• Home
  • Actions
    • Political Action of the Week
    • Let’s Talk: Municipal Politics – Including Election Results
    • Community Engagement
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Fridays For Future Climate Strikes
    • Post Provincial Election
  • The Challenge
    • Community Carbon Challenge
    • Climate Change – 9 Lesson Unit
    • New Challenges
    • Business Carbon Challenge
    • Pledge List
    • Carbon Challenge Videos
    • Quick N Delish
    • Carbon 101
    • Sustainability Tool Kit
  • Our News
    • Weekly Newsletter
      • Fridays For Future Climate Strikes
      • Our Readers Write
    • Our News – Media Releases
    • Muskoka Drawdown
    • Meanwhile in Ontario
      • Meanwhile, in Ontario… 2023
    • Re-Imagining The Future
    • Building Back Better Column
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • What Is Climate Action Muskoka
  • Sectors
    • Education
    • Buildings
    • Transportation
    • Food and Agriculture
    • The Stuff We Buy
    • Land Use
      • Nature Based Solutions
    • Energy
    • Economics
  • Media
    • Local Media
    • Selected Reads
    • Podcasts-Books-Movies
      • Books
      • Movies
    • Ontario Climate News
    • Climate News Canada
    • From Around the World
      • COP 27
      • U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal – Dec, 2022
    • Focus On The Science
      • IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change
    • Climate and the Law
  • Others
    • Communities Taking Action Feature
    • Local Climate Groups & Initiatives
    • Climate Action Initiatives in other Communities
    • Indigenous Peoples – Canada
      • Indigenous Peoples Around the World
    • Young women on the front lines of the climate movement.
    • Seniors In Action
  • Resources
    • Real Climate Facts And Figures And Solutions
    • EV Charger Map
    • Muskoka Water Web
    • Renewable Energy in Muskoka
    • Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
    • Governments at Every Level
      • Governments at Every Level
      • Our Provincial and Federal Representatives
      • Our District Government
    • Climate Emergency Declaration
      • Climate Emergency Declaration
      • Invitation to Endorse CAM’s Declaration of Climate Emergency Resolution
        • Endorsements — Climate Emergency Declaration
      • The Back Story
Skip to content

Climate Action Muskoka

  • Home
  • Actions
    • Political Action of the Week
    • Let’s Talk: Municipal Politics – Including Election Results
    • Community Engagement
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Fridays For Future Climate Strikes
    • Post Provincial Election
  • The Challenge
    • Community Carbon Challenge
    • Climate Change – 9 Lesson Unit
    • New Challenges
    • Business Carbon Challenge
    • Pledge List
    • Carbon Challenge Videos
    • Quick N Delish
    • Carbon 101
    • Sustainability Tool Kit
  • Our News
    • Weekly Newsletter
      • Fridays For Future Climate Strikes
      • Our Readers Write
    • Our News – Media Releases
    • Muskoka Drawdown
    • Meanwhile in Ontario
      • Meanwhile, in Ontario… 2023
    • Re-Imagining The Future
    • Building Back Better Column
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • What Is Climate Action Muskoka
  • Sectors
    • Education
    • Buildings
    • Transportation
    • Food and Agriculture
    • The Stuff We Buy
    • Land Use
      • Nature Based Solutions
    • Energy
    • Economics
  • Media
    • