The weather last winter in Waterloo Region was mild and unstable, just as predicted. This variable weather is expected to continue into a hot, dry summer with potential serious repercussions on our community.
These predictions follow an unusual year of weather, complicated by global weather disturbances, including El Niño. According to the University of Waterloo weather station, the winter snowfall amount as of the end of March was at less than half of the average of the typical season.
Milder winter temperatures are causing other concerns as well. With the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that in 2023 24, the ice cover on the Great Lakes reached a record low of less than 3 percent ice cover basin wide.
Dr. Annabella Bonata, research associate and manager of the Intact Center for Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo explains the dynamics responsible for our changing weather patterns, emphasizing the potential consequences and highlighting the need for adaptation.
Lyme disease, a combination of skin rashes, fevers, headaches, and fatigue, is contracted from black legged ticks, and if left untreated, can escalate to affect joints, the heart, and nervous system.
ETick.ca is an online platform where people voluntarily report tick sightings in the environment or when found on humans or animals. Comparing the first three months of 2023 to 2024 shows there has been a threefold increase in blacklegged tick reports for KW on eTick.ca.
The Region of Waterloo’s Public Health Manager for Vector-borne Diseases is Rebecca Piovesan, and she talked to CKMS News about lyme disease and back-legged ticks.
by: dan kellar A 235 acre donation of farmland and forest in Wilmot to therare Charitable Research Reserve is on hold over a parking lot. The Schneider family has been working on the donation since 2020 and has now reached out to regional residents to pressure township politicians to finalise the deal.
The land sits on Waterloo’s border and the family has allowed light recreational use of the forest for decades, with some trail users parking along nearby roads. Now, citing safety and liability concerns, the township is requesting a parking lot be built to accommodate future land use. However, project proponents say the request will damage sensitive areas while burdening the charity with added maintenance costs.
This show features an interview with Dr. Stephanie Sobek-Swant, the executive director of rare, along with a quote from the Schneider family’s statement, and the short comment a township representative made to CKMS News.
The 2023 Christmas Bird Count in Kitchener recorded a decreased number of birds of prey, such as american kestrels and rough legged hawks, compared to previous years, according to Ethan Gosnell, the local coordinator for the international project.
The Christmas Bird Count takes place across North America, allowing for tracking of winter bird populations and distributions. It is organized by Audubon in the USA, and the in Canada by Birds Canada. In 2023, the Christmas Bird Count marked its 90th year in Waterloo Region.
Ethan discussed the rising numbers of some more typical summer birds in the Christmas count, in particular, the green winged teal, and what happens to these warmer weather birds when the seasonal freezing weather sets in.
During presentations on October 25th to Waterloo Regional Council, 2 delegates asked the council to respond to the Ontario government’s reversal of the forced expansion of the region’s urban boundaries by reaffirming their commitment to the 2022 Regional Official Plan and by informing the Government that no changes will be identified.
In today’s show, we hear excerpts from the delegations of Sam Nabi, the director of Hold the Line Waterloo Region, and Kevin Thomason of the Grand River Environmental Network to the regional council, along with responses from councilors Rob Deutschmann and Dorothy McCabe.
These delegations were in response to the October 23rd announcement from the Ontario minister of municipal affairs and housing, Paul Calandra, that affected municipalities had 45 days to respond to his government’s policy reversal.
Before we get into those presentations, here is a bit of background on the situation.
On October 23rd Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing Paul Calandra announced the reversal of his government’s plans which would have forced the extension of the urban boundaries of 12 Ontario municipalities. In the case of Waterloo Region, this reversal could be accompanied by a return to the 2022 Regional Official Plan which was the product of an extensive public consultation and negotiation.
This recent flip-flop by the PC government, follows the reversal of the Greenbelt development plans which received widespread condemnation, was the catalyst of province-wide protests, and is also the focus of an RCMP investigation.
In April 2023, Ford’s Progressive Conservative government upended the plans of many municipalities by overturning their urban boundary and development plans, forcing municipalities to start new processes to approve previously protected land, for new urban sprawl.
At the time of the original upending of the region’s official plan, local grassroots organisation Hold the Line WRwere adamant the Region needed to fight back against the conservative government’s plans. Now, Sam Nabi, the director of the group, and Kevin Thomason of GREN are asking the regional council to reaffirm their commitment to the 2022 Regional Official Plan and to tell Minister Calandra, within his 45 day limit, that there will be no changes identified.
Ash trees might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about climate change, but since the arrival of an invasive beetle, untold environmental and economic damage has led to the species to the edge of extinction. CKMS News talked to Josh Shea, the manager of Forestry and Natural Area Management at the city of Kitchener to find out what is happening to the ash tree generally and the city of Kitchener’s approach to the infestation.
In less than 15 years, the invasive emerald ash borer, has destroyed the ash trees in Kitchener, Waterloo Region, much of Ontario, including as far north as Sudbury, and in 36 US states. This tiny beetle has become a major environmental and economic problem. In a bid to control and starve out the emerald ash borer, the city of Kitchener has removed more than 5,000 trees from city streets and parks. There are about 600 ash trees remaining, some of which are alive, but all will be removed within the next few years. The Grand River Conservation Authority’s website reports that they have removed over 16,000 ash trees at the cost of three million dollars.
Economic estimates keep growing as the beetle and the trouble it presents become clearer. In 2014, the city of Kitchener estimated dealing with the damage and making the city borer-free would cost $11 million. In July 2019, the Invasive Species Centre found that, on average, Ontario municipalities spend approximately $22,426,763 million each year combating the emerald ash borer alone.
The conversation touches on the use and role of pesticides, the role of winter and the impact of milder less severe winters in the life cycle of the emerald ash borer. While municipalities fight this small beetle, the province under Doug Ford’s government, has done little to combat this invasive species, putting our forests, economic health, and our municipalities at risk.
The music on today’s show is called “Maple Music” by Godmode courtesy of by Expectantly Maple Music on YouTube.
This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
