The ClimateFast newsletter shares information, resources, news, and activist opportunities about the climate crisis that may interest our readers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of ClimateFast members. If you have an event or resource you would like to share, please send it to newsletter@climatefast.ca.

On June 26th, after a hard-fought campaign, Torontonians chose Olivia Chow to be their next mayor. Chow has committed to strong climate action, and was one of the candidates to sign ClimateFast’s pledge to ensure funding for the city’s net zero strategy.

While electing a #climatemayor is a great step, it is not an end goal but rather an opportunity for further action. Climatefast is currently working on a list of asks to share with the new mayor and her staff, and we will continue to put pressure on the municipal government to ensure Toronto meets and exceeds its climate goals.

The Ontario government is currently planning to expand fossil gas-fired power generation in the province, with multiple new plants and expansions planned, including increased capacity at the existing plant in Toronto’s Port Lands. On July 12th, the Ontario Clean Air Association (OCAA) held a public forum opposing the Port Lands plant, featuring several local politicians including MPPs Peter Tabuns and Mary-Margaret McMahon. ClimateFast members promoted and joined the demonstration, which was well-attended. 

The campaign for a clean power grid in Ontario is ongoing, with a provincial lobbying day planned for September 26th. People from across the province are encouraged to participate and lobby their respective MPPs; see the ‘Events’ section for details

This year’s vast forest fires caught the province of Ontario off guard: despite warnings from the scientific community that rising temperatures would lead to more severe fires, Doug Ford’s government slashed the province’s firefighting budget in 2019 and has yet to make any move to reverse this. Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns is sponsoring a petition in the legislature, calling for increased funding for firefighting and for a real forest restoration and climate plan in Ontario.

September 26, 2023, 7:30am - 9am
Queen’s Park, Toronto ON

Coordinated by CCL, OCEC, OCAA and ClimateFast, this day of lobbying will address Ontario's energy future with a specific focus on fighting the planned expansion of gas plants in Ontario. We need renewables instead.

Please contact lyn@climatefast.ca if you are able to attend. Include your name, your phone # and your riding.

More details to follow later in August!

On Thursday, July 27th, voters in the ridings of Kanata-Carleton and Scarborough-Guildwood will send new MPPs to Queen’s Park. The Kanata-Carleton seat was vacated in March by Conservative Merrilee Fullerton, while Liberal Mitzie Hunter previously held the Scarborough-Guildwood seat. With many major environmental issues at stake in the Ontario legislature, every climate champion elected counts: the Ontario Clean Air Alliance has put a series of questions to candidates in both ridings, to determine their positions on the planned expansion of fossil gas power in Ontario. Liberal, NDP and Green candidates in both ridings oppose the expansion, while neither Conservative candidate responded.

Read the CBC article
Read the responses to the OCAA from candidates in Scarborough-Guildwood and Kanata-Carleton
For voters in either riding: learn more about how and when to vote

A lawsuit filed by Ecojustice, challenging the federal government’s approval of the Bay du Nord oil project off the Newfoundland coast, has been dismissed in Federal Court. Ecojustice had brought the lawsuit on behalf of environmental and Indigenous groups, arguing that the project threatened local biodiversity and that any new oil extraction project is inconsistent with the government’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The organizations involved in the case are currently deciding whether to appeal the court’s decision. Despite receiving approval last summer, the Bay du Nord project is currently on hold, with owner Equinor citing costs and market conditions as reasons for the delay. 

Read the CBC article
Read the statement from Ecojustice

On June 25th of this year, the government of Multnomah County, Oregon, filed a lawsuit against several oil and gas companies, seeking damages for the public expenditures, property damage, and at least 69 deaths caused by the heat dome that ravaged the region in the summer of 2021. The county is suing not just for actual damages, but also for future damages and the cost of studying and implementing a comprehensive adaptation plan, for a total of over $50 billion. This lawsuit represents part of a growing movement to force fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage caused by their choice to continue production and to mislead the public about climate change, long after the planet-warming effects of their products became clear. 

Read the Energy Mix article
Learn more about the campaign to Sue Big Oil in Canada