Six environmental groups in Hamilton and Halton, including Environment Hamilton, Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, BurlingtonGreen, MiltonGreen Environmental Association, the Halton Environmental Network, and the Hamilton Blue Dot Committee, are joining forces in encouraging the Ontario government to strengthen the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR), to recognize and protect citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.
The EBR, legislation passed in 1993 that outlines environmental rights in the province, is currently under review. The Golden Horseshoe Six are telling Ontario to not waste this important chance to give every Ontario resident the legal tools they need to protect their rights to clean air and water, safe food, a stable climate and healthy ecosystems. The six groups are calling on their communities in Halton and Hamilton to show their support for a stronger EBR by going to http://action2.davidsuzuki.org/ontario-ebr-review and telling the Ontario Government that they want substantive environmental rights in Ontario!
The Blue Dot movement, a national campaign to advance legal recognition of every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment, launched in 2015 by the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice, has mobilized tens of thousands of Canadians to urge their governments to take action to recognize every human’s right to clean air, clean water, clean earth, clean energy. More than 130 municipalities, including Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Milton, and over 50 others in Ontario, have passed declarations in support of this movement.
The Golden Horseshoe Six, the Halton and Hamilton unified groups supporting this initiative will be joining Dr. David Suzuki at Queen`s Park on October 18, 2016 to raise awareness of their urgent request to legally establish citizens’ rights to a healthy environment for today and for generations to come.