Niagara is a place of great natural beauty and ecological diversity. From the Wainfleet Bog to the Fonthill Kame-Delta, from the shores of Lake Ontario to the sandy beaches of Lake Erie, there are many ways to experience the unique environmental treasures of Niagara.
Most weekends, my wife and I take our children for walks and hikes at the many conservation areas and along a number of trails throughout the Niagara Region. We especially enjoy walking among the majestic Carolinian trees of the Niagara Escarpment and marveling at local wildlife that crosses our path.
Protecting clean land, water and air is a priority for me, and for the Ontario government. Stewardship of the land, water and air we have been given is crucial: We all share a collective responsibility to our children and grandchildren to guard and protect the earth we have been given, not as an end in and of itself, but to safeguard the health and prosperity of future generations.
Our government is taking action to reduce emissions, fight climate change and safeguard our environment without a punitive carbon tax that harms families and job creators.
Last November, I had the privilege of welcoming Hon. Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, to Niagara to celebrate the opening of Walker Industries’ new Renewable Natural Gas plant.
This new facility — the largest in Ontario — will capture, clean and transform landfill gas into renewable natural gas that can be used interchangeably with conventional natural gas. The plant will generate enough green energy to heat 8,750 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 48,000 tonnes every year.
In the utilities sector alone, these kinds of innovative projects are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30,000,000 tonnes by 2030, the emissions equivalent of 3.1 million cars.
We all share a collective responsibility to our children and grandchildren
It’s not just harnessing renewable natural gas from landfill sites. Our government has invested hundreds of millions to transition steel mills in Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie from high-emission coal-fired furnaces to clean electric arc furnaces, removing millions of tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere.
We have led the world in nuclear innovation with Small Modular Reactors being designed and built in Darlington. As a sustainable source of energy, these small, scalable modular nuclear reactors are being sent around the globe, providing clean, safe and reliable energy to rural and remote communities, including First Nations communities across Canada, and providing base-load capacity for the entire hydro grid. In many places and regions, these small Ontario-made reactors will displace coal and oil, reducing emissions around the globe.
Additionally, Premier Ford has been laser-focused on building Ontario’s electric vehicle supply chain — providing good, well-paying jobs to Ontario workers, while simultaneously reducing emissions from internal combustion engines.
You can read more about the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan to fight climate change and protect clean land, water and air here.
Because of these actions and the environmental stewardship of our government, I know that my children and all families across Niagara will continue to enjoy walks and hikes in every corner of our beautiful region with clean land, water and air for many years to come.
Sam Oosterhoff is MPP for the Niagara West riding.
