Ontario Headwaters Institute

05/24/2026

Pickering's proposed message to Ottawa is that farming on the Federal Lands has no value and that a national park creates no jobs – a direct contradiction of the powerful, fact-based submissions from every major farming organization and environmental group.

Their recommended submission to Transport Canada is as inaccurate as it is bleak, promoting fallacies and misinformation, with the obvious goal of paving Class 1 soil for status quo employment sprawl.

Our position is clear: no expropriated Crown farmland should be sacrificed for more commercial or industrial development. Durham Region and the GTHA already have plenty of land set aside for such purposes. Furthermore, the federal government has a moral duty to deliver a "public good" here. Commercial and industrial sprawl doesn’t meet that test:https://landoverlandings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-The-Federal-Governments-Moral-Duty-.pdf

The unprecedented opportunity to protect this irreplaceable Crown asset in a national park must be embraced by the City of Pickering. These lands must not be diminished and hidden behind an industrial wall of "manufacturing, transportation/ warehousing (including warehousing and storage and data centres), wholesale trade, and construction," as suggested in the SGL Report to Council (p. 22).

The SGL report also contains these mind-boggling claims (pp. 72/73):

“We do not anticipate additional benefit to the City of Pickering from agricultural or Rouge National Urban Park (“RNUP”) designations since these represent ‘status quo’ use of the Pickering Federal Lands.”

and

“It is difficult to predict what, if any, additional agricultural jobs would be created within expanded agricultural uses or the RNUP.”

Had the consultants done their homework, they would have found that our community-funded Ag Study has answered exactly that: https://landoverlandings.com/resources/a-future-for-the-lands-economic-impact-of-remaining-pickering-federal-lands-if-returned-to-permanent-agriculture/

Pickering’s handling of this truly important issue has been a shoddy mess from the start. Will councillors call out this embarrassment for what it is? Or will they fall victim to staff spin yet again?

The full report and the recommendation to Council for the Monday, May 25, council meeting are here (see item 11.2): https://surl.li/znbvbu

Have your say - “Expand the Rouge with ALL the Pickering Lands!” Contact Pickering Council here: https://www.pickering.ca/council-city-administration/mayor-and-council/

05/22/2026

The Ontario Headwaters Institute and the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network invite organizations throughout Ontario and the eight US Great Lake states to co-sign a submission to improve the protection of the Great Lakes and its Basin.

Crafted over several months with input from many organizations, the submission to Canada and the United States offers six recommendations on improving the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with respect to physical integrity and watershed security.

The submission, which includes contact information for any questions or comments, can be seen at this link:https://ontarioheadwaters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Recommendations-to-Improve-the-Great-Lakes-Water-Quality-Agreement-June-1.pdf

To support the submission, please send an email to [email protected] by 6 pm on Friday, May 29 providing your name, the name of your organization, and your position in the organization.

05/08/2026

Thank you all for the support on our "Ontario Must Not Proceed with Bill 97" petition! We are requesting the commission of a comprehensive Green Paper on the Future of Watershed Management in Ontario to address all watersheds, based on aspirational targets and science-based outcomes, each with an identified lead agency. Every signature will send a personalized email to your very own MPP, as well as the Premier, letting them know that the current plans are insufficient to ensure proper watershed security across Ontario.

To sign the petition and make your voice heard, visit our Linktree in our bio or go to linktr.ee/ohi.

The petition can also be reached directly at: https://win.newmode.net/ontarioheadwatersinstitute/ontarioneedstoembracewatershedsecurity

05/04/2026

As the more than 600 supporters of our recent petitions know, the OHI made extensive efforts to participate in discussions on the now-imposed consolidation of conservation authorities. We had and retain deep concerns about this foolish move, its administrative ambiguity, its silence on harmonization to the highest rather than the lowest standards, and so much more.

