Claire is stepping down as Executive Director of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, and we chat about her experience at the forefront of grassroots environmental advocacy in central Ontario, including how the landscape has changed and what the future might hold.

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The Oak Ridges Moraine is a gem of Ontario's natural heritage, providing a source of headwaters to countless rivers and streams on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

In the late '80s and early 90's, a grassroots movement to protect the area emerged. Debbe Crandall and Robert Brown, of Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) talk about how this came about, and the challenges today facing efforts to protect Ontario's natural assets.

STORM: https://www.stormcoalition.com/

Walkerton Crisis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkerton_E._coli_outbreak

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Municipal elections are just around the corner in Ontario, and the choice you make can have a big impact on the environment, the quality of our communities, and, believe it or not, on climate change.

This episode Margaret and Adam talk about why municipal action on the environment can have such a big impact, and how you can make an informed choice on which candidate to support.

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Orillia, a small city on the north shore of Lake Simcoe in central Ontario, is considering annexing nearby land in anticipation of population growth.

Stop Sprawl Orillia, a citizen group, has organized to advocate for retaining current boundaries and placing an emphasis on intensification, rather than enabling sprawl outward by allowing continued building of single detached homes around the current built-up area.

We speak with Madeleine Fournier, of Stop Sprawl Orillia, about what this fight means for the future of Orillia.

Links:
Lead Exposure in Last Century Shrank IQ Scores of Half of Americans
Stop Sprawl Orillia Instagram
Stop Sprawl Orillia Facebook Group
Stop Sprawl Orillia Petition
Send an Email to Orillia Council (online tool)
Donate to Stop Sprawl Orillia
Green Orillia Newsletter
SCGC's Sprawl deep dive into vertical and horizontal sprawl.

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This month we talk tall sprawl, also known as vertical sprawl.

Most of us think of the typical suburban development when we think of sprawl, and the answer to this, we are told, is to increase density within the urban boundary. (If you're familiar with our work at all you'll have heard us talk about the need for this.)

Building high rises accomplishes this but putting far more people on a much smaller portion of land, but there are costs associated with this form of development that aren't readily apparent, and that come at the expense of the environment, the community, and the economy. (Not to put those into separate boxes as they are closely interrelated.)

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Links:
Vertical Sprawl
A City that Runs on Itself
Challenging the Vertical Sprawl
Urban sprawl isn’t to blame: unsustainable cities are the product of growth fetish
Barrie Intensification Area Urban Design Guidelines
Barrie Community Energy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Plan
Creating power from organic waste can be a lot to digest
Proposed Developments in Barrie (3D rendering)

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This episode we are looking back at the year that was, and looking ahead at the year that might be. Oh, and we do a film review of Don't Look Up!

Topics covered include the amazing summer students we were so lucky to have, and the very positive impact that they had on youth engagement in Simcoe County; how private profit is often made in our economy at the expense of the public, which also means at the expense of the public's most valuable resource, namely the environment and natural world; and the need for ENGOs to start preparing for the known knowns of climate change.

Links:

• Parliamentary petition for a federal impact assessment of the Bradford Bypass
• Support us on Patreon! Just $1.50 an episode helps!
• The Orbit
• Lake Simcoe Under Pressure Report

Hey, and did you know that you can also support us by purchasing merchandise in our Red Bubble Store? Check it out!

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This episode we speak with two citizens, Tricia Leuchter and Irene Ford, who are fighting the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, respectively, which are proposed for their communities. 

Doug Ford and other proponents of the highways have claimed that opponents are "downtown elites" and "radical activists." But, these characterizations are far from the truth, which is more in line with citizens who are concerned that politicians are shutting down due process and ignoring evidence in order to ram through costly and unnecessary mega projects.

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This episode we talk about greenwashing, the practice of presenting a product in a way that makes it seem to consumers as if it is environmentally friendly, when in fact it is not.

Greenwashing is most often thought of in terms of marketing a product. In a time when political discourse is increasingly branded and marketed, however, and when the action required to address environmental problems is increasingly at odds with what politicians seem willing or able to do, greenwashing is becoming a concern in the political sphere, too.

From the never-ending string of promises to address climate change (almost all broken) to  climate emergency declarations made and then nothing done, politicians, it seems, are telling  people what they want to hear in order to get support, but delivering a very different product.

So, why aren't they following through and why do we keep voting for them? We discuss that are more.

As always, you can support us, and the show, at simcoecountygreenbelt.ca. Click through to the episode page for links and resources, including a photo essay of our field trip with Master Naturalist Bob Bowles.

