As a newsletter subscriber, you likely have more awareness of our changing world than many of your neighbours, and an interest in building a more resilient community. People with new ideas, new strengths, and the desire to see our community thrive in challenging times are needed on our Steering Committee. To discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at info@transitionbrockville.com or call 613-345-4020. Liaison exchanges with other groups can also be explored.

Here are some of the resources -- websites, books and videos -- mentioned by TB Steering Committee member Christine Stesky in her presentation and discussion on voluntary simplicity on Sunday, April 23.

Our neighbours have also been organizing to promote local sustainability and resilience:

• Transition Gananoque
• Sustainable North Grenville
• Transition Cornwall+

We cover some similar ground to these longer term fellow travelers:

• Rideau Environmental Action League (REAL)
• Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network (FAB)

And we are heartened by this emergence:

• International Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ICSRC)

Each municipality has its own screening map. The maps show the areas where our Regulation of Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses apply. Because of the scale of these maps, we recommend that you consult with municipal and/or CRCA staff before beginning any projects near the regulated areas.  [ See also: Flood Forecasting & Warning ]

Thank you for your continued support for the ICSRC! Between January and April we worked hard to raise funds for Phase II of the project. We were also out and about building awareness and support for the ICSRC locally, regionally and nationally, and putting the finishing touc...

Paying only $28 per year in heating costs sounds too good to be true, but it has become reality in an Ottawa neighbourhood. A recently opened affordable housing complex is expected to be the first of its kind in North America to be Passive House certified. The four-storey, 42-unit resid...

On Wed., April 19, the Greenbelt Fund announced 24 local food projects that will increase access to local food across Ontario, made possible with funding from the Government of Ontario. These investments support farmers and agri-food businesses as an essential bedrock of Ontario's economy. Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Af...

At the recent 9th annual Ontario Bike Summit in Toronto, both Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca, and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Eleanor McMahon, made announcements about province-wide cycling initiatives. Minister McMahon unveiled Tour by Bike, a tourism strategy that wil...

Many players are working in different ways to address urban flooding, including nonprofits, conservation authorities, the insurance industry, academics, and governments at all levels. We outline the responses being undertaken by different groups. While individual actors are making an impact, there is a compelling need for greater collaboration among the players.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says officials at all levels of government must develop a plan to "rebuild better" as Canada braces for more frequent floods and fires related to climate change. Trudeau spoke to reporters Thursday morning after touring the Gatineau, Que., flood zones by helico...

Lost in all the talk and analysis of the most recent federal budget was a landmark investment of $2-billion for disaster mitigation funding – the largest infusion of dollars dedicated to disaster mitigation in Canada's history. The investment is designed to reduce the almost $9-billion spent by the...

The Liberal government's decision to delay its new methane gas regulations by three years is being attacked by environmental activists as a blow to Canada's climate commitments and a possible capitulation to the oil industry. Dale Marshall, national program manager with Environmental Defence, told t...

The federal government is determined to incorporate clean-tech technologies in its overall procurement strategy, promising to award extra points for bidders who include such innovation in their proposals. Ottawa spends $23-billion annually on procurement and is working on a series of measures to...

March 2017 was the second warmest March in 137 years of modern record-keeping, according to a monthly analysis of global temperatures by scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. Last month was 1.12 degrees Celsius warmer than the mean March temperature from 1951-19...

According to measurements by NASA's GISS global temperature monitoring service, April of 2017 was considerably warmer than all past Aprils in the climate record with the single exception of 2016. The month came in at 0.88 degrees Celsius above NASA's 20th Century baseline and fully 1.1 degrees Celsius abo...

When it was opened in 2008, the deep permafrost through which the vault was sunk was expected to provide "failsafe" protection against "the challenge of natural or man-made disasters". But soaring temperatures in the Arctic at the end o...

As the global climate situation worsens, the rickety and destructive old energy sources that caused the problem in the first place continue to look less and less secure. Meanwhile, the new energy sources that will help to address what is now a very serious crisis continue to gain strength. Plummeting Oil Di...

