The need to fundraise stemming from inadequate funding is making it necessary for Ontario schools to bulk up on private dollars, sometimes even for the basics. With the top 10 per cent of fundraising schools bringing in the same amount of money as the bottom 75 per cent combined, reliance on fundraising dollars as a core component of education funding further increases the inequity between schools. Read more at Niagara This Week.
Sharon Roling
Ontario moves toward merging school boards to save money
In the spring budget, the province of Ontario identified school board amalgamations as a way to reduce administrative expenses. With the province targeting areas with low population growth and declining enrolment, it is moving fast to cut $10.5 million in education costs by merging school boards in 2013. Read more at Metro News.
Free energy efficiency assessments
Help your communities with meeting your Bill 27 targets with free energy efficiency assessments offered by LiveSmart BC. Just click on the map here to find the Business Energy Advisors that serve your area. They will help businesses with energy efficiency measures that have a short payback, as well as obtaining rebates from BC Hydro, FortisBC, etc.
Rising oceans wash away coastlines as debate rages – to fight or flee
The issue of whether to stay or flee in the face of rising sea levels is being confronted around the globe. The use of barriers is now giving way to ‘planned retreats’ from the relentless sea. Places experimenting with retreat have adopted various strategies including breaching seawalls to create salt marshes and moving entire villages to higher ground. Read more at canada.com
Climate change to bring more severe wildfires to B.C
The number of major forest fires in B.C. will likely increase by 50 per cent or more in the next 40 years according to a recent report on climate change released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. The report, Telling the Weather Story, makes a point of altering weather patterns across the country and urges Canadians to adjust to the realities of climate change. Read more at the Vancouver Sun.
New recycling process state-of-the-art
Edmonton’s Mayor Stephen Mandel signed a memorandum of understanding on June 4, 2012 to put in place a new state-of-the-art closed-loop paper and cotton recycling process that makes professional grade paper without using any chemicals, producing any harmful emissions or any by-products. Read more at the Edmonton Sun.
Toronto Council Votes To Ban Plastic Bags
Toronto joins San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles as cities that have banned single-use plastic bags. Toronto city council passed a motion to ban the distribution of plastic bags effective Jan. 1, 2013. Read more at the Huffington Post.
Shaping the Future of our Communities
Shaping the Future of our Communities, Friday, October 12th – Saturday, October 13th, 2012 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites located at 600 Highway 7 EAST, Richmond Hill Ontario
JOEL BAKAN ANNOUNCED AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER!
Joel Bakan is a Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia. He teaches Constitutional Law and theory at UBC. His book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, a book analyzing the evolution and modern-day behavior of corporations from a critical perspective, was published in 2004, and made into a film the same year. It won 25 international awards. His latest book Childhood Under Siege: How Big Business Targets Children was published in August 2011.
Click here to see the Conference at a Glance.
Click here to download a Registration Form, or Register online at the link below.
If you have questions, contact Ontario Director Stephanie Levesque at slevesque@civicgovernance.ca or by telephone at (647) 449-3519.
The State of Canada’s Cities and Communities 2012
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has released a report to help understand the underlying health of Canadian cities and communities. Read more at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
War on child obesity: out of the cafeteria and onto the playground
With childhood obesity rates climbing at alarming rates, Onatrio explores multiple interventions aimed at different aspects of healthy living including healthier cafeteria selections and increases to daily physical activity for students. Read more at The Globe and Mail.
Full-day kindergarten too expensive for Toronto
Facing a $110 million dollar shortfall this year, some Toronto District School Board trustees say the district can’t balance its books and roll out full-day kindergarten at the same time. Read more at the Toronto Sun.
Vancouver School Board releases results of public consultations
The Vancouver School Board has released the results of surveys conducted as part of its public consultation process. The board will be discussing the results, including whether or not to redevelop properties in the face of declining enrolments and provincial funding as well as the introduction of a balanced school calendar. Read more at the Vancouver Sun.