May 1, 2017 Council Correspondence
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Minister Ministre délégué Responsible for aux Affaires des Seniors Affairs personnes âgées 6th Floor 6e étage 400 University Avenue 400, avenue University Toronto ON M7A 2R9 Toronto ON M7A 2R9 Tel.: (416) 314-9710 Tél.: (416) 314-9710 Fax: (416) 325-4787 Téléc.: (416) 325-4787 April, 2017 Dear Mayor or Reeve, June marks the 33rd anniversary of Seniors’ Month in Ontario. To recognize the important role seniors play in our communities, we will be celebrating this year under the theme of “Living Your Best Life.” During our celebrations in June, we can highlight how our seniors have built our communities and continue to contribute their time and talents in many ways. It’s important we all recognize their achievements, and what better way than by proclaiming June as Seniors’ Month in your community. I am asking you to make this proclamation and have attached a sample to make it easier for your municipality to participate. We will also be sending promotional materials for Seniors’ Month soon. I would also like to encourage you to work with your local MPP(s) to host Seniors’ Month events in your community. We would be happy to help you promote your event online. Please send your event details to [email protected]. Two years ago we introduced our Twitter account to Ontario’s seniors and we were impressed by the enthusiastic response to our online campaign. If you haven’t already done so, please follow us @OntSeniors. For 2017, I encourage you to visit (and like) our new Facebook page: facebook.com/SeniorsOntario, where seniors across Ontario can share information important to them. Each year, municipalities have the opportunity to pay tribute to one outstanding senior with the Senior of the Year Award. A certificate, provided by the Ontario government, is signed by Her Honour the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor, myself as Minister of Seniors Affairs, and the local Head of Council. I encourage you to submit a nomination before April 30, 2017 and during Seniors’ Month, showcase how your seniors are making a difference in your community. Throughout the month of June, I hope to visit a number of municipalities to help celebrate the achievement of local seniors. Finally, for more information on Seniors’ Month and other supports for seniors, please visit the Ministry website at www.ontario.ca/seniors. Thank you for your consideration, and for honouring how our seniors are living their best lives. Sincerely, Dipika Damerla Minister of Seniors Affairs Enclosed: sample proclamation From: CycleONStrategy To: Undisclosed recipients: Subject: Draft province-wide cycling network now on the Environmental Registry Date: Thursday, April 13, 2017 1:12:46 PM Ministry of Transportation Ministère des Transports Transportation Policy Branch Direction des politiques du transport Sustainable and Innovative Bureau pour la durabilité et Transportation Office l’innovation en matière de transport 777 Bay Street, 30th Floor 777, rue Bay, 30e étage Toronto, Ontario Toronto (Ontario) M7A 2J8 M7A 2J8 Tel: 1-844-637-6464 Tél. : 1-844-637-6464 Fax: 416 585-7204 Téléc. : 416 585-7204 Email: Courriel : [email protected] [email protected] April 13, 2017 Dear Sir/Madam, We are following up to provide information on the next steps in the Ministry of Transportation’s project to identify a province-wide network of cycling routes in Ontario. We sincerely thank everyone who provided information through our online survey, mapping tools and regional workshops in 2016. A draft province-wide cycling network has been developed based on the input received so far, quantitative evaluation and qualitative analysis. We are now embarking on the next stage of engagement. From April 12 to May 12, 2017, the province is inviting the public to submit comments on the draft province-wide cycling network online through the Environmental Registry. We encourage you to review the map of the draft network, accessible through the Environmental Registry at www.ebr.gov.on.ca (posting number 013-0190) and the Ministry of Transportation web site at Ontario.ca/cycling, and provide your comments on the recommended routes by May 12, 2017. We also encourage you to share this information with others who may want to participate. The input received will be taken into consideration by the Ministry of Transportation as the final preferred network is confirmed. If you have any questions about the proposal please contact the Ministry of Transportation by email at [email protected], by phone at 1-844-637- 6464 or by mail at the address above. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Darryl Soshycki Manager, Sustainable & Innovative Transportation Office c. Jamie Austin, Director, Transportation Policy Branch --- Madame, Monsieur, Par la présente, nous vous informons des prochaines étapes du projet du ministère des Transports d’identification d’un réseau provincial de voies cyclables en Ontario. Nous remercions sincèrement tous ceux qui ont fourni des informations à travers notre sondage en ligne, nos outils de cartographie et nos ateliers régionaux en 2016. Un réseau cyclable provincial préliminaire a été élaboré sur base de l’information collectée jusqu’à présent, de l'évaluation quantitative et de l'analyse qualitative. Nous entreprenons maintenant l’étape suivante de ce travail collaboratif. Du 12 avril au 12 mai 2017, la province invite les résidents à présenter des commentaires sur le projet de réseau cyclable provincial en ligne via le Registre environnemental. Nous vous encourageons à examiner la carte du réseau préliminaire, accessible par le biais du Registre environnemental à www.ebr.gov.on.ca (avis numéro 013-0190) et du site Web du ministère des Transports à Ontario.ca/velo, et à fournir vos commentaires sur les itinéraires proposés d'ici le 12 mai 2017. Nous vous encourageons également à partager cette information avec d'autres personnes qui souhaiteraient participer. Les commentaires reçus seront pris en compte par le ministère des Transports lors de l’élaboration du réseau final. Si vous avez des questions sur la proposition de réseau cyclable, contactez le ministère des Transports par courriel à [email protected], par téléphone au 1-844-637-6464 ou par courrier à l'adresse ci-dessus. Nous avons hâte de connaître votre opinion sur le réseau préliminaire. Cordialement, Darryl Soshycki Chef, Bureau pour la durabilité et l'innovation en matière de transport C. Jamie Austin, Directeur, Direction des politiques du transport April 20, 2017 Waste Diversion – The Blue Box Today and Tomorrow Implementation is underway to the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA). In particular, municipal governments will be transitioning from the current Blue Box program, which is run by municipalities and co-funded by producers, to an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime that requires producers to cover all end-of-life costs for waste. Eventually, producers will be fully responsible for meeting recovery targets for designated products and packaging. The municipal role in this system will be evolving. AMO’s Board has resolved that the municipal governments’ best interest is to move the Blue Box to full producer funding sooner rather than later. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is asked to initiate the transition for the Blue Box program this year, with completion to the RRCEA by January 2019. The AMO Board also directed staff to engage with its municipal partners – Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario (RPWCO), the Municipal Waste Association (MWA) and the City of Toronto, to create a municipal waste management entity. The transition and the future work for municipal governments within the new waste management framework requires a high degree of policy and implementation planning involving all the partners. Work on developing this entity has just begun. In the interim, staff will continue to coordinate stakeholder work through use of existing funding from the Continuous Improvement Fund. This arrangement was approved by the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (formerly Waste Diversion Ontario). We need to know more about significant post-transition issues such as diversion targets, geographic coverage requirements, and what materials will be designated. Until then, our municipal waste diversion programs will continue to provide the convenient, reliable waste services that residents depend on. Municipal governments may be approached by producers to provide post-transition collection and/or processing services for designated materials. We caution that it is too early for Councils to make informed decisions without having the ‘rules of the road’ defined through Regulations. 2017 Steward Obligation We should know the value of the 2017 Steward Obligation by the end of May or early June. This payment recovers costs related to 2015 Blue Box services. The first 2017 quarterly payment to municipalities is expected around June 30, 2017. 200 University Ave., Suite 801 Toronto ON M5H 3C6 Canada | Tel: 416.971.9856 | Fax: 416.971.6191 | Toll-Free in Ontario: 1.877.426.6527 | [email protected] The Steward Obligation process has been arduous in recent years. AMO continues to press for a funding that is based on actual Blue Box costs. This past March, the AMO President, Lynn Dollin, wrote to MOECC Minister Murray asking that the 2017 Steward Obligation be set using the Arbitrator’s method. This would allow municipalities to receive 50% of their Blue Box net costs, as was done in 2014 and 2015. She further said that if the Authority was going to use the flawed 2016 formula-based method, then municipalities would seek 52.5% of the formula, which would allow us to recover our full share. AMO and City of Toronto staff also made this request directly to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority Board on April 11, 2017. Resolving this ongoing conflict would allow everyone to focus on the RRCEA transition and full producer responsibility for the end-of-life costs of designated materials and packaging.