Kate Raworth is an economist focused on the rewriting of economics to make it fit for addressing this century's realities and challenges. She is the creator of the doughnut of social and planetary boundaries which, since being first published by Oxfam in 2012, has gained widespread international r...

It is entirely possible that things will unfold in a manner none of us can foresee and if that happens, then we will have to be nimble and respond accordingly. No guarantees, no promises. We are in uncharted waters and not only is there no easy answer for the collective, but we must all fin...

"Often climate change messages try to persuade the public by increasing belief that climate change is real, or through fear of its dire consequences. But mere belief in climate change is not enough, and fear can backfire if we feel helpless and overwhelmed. "It is vitally important that individu...

By now, the looming dangers of climate change are clear to anyone who's been paying attention, covered extensively in both academic literature and the popular press. But what about solutions? For all the hand-wringing on climate change over the years, discussion of solutions remains puzzlingly anemic and fractured. A few hi...

A study of Bentall Kennedy's North American real estate portfolio of more than 300 buildings found that environmentally friendly office properties net 3.7 per cent higher rents. In their Canadian holdings, occupancy rates in environmentally certified buildings were 18.7 per cent higher than non...

I look forward to spring every year. I start planning my small raised bed vegetable and herb garden about a month before I can actually put anything on the ground. I learned the hard way that I need to be patient lest I lose everything to an unexpected frost. My yard is not very big so, ...

People cut meat from their diets for many reasons — health, animal welfare, the environment, among others. There is a growing number of individuals who are reducing their intake of animal products to better themselves and the planet. According to a recent survey, 35% of Brits are eating less meat than ...

It seems spinach is almost a feast-or-famine kind of vegetable — it's gloriously prolific when it grows, then BOOM! Gone for the season. So, I'm harvesting as much spinach as I can by cutting the leaves to the bottom inch or so of the plant which allows the spinach plant to re...

WHEN: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Tuesday, October 31, 2017
WHERE: 125 Water Street, Gananoque

Through partnerships with local conservation agencies and consultations with the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabe representatives, the ACHM is pleased to present the Stewards of the St. Lawrence 2017 Exhibit in the main hall. This family focused exhibit will highlight the importance of the river to the local and visiting communities and showcase it is a cultural, recreational and economic lifeline. Through this interactive exhibit the ACHM can share information regarding conservation and stewardship and help to leave a legacy for future generations. Admission by donation.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 31 - Thursday, June 1
WHERE: Carleton Place Arena, 75 Neelin Street, Carleton Place

Are you a downtown business person, who wants to discover the economic potential of pedestrian and cycle friendly communities? Or a town planner, or staff person, wanting to learn best practice techniques for building a healthier town? Maybe you're a resident that wants to be able to get around your community more easily and safely, on foot or on a bike. Come learn about simple concepts that make towns healthier, more vibrant, and stronger economically.

Our organizing committee include members from the town of Carleton Place, Carleton Place Economic Development Committee, the Healthy Communities Partnership, Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, Mills Community Support, the Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month, and Share the Road.

To learn more about the presenters have a look at our presentation outlines and bios. Register early to get your preferred workshop selections. Deadline for registration is May 23, 2017.

WHEN: Saturday, June 17, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
WHERE: Brockville

The garage sale where everything is free! Leave any unwanted but still useful items at the curb by 9 a.m. Remove any uncollected treasures from the curb and cease collecting by 6 p.m. Please do not remove items from anyone's property- only collect items from the curb.

WHEN: Thursday, August 10, 2017 to Sunday, August 13, 2017
WHERE: 1 Water Street, Brockville

The Rails to Trails Festival is four fun filled days of interactive programing featuring the sights, sounds and delectable aromas of the early 20th century travelling carnival with "Carnivāle Lune Bleue", the pomp and pageantry of Canada's First Railway Tunnel opening ceremony and the ONTARIO 150 Tour with it's entertaining cultural programming.