Centre for Civic Governance

Canadian Opera Company is Abuzz with Bees

The Canadian Opera Company in Toronto is doing their part to stop the decline of bee populations in North America. They have installed two honey bee hives on the roof of their building. Recent studies have shown that urban bees often fare better than their rural counterparts due to lower pesticide exposure. Read Globe and Mail article here.

Michael Posner

From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, May. 19, 2010

Tories Curtail Key Environment Provisions

Significant changes to anti-pollution rules tacked on to budget last month will result in more power to craft narrow environmental assessments on controversial projects. Read article here:

Vancouver School Board Introduces High School Sustainability Course

SOLARIS, a 4 credit, year long course in sustainability, is being offered to Vancouver students in grades 11 and 12. The course will focus on a range of topics from housing and transportation to forestry and fisheries. Read more here.

Surrey students force Mayor Dianne Watts to deal with pesticides

The City of Surrey has finally taken tepid steps toward doing what many other municipalities did quite some time ago: ban cosmetic pesticides.

Last week, the region's second largest municipality launched a public consultation process "to receive options for pesticide control in the City of Surrey".

In addition, the council voted in favour of an eight-month trial to ban the use of herbicides on boulevards and medians.

Approval of modified corn worries activists, farmers

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has quietly approved a new genetically engineered corn with eight different insect- and weed-fighting traits, but farmer and environmental groups in Canada say the approval was rushed and environmental risks ignored.

Developed through a research agreement between Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, SmartStax corn is unique in that it "stacks" eight genetically engineered traits that will allow corn to tolerate certain weed- and insect-killing products made by the two companies.

B.C. falling behind Ontario in toxins reduction

If toxic substances harmful to your health were being released into your community's environment, shouldn't you have the right to know?

The province of Ontario is moving forward to provide that right to its residents and B.C.-based Toxic Free Canada wants to see similar protections established in this province.

Toronto puts green rooftops high on public planning agenda

Letter congratulates city for move to become first in North America to both require and govern construction of roof gardens.

May 20, 2009 — Toronto's Planning and Growth Management Committee voted on May 6th to recommend mandatory green roofs on a wide range of new buildings. Toronto is on the path to becoming the only city in North America with a bylaw that both requires green roofs and establishes the construction standards for them.

Nanaimo Council Bans Cosmetic Pesticide Use

Bylaw means homeowners must find other methods of controlling weeds by 2010

Nanaimo lawn lovers will have to find alternate measures to eliminate weeds and unwanted vegetation by 2010, according to a bylaw that Nanaimo city councillors resurrected on Monday.

Cancer society pushes for B.C. pesticide ban

The Canadian Cancer Society is calling on the B.C. government to ban the sale of cosmetic pesticides — the chemicals used to kill weeds, insects or other pests for aesthetic reasons.

Quebec has a ban in place on using such pesticides, and a ban on selling them goes into effect in Ontario on Earth Day, April 22.

Kathryn Seely, the cancer society's manager of public issues, has been making the case to lawmakers in Victoria that B.C. should follow suit.