 5th at the Upper Mill Pond Park (off Willett).
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Walking to School - Trends in York Region
Fitness levels in Ontario and Traffic around Schools have become a persistent problem for us in Richmond Hill and Canada, in the past years. There are a number of areas in town where traffic, for a brief period in the morning
around our high schools and elementary schools, is quite problematic. I have been actively working on a number of these issues with our traffic staff. Last year we also worked with a couple of schools in Ward 4 to initiate a Walk to School program to address both of the above problems. The solutions are not simple as the reasons for the problem are complex. On this note however, I found 2 interesting articles related to this topic. Both of these articles confirm that, indeed the decline in walking to school is alarming and needs attention. If you have any feedback on this topic I would be happy to hear from you. Do your kids walk to school? Why or why not? If they don't walk what changes could be made to our urban environment so that they could/would walk?
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Bike to Work Day
As a member of the Smart Commute Advisory Committee I would like to invite you to join us on our 9th Annual Bike to Work Day. It is a fun day to learn more about opportunities to use active transportation to get to work. Its also good for us and good for our environment. For more information visit smartcommutemrh.ca.
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Emerald Ash Borer Update
On a significantly less positive note - The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive insect that has devastated our urban forest canopy by killing many ash trees in our Town. This bug has no natural predators in North America and as such, like many invasive species, it has been able to thrive in its new environment much to our detriment. Richmond Hill has been able to manage the decline of our Ash Tree population, but is powerless to stop the eventual death of our Ash trees. Below is an update on our Emerald Ash Borer strategy, including the status of tree removals in Ward 4, including in our natural forest areas.
Trees are a Valuable Resource, Dead or Alive
Since 2012, we've been implementing a plan to manage ash trees on public property that have been affected by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). It is expected that EAB will kill all of the ash trees in Richmond Hill in the next three to five years. We've removed and replaced thousands of ash trees on streets and in parks and natural areas. You may have noticed that in some forested areas we have left the dead trees on the forest floor. There's a good reason for this.
Woody debris and fallen logs are an important part of a healthy forest eco-system. Nutrients from decomposing trees are recycled back into the environment. In addition, dead trees retain moisture for the soil during dry periods and provide a seed bed for regenerating trees. They also provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals. Many creatures use the decaying logs as a place to hide from predators or as shelter and some lay their eggs in the decomposing wood.
If you'd like to learn more about EAB, how the Town is managing trees on public property and what you should do if you have an ash tree on your property, visit
RichmondHill.ca./EAB or call 905-771-8800.
For more also visit
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Salt Management in Richmond Hill
At
Council
earlier this month we were presented with an update to our Richmond Hill Salt Management Plan. It is important that we use salt on our roads wisely as it is a significant pollutant to our environment. An efficient use of salt and other de-icing compounds is clearly important for public safety but the needs of a healthy environment can't be overlooked at the same time.
Below is an excerpt from the report.
Road Salts are used in Canada as de-icing and anti-icing chemicals for winter road maintenance, with some use as summer dust suppressants.
A comprehensive five-year scientific assessment by Environment Canada determined that in sufficient concentrations, road salts pose a risk to plants, animals and the aquatic environment. A Risk Management Strategy for Road Salts was subsequently developed to outline the measures that Environment Canada proposes in order to manage the risks associated with road salts.
Under the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999,
the Government of Canada published a
Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts
on April 3, 2004. The Code is designed to help municipalities and other road authorities better manage their use of road salts in a way that reduces their impacts on the environment
while maintaining road safety.
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The New Duke North Trail
The Duke North Trail project is a new trail that will serve as an extension to the existing Saigeon Trail presently constructed to Tower Hill Road. It is to be constructed within lands owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority providing a trial between Tower Hill Road and Jefferson Sideroad and also connecting 2 existing parks - Autumn Grove Park to the east and Meander Park to the west.
The project will include the construction of multi-use trails of asphalt and mulch, elevated pedestrian boardwalks, metal thematic elements, tree planting and a pedestrian bridge which will cross a tributary of the Rouge River. An Agreement with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is in place and construction is proposed to commence in May 2016 with Substantial Completion anticipated in October 2016.
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Parks and Open Space in Richmond Hill
We are blessed with a variety of Parks and Open Space areas in Richmond Hill. As the weather gets warmer I would invite you to visit a park or trail that you have not visited before - for more information on all the parks available in our town please visit
https://www.richmondhill.ca/documents/prc_parks_and_trails_guide.pdf
or
http://www.richmondhill.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=prc_parks_showcase
or http://www.richmondhill.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=prc_parks_trails_guide
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Citizen Scientists
The Toronto Region Conservation Authority provides a great deal of leadership on Environmental matters in our Region and they are an important partner in Richmond Hill in this regard. I found the story below really inspiring and while the deadline for this program is passed I still thought the program was worth sharing. I think it is a great opportunity to get involved in protecting wildlife and learning about the environment while doing so.
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