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On this episode of the Tree Planters podcast SCGC's youth engagement lead, Kelly, and youth advocacy intern, Blythe, talk about the barriers making it difficult for youth to engage in discussions around climate action, and how these can be addressed so that youth can help build a climate friendly future.

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Our guest this episode, Victor Doyle, is considered one of the key architects of Ontario's Greenbelt.

We talk about how the current provincial government is attempting to open up more land in the GTA for sprawl development, how highways don't solve congestion problems, but rather make them worse, and how the costs of infrastructure projects like highways tend to be shouldered by the public, with the benefits going to private interests, such as developers.

Much of the focus of this discussion is on two recently proposed highway projects - the 413 along the norther border of Toronto, and the Bradford Bypass, which connects two highways near Lake Simcoe. Both of these highways would cut through the Greenbelt and sensitive ecological areas.

To learn more about these issues see our issues page, here.

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With new highways proposed in the GTA, there are concerns about a boondoggle waste of taxpayer's money that goes toward increased sprawl, increased congestion, and increased threats to the environment.

We talk with Laura Bowman, lawyer for Ecojustice, about threats that new highways pose to sensitive natural areas, to communities, and to the Greenbelt.

Show links:

Map of where the Bradford Bypass is proposed
Map of where the 413 is proposed
Archived report on feasibility of proposed highway corridor (outlining that it isn't necessarily the best option)
Notice exempting the Bradford Bypass from an environmental assessment

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This week (really last week, but there's been a lot happening and we've had our hands full!) we talk with Jennifer Van Gennip about affordable housing and the advent of modern homelessness.

Jennifer works with a number of groups that address these issues, including the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness (SCATEH), the Simcoe County Poverty Reduction Task Group (PRTG), Redwood Park Communities, the Down Syndrome Association of Ontario... and this Isi just to name a few, believe it or not!

Show links:
Shooting The Hippo: Death By Deficit And Other Canadian Myths
by Linda McQuaig
A Better World Ahead Means Shaping Emerging Narratives Now, by Kristen Grimm
Push, the Film
Revisionist History

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Taylor Nicole has organized protests against the Ford government's Bill 5, a bill that will allow the government to, in effect, ignore environmental assessments in designated locations, and prohibit public consultation.

We get into the details of the Bill and what it could mean for Ontario.

Eco Guardians of Ontario - Stop Bill 5 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1051925256910873/

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This week we talk with Shak Edwards about her work mentoring youth, particularly Black youth, and the values of humility and kindness that she works from.

We also talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, about the efforts Shak, as well as others, have undertaken locally to support Black youth, and whether the Raptors will repeat as NBA champions this year.

Show links:

Just Recovery Simcoe
Shaks World
Uplift Black Youth
Making Change
Revolution Ramblings

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Links to resources:

• Making Change
• Sandy and Nora (podcast)
• Struggle in the Suburbs
• Google Doc - Anti-racism resources
• 10 Documentaries To Watch About Race Instead Of Asking A Person Of Colour To Explain Things For You
• We must defund the police. It is the only option.
• What a World Without Cops Would Look Like
• How Cities Offload the Cost of Police Brutality
• The Double Standard of the American Riot
• ‘No reader is too young to start’: anti-racist books for all children and teens
• Do the work: an anti-racist reading list
• Getting Real About the Job of Police: A Letter to Barack Obama
• Racism is built into U.S. cities. Here’s how architects can fight back
• America’s Cities Were Designed to Oppress
• To Defund the Police, Activists Rewrote City Budgets

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More news on local street closures to help with the recovery from COVID-19, an update on Simcoe County's request for a Ministerial Zoning Order which would allow for more sprawl, and a chat with Franz Hartmann, former Executive Director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance, who is currently engaged with the Small Change Fund and the Green Future Fund. 

Check the episode page and show notes for links to resources.

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The main portion of this show this week is an interview with Heather Keam, of the Tamarack Institute. Heather is manager of Cities, Cities Deepening Community, Vibrant Communities at Tamarack and she spoke with us about what Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is and how can help strengthen communities and build resilience.

In the chat before the interview Margaret and Adam discuss concerns regarding the Ontario government's seemingly singular focus on business interests in their planning for  a recovery from COVID-19, why that could pose problems for future resilience to crises, and why we need a Just Recovery based on an inclusive dialogue with all, rather than a recovery that focuses simply on business. 

Check out the show notes on our website for links to resources.

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This week we are joined by Mary Wagner of Friends of Simcoe Forests about their work to protect the Freele Tract on Horseshoe Valley Road and the County seeking a Ministerial Zoning Order to override due process.

We also talk about the first openings of streets in our area to allow for safer physical distancing, London's announcement that it will greatly expand areas dedicated to pedestrian use, the risk-averse stance of many governments and how this can be a problem when it comes to the changes we need to counter climate change and many other environmental and social issues, and poked around a little on the topic of a just recovery. (We'll have much more to announce about a just recovery in the coming weeks.)

Stay safe, and think about your risk/reward ratio if you are thinking about changing your behaviour as lock-down starts to lift! (Want to hang with some friends? Are the risks presented by COVID-19 less than the reward of their close physically proximity?)

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In which we start another podcast format. Our Currents episodes will be focused on issues that are happening now, largely in our local community, and that our member organizations are involved with. It's less polished than our deep-dive episodes and more conversational.

This week we talk about the impacts of COVID-19 on our communities, specifically regarding some of the lessons that we can learn from COVID-19 to help build resilience for the future. A lot of what we spend our time thinking about in this regard has to do with the impacts of climate change, and a couple of the areas we talk about have to do with food security and providing people with more options in how they access basic amenities (rather than relying only on a car).

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An hour and a half north of Toronto there is a constant stream of cars pulling over to the side of the road.

People get out, walk to the back of their vehicle, open the trunk and lift out jugs, which they carry to a small hut nearby.

Inside the hut there is a trough with spouts above it from which a constant flow of water pours.

Out one end of the trough water cascades down to a small creek scattered with watercress. Farm fields stretch away from the hut to a line of hills in the east. The hills form part of the Oro Moraine, part of which is known as the Waverley Uplands.

The water that flows here has been tested, and the results show that it is more pure, or contains less contaminants, than water tens of thousands of years old that was taken from ice cores in the arctic. 

What may make this water so pure is also what attracts aggregate mining operations.

Moraines consist of rock debris left over by glaciers, which pushed and rolled that debris underneath. The debris forms a filter for water, much like the one you may have in your fridge. It is also a primary resource used in construction.

As you will hear, two large aggregate mines operate in the immediate area of these flows, and have applied to expand their operations.

Impacts from aggregate mining include the use of large amounts of water to 'wash' gravel, as well, often, as digging beneath the water table, which can drastically change hydrogeology.

Check out our site for further links and resources: https://www.simcoecountygreenbelt.ca/waverley_uplands 

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This month we talk about the One Earth One Vote campaign with Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence.

Organized by Environmental Defence, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ontario Nature, among others, and which SCGC is participating in, this campaign is meant to ensure the environment is the top priority this election.

We get into some interesting areas as well, including how we can use geothermal to help transition jobs away from fossil fuels, so check it out!

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This month we're looking at the difference between change that addresses root causes, such as poverty and inequality, and change that addresses symptoms, such as homelessness. The former is change upstream, while the later is change downstream. 

We talk with Naomi Wachowiak, who works in public health, about social determinants of health, some examples of upstream change and how it benefits society. During our talk Naomi notes the increasing focus being directed toward the impacts of climate change, and how much of these impacts will be disproportionately born by marginalized populations.

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This month we are talking about activism. It's a term that can divide people, but we think that it can be found far more than we might think in our daily life. 

We speak to three community leaders, Hale Mahon, Keenan Aylwin, and Claire Malcolmson, who put a lot of time and effort into making their communities better places, and try to understand a little more about this divisive but important term.

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There's a difference between living somewhere, and really living there. We explore some of that with Virginia.

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Our first episode! 

We explain how we came up with the Tree Planters name, as well as discuss who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

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David has decades of experience in leadership roles in the non-profit sector, including as the founding Executive Director of the Chigamik Community Health Centre, as the National Director of Development for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), and as Executive Director of the United Way of Greater Simcoe County. 
We speak about his experience in these positions, and how they've helped shape his approach to driving change for a better future.

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Margaret talks to former Canadian Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, about the challenges of climate change, political polarization, and her experience as a woman in politics.

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This month we have Claire Malcolmson, of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, joining us.

We talk about health of Lake Simcoe, the strange silence from this government on reviewing the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (now several years overdue), among other things.

Oh, and it's RLSC's 20th birthday! Tickets for their November 23rd celebration are available here.

