Policies & Threats Related to Greenspaces

Appeal of the 10-year PTTW (May – Aug 2009)

On May 20, 2009 the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital and the Sierra Club Canada filed an application with the Environmental Review Tribunal for Leave to Appeal a 10-year Permit To Take Water issued on April 27, 2009. They also filed a Motion for an Interim Stay. (Supporting the Motion was an Affidavit sworn by Erwin Dreessen – 497 KB.) That motion was denied because the Tribunal concluded it had

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Appeal settled

Appeal of Water Taking Permit at Leitrim Settled On March 23, 2010, the Environmental Review Tribunal accepted a settlement that had been reached between the developers of Findlay Creek Village and the Appellants (the Greenspace Alliance and Sierra Club Canada) acting on behalf of the Friends of Leitrim Wetland. In July 2009, the Tribunal had granted leave to appeal a 10-year Permit To Take Water on three narrow grounds. Ever since,

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Leave to appeal cost award

On December 19, 2008, on the heels of action at the municipal level, the Greenspace Alliance, represented by Ecojustice, filed an application for Leave to Appeal the award of costs issued by the Divisional Court on December 10. The application to the Ontario Court of Appeal asserts that the Divisional Court made errors of law, as well as errors of mixed facts and law in awarding costs against the Greenspace

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Leitrim Cost Award: Media Coverage

Metro, on page 3 of its November 5, 2008 Ottawa edition, had a newsflash: “Court costs will break us, environment group claims A city environmental group that unsuccessfully challenged an OMB decision fears it will have to shut down if a developer’s demands for legal costs are awarded. The Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital says the developers of Findlay Creek Village and the city want more than $72,000 in costs.

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Application for a 10-year Permit to Take Water

On July 11, 2008, a proposal to pump up to 17 million litres per day from the Leitrim Wetland area was posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights web site (EBR # 010-4134).  This permit would be good for ten years.  The comment period was to end on August 10 but an extension to September 5 was granted because the Ministry was late in providing the supporting documents. Here are

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Motion to dismiss the Leave to Appeal application fails

On July 21, 2008, the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal dismissed a motion by Findlay Creek Properties Ltd.  The motion sought to dismiss an application for Leave to Appeal a permit issued by the Ministry of the Environment to pump water out of Leitrim Wetland.  The appeal is spearheaded by the Greenspace Alliance and the Sierra Club of Canada on behalf of the Friends of Leitrim Wetland. The Permit To Take

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Leitrim Wetland in the media

Following our Action Alert and Media Releases, media coverage has included the following: + The News EMC, Ottawa South Edition, 15 November 2007 + David Yazbeck, host of Thursday mornings’ Special Blend on CKCU (93.1 fm), interview with Erwin Dreessen, 29 November 2007. + Local news, CBC Radio 1, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., 29 November 2007, with excerpts from interview with our legal counsel, Linda McCaffrey, by Giacomo Panico. +

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City Goes After Greenspace Alliance for Costs – A Threat to All Community Organizations!

Sol Shuster, Vice-Chair of the Greenspace Alliance, on December 18, posted the following to the Alliance email list: In an unprecedented move, the City of Ottawa recently asked a judicial review panel to require that its legal costs be paid by the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital (GA). These costs arose in relation to an unsuccessful legal challenge before the Ontario Divisional Court. The challenge was part of the Alliance’s

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Chiarelli Media Release on Cost Awards against Community Groups

As supplied by Councillor Chiarelli’s office, 16 December 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Councillors Rick Chiarelli and Alex Cullen are sponsoring a measure that would prevent City lawyers from suing community based public interest groups who participate in public tribunals on matters of policy and public interest. If approved, the Notice of Motion, moved by Chiarelli and seconded by Cullen would stop City lawyers from filing claims for “costs” against such

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Chiarelli-Cullen Motion on Cost Claims against Community Groups

Introduced at Council on November 28, referred to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee for its meeting of January 6. Moved by Councillor Rick Chiarelli Seconded by Councillor Alex Cullen WHEREAS residents, community groups and resident organizations contribute significantly to public policy development at the City by offering advice and by putting aspects of Council decisions to the test; AND WHEREAS community and resident public interest organizations contribute to the

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