In addition, while we support addressing the need for more housing that is compact, low-carbon, attainable, and affordable, we are the only organization that presented a comprehensive alternative to the proposed consolidation - commissioning a Green Paper on the Future of Watershed Management in Ontario.

Unfortunately, the pro-development mindset that now runs Ontario more tightly than the Family Compact of 200 years ago seems rather hydrophobic and rabid against transparency, consultation, sustainable development, and the democratic process.

Regardless of the lack of meaningful consultation on Bill 97, we today release our poster calling for Ontario to embrace watershed security. You can see the poster here:https://ontarioheadwaters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ontario-Needs-to-Embrace-Watershed-Security-April-2026.pdf
And we ask you to support the need for the Green Paper in our new petition, here: https://win.newmode.net/ontarioheadwatersinstitute/ontarioneedstoembracewatershedsecurity

As always, links to our petitions, posters, newsletters, and more can be found on our website, and on our Linktree at linktr.ee/ohi.

 As the more than 600 supporters of our recent petitions know, the OHI made extensive efforts to participate in discussions on the now-imposed consolidation of conservation authorities. While we support addressing the need for more housing that is compact, low-carbon, attainable, and affordable, we...

04/28/2026

Tonight, April 28th at 8pm Eastern, TVO’s The Rundown has a panel on the Consolidation of Conservation Authorities. Three great speakers, plus our very own Andrew McCammon!

If you can't catch it live, the full episode will be available at https://www.tvo.org/the-rundown and TVO's YouTube channel shortly after airing. We will also add it to our Linktree at linktr.ee/ohi.

04/22/2026

Thank you for over 300 signatures on our email campaign concerning Bill 97! In addition to our existing email campaign, we will also be launching a social media campaign through Newmode. This campaign will allow signatories to reach out to their MPP and other members of government directly through the social media platform of their choosing! Please help us let the government know that Bill 97 is not okay by signing at: https://win.newmode.net/ontarioheadwatersinstitute/ontariomustnotproceedwithbill97socialmedia

As always, links to our active petitions, newsletter, and more can be found on our Linktree in our bio or at linktr.ee/ohi

04/20/2026

The Ontario government’s announced intention to abandon committee hearings on Bill 97 and proceed to third reading and immediate passage of the bill in the legislature is an abomination.

Clearly unpopular elements of Bill 97, Plan to Protect Ontario, are those dealing with Freedom of Information as well as the consolidation of conservation authorities and the creation of a Provincial Conservation Agency, which will not be subject to the Environmental Bill of Rights and is thereby excused from posting notices on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

This is unacceptable and Ontario should proceed with the normal process, including extensive hearings in standing committee.

Please see our petition on this issue, at https://win.newmode.net/ontarioheadwatersinstitute/ontariomustnotproceedwithbill97

As always, links to our active petitions, our newsletter, and more can be found on our Linktree in our bio or at linktr.ee/ohi.

04/16/2026

The Great Lakes Ecoregion Network and the Ontario Headwaters Institute request your comments on draft recommendations to Canada and the United States for the improved implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with respect to Physical Integrity and Watershed Security. Comments are due not due until May 7, with a Zoom Information Session at 6 pm April 29.

The above draft recommendations are also available on our Linktree under the title "Request for Comment and Notice of Upcoming Zoom Information Session".

03/30/2026

On March 26, the Ontario Government tabled yet another omnibus budget bill. This one seeks to amend 17 pieces of legislation, including the Conservation Authorities Act, with proper consultation seeming unlikely. Please sign our petition urging fulsome consultation, found on our Linktree in our bio or at linktr.ee/ohi

03/25/2026

We'd like to thank everyone for all of their support on our New/Mode petition calling for consultation on the Province's planned changes to our Conservation Authorities! We're so close to 100 signatures! If you haven't already, please consider signing and sharing our petition. We can only make our voices heard by working together!

As always, the link to our petition, newsletter, and much more can be found on our Linktree at: linktr.ee/ohi