Show links:

Lake Simcoe Protection Plan
Bloom and doom in river (Duckweed)
CELA: Two Decades After Walkerton are New Provincial Laws Risking Another Drinking Water Crisis?
An Interdisciplinary Water Risk Assessment Framework for Sustainable Water Management in Ontario, Canada

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Our October episode focuses on the scandal that was the Greenbelt land take-outs, the public backlash, and the fall out.

There is the immediate problems around how land was given to developers, and there are more pervasive problems around democratic accountability, around how our governments make decisions, and about the attitudes of those entrusted with making decisions on all of our behalf.

All of this and more is discussed by Margaret and Adam.

Episode links:
Doug Ford reverses Greenbelt decision
Who is Ryan Amato, the political staffer at the centre of Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal?
How to Rate and Review a Podcast – Major Platforms Covered

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This is a recording of the public forum we held, addressing the assault by this government on the Greenbelt.

Featuring:
Jeff Monague, former Chief of the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, former Director of Treaty Research with the Anishnabek (Union of Ontario Indians) and a Canadian Forces Veteran;
David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto and former chair of Greenbelt Council;
Tim Gray, ED of Environmental Defence Canada;
Margaret Prophet, SCGC;
and Franz Hartman, Alliance for a Liveable Ontario.

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Margaret and Adam talk about Ontario's controversial Bill 23, which drastically changes how communities are planned, about the Ford government's attack on the Greenbelt, which is a reversal from their often repeated promise to not touch it, as well as many more topics.

Adam swears once, hence the explicit tag. (We're talking about the Ford government here, so it's difficult to not be explicit.)

Show links:

Give a Christmas gift and support the show and SCGC with a donation.
SCGC's Store (Hands off the Greenbelt stickers and tees.)
Resources to join opposition to the Greenbelt land-grabs.
The Narwhal: Everything you need to know about Doug Ford’s plan to cut into Ontario’s Greenbelt
The Narwhal: Six developers bought Greenbelt land after Ford came to power. Now, they stand to profit
The Start: They recently bought Greenbelt land that was undevelopable. Now the Ford government is poised to remove protections — and these developers stand to profit
Auditor General: Value-for-Money Audit:
Highway Planning and Management

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Dr. Alison Meek is a history professor at King’s University College at Western University, where she studies conspiracy theories, cults, extremism and misinformation. 
Alison brings an engaging and thoughtful perspective to how beliefs take root and spread, and what they can tell us about society today.

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Jacob is a farmer, and advocate for farming as a means to increase economic and environmental resilience in local communities. We talk about some ideas for how this can happen, and how young people can be supported in contributing to their communities through sustainable agricultural practices.

Learn more about the National Farmers Foundation here.

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Once a month we do a mailbag episode, where each of us, along with a guest, shares an issue for discussion. We don't know about each other's issue until they present it during the podcast, keeping it lively and interesting!

Have an issue that you'd like us to address? Let us know, and if it's selected, we'll invite you on the show!

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The Honourable Kathleen Wynne is a Canadian educator, community organizer, and former politician best known as Ontario’s 25th Premier—the first woman and openly gay person to hold the office. Long before entering electoral politics, Wynne was deeply engaged in grassroots organizing in her North Toronto community. She advocated for public education, equitable urban planning, and inclusive policy through school councils, neighbourhood associations, and parent advocacy groups. Notably, she helped co-found the Metro Parent Network, which mobilized parents to resist education funding cuts in the 1990s.

Wynne’s early activism translated into a political career grounded in community values. First elected as MPP for Don Valley West in 2003, she went on to serve in several cabinet roles before becoming Premier in 2013. Throughout her tenure and beyond, Wynne has remained committed to social justice, equity, and civic engagement—mentoring young leaders, teaching, and continuing to advocate for affordable housing, education, and democratic reform. Her trajectory reflects a lifelong dedication to organizing from the ground up.

Links:

The Protocol Podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/podcasts/trans-gender-care-protocol.html 

Would I Lie To You?: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007r3n8

Seeking Social Democracy: https://broadbentinstitute.ca/events/seeking-social-democracy-book-launch/

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We talk with Ted about the province's proposed transfer of a portion of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the town. 

Ted is a resident of Wasaga Beach and member of the Wasaga Beach Climate Action Team.

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Ray Tomalty is an expert in urban sustainability and the founder of Smart Cities Research Services. He’s worked with cities across Canada and beyond to help design communities that are more livable, walkable, and resilient. In this episode, Ray helps us unpack the idea of the 15-minute city—where it’s working, what it really means, and why some of the controversy around it misses the mark.

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