“We change our behaviour through hope, not fear.”
– Dr. Bonnie Simpson
Dr. Bonnie Simpson, professor and behavioural psychologist, set the stage at our Climate Solutions Conference, Heat Eat Grow Go Event. Thanks to all who attended this very successful event on April 20th hosted by your Parry Sound-Muskoka Greens. Special thanks to our guest speakers and to those who shared experiences.
Some highlights include:
From the HEAT workshop
- Cold air source heat pumps are 300% – 400% more efficient in home heating, save hundreds of dollars annually and heat without burning fossil fuels.
- Materials are readily available with a low carbon footprint (many even store carbon!) to build or retrofit.
From the EAT workshop
- Eating fewer processed foods and crowding out meat with more vegetables is healthy and healing for the planet, healthy and healing for the body.
- Community support for local food production increases local food security and decreases harmful carbon emissions from production and transportation.
From the GROW workshop
- Plants are the foundation of the food web so growing native species is important for biodiversity and can be done in your own front or back yard!
- Muskoka Watershed Council’s ‘Natural Edge Program’ is one of many local resources to help residents protect shorelines, plant for pollinators, avoid invasive species, and plant to support the resiliency of our natural infrastructure.
From the GO workshop
- EV’s now come in many models that compare in price to gas powered vehicles. EV’s save hundreds of dollars ($15K to $30K per 200 000 miles), have a negligible impact on the grid (10M EV’s will increase demand on grid 5%-10% by 2050) and creates a fraction of the carbon emissions to mine battery materials compared to emissions created from mining fossil fuels (7M vs 28B in 2020).
- Active transportation, public transit and train revitalization will reduce our car dependency.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children (MMIWC) Walk – Green volunteers, including Matt Richter, joined Joyce Jonathan Crone (pictured below) and Hope Arises supporters on Sunday May 5th in Huntsville. Together, with other community members, they walked to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two spirited.
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Lake of Bays and Bracebridge Volunteers Host ‘Chilli and Chats with Matt’ – We’ve been having great success with these engaging networking events where locals are invited to share and discuss ideas, concerns, experiences and questions, with Green Party of Ontario Deputy Leader Matt Richter, over a hearty bowl of chilli! Watch for these events in your inbox. Huntsville will be hosting in June!
Adopt a Highway Roadside Cleanup – A BIG shout out the the 10 volunteers gathered to clean up our adopted 5km section of Hwy 118 near Milford Bay on May 7th. Great job!
Upcoming Events
- Green Fair at Magnetawan Community Centre, Saturday, June 1, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Learn about positive solutions to protect our environment. Brought to you by local Almaguin citizens. RSVP to the event here, more details coming soon!
- Climate Action Forum sponsored by the Georgian Bay Biosphere on June 6th from 2-6 PM at the Stockey Centre in Parry Sound. Visit dozens of industry and partner tradeshow booths to discover local climate solutions that will lower your GHG emissions and reduce your costs for energy and transportation. Speak with building experts, look at EV options, consider composting, and meet new people! Visit our Green table or volunteer as a host!
- Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Awards – June 13
- See Muskoka Through Our Eyes: Traditional Pow Wow – June 29/30 at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge. PSM Greens are honoured to be one of the sponsors.
- Muskoka Pride Parade July 28th- Volunteer as a marshall, or visit our table!
- Green Party of Ontario AGM November 8-10, 2024 – Save the date! Tickets at gpo.ca It’s inspiring!
Green Party of Ontario Update
As Deputy Leader, Parry Sound-Muskoka’s Matt Richter has been connecting with leaders and employees in Health Care and Education sectors to reaffirm the party’s commitment to provincial government funding that can meet the needs of Ontarians. Additionally, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and Deputy Leader Aislinn Clancy continue to punch above their weight as the unofficial official opposition, keeping Doug Ford on the defensive for his flawed approach to government. Specifically, Mike and Aislinn have called out the governments irresponsible decision to overturn the ruling of the Ontario Energy Board with Bill 165, their lack of rent control oversight, failed progress on housing, and their decision to advance the high risk, low reward Highway 413 initiative.
Introducing the newest Newsletter Feature –
The GPO Policy Series!
(This is the first in our GPO policy newsletter feature researched and written by our beloved team members Jan Larsen and Garry Thompson! The feature aims to share the Green Party’s position on current political issues.)
Health Promotion and Long-Term Care
This policy is very extensive therefore, we have only included a few pertinent details.
The Green Party of Ontario Party supports expanding family health teams and increasing support for community health centres to ensure all Ontario residents will have appropriate and timely access to primary care services. Additionally, we support working with stakeholders to develop incentives to increase the number of family doctors and nurse practitioners working in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s current government seems intent on expanding private for-profit health care, while defunding public health care. For example, Bill 60, passed in May 2023, expands the types of surgeries and procedures performed in private centres and entrenches them into the health system. Additionally, this government is giving even more money to long-term-care operators facing lawsuits for negligence. Such actions create a vicious cycle as trust in public health care erodes and officials look to private health care in an attempt to address the crisis that has been created.
Right here in Muskoka, our MPP Graydon Smith has demonstrated a lack of leadership on the hospital redevelopment plan. Instead of bringing the public and all stakeholders together to share all information and details and achieve consensus, he has allowed divisiveness between MAHC and the community to spiral out of control.
Greens Taking Action
Hold our MPP Graydon Smith and Doug Ford to Account
It seems like there are almost daily opportunities to do so:
- Our MPP and Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith, modified regulations, weakening the powers of Conservation Authorities and giving land developers the green light;
- Latest education funding fails to meet inflation, resulting in more cuts to classrooms and mental health services;
- Farmland is to be paved for the high risk, low reward Hwy 413 initiative;
- Our wildfire firefighting infrastructure is severely underfunded, in a time when it’s needed most;
- Instead of tripling wind and solar, Ontario has gifted Enbridge an increase from under 4% electricity generated from fossil fuels in 2017 to more than 25% by 2030 (Independant Electricty Systems Operator).
These are just a few examples of taking Ontario down the wrong road. And do you wonder who is paying for the endless advertising? If your blood boils every time you are face to face with these affronts, join our volunteer communications team. Let’s tell it like it is.
Youth Voice
Coordinated By Brenda Wainman
The Huntsville Sting U13 Black team are the proud winners of the 2024 Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup! They won $100 000 to donate to the local Food 4 Kids and were celebrated on Hockey Night in Canada. See attached PDF article to learn more!
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Greens continue to strive for an equitable, sustainable future at home here in
Parry Sound-Muskoka and across Ontario. Join the team and make a difference.
Check out our website: www.psmgreenparty.ca
Find us on Facebook @ParrySoundMuskokaGPO &
Instagram @psmgreenparty
Working Together to Grow the Green Voice.
Parry Sound Muskoka Green Party of Ontario
President – Kevin Logie
Financial Officer – Paul Kuebler
Secretary – Lesley Hastie
Volunteer Coordinator – Linda Mathers
Membership Chair – Pat Kuebler
Youth Engagement – Brenda Wainman
Phone Canvass Coordinator – Legh McNabb
Social Media, Communications – Christi Gardner
Members at Large – Garry Thompson, Jan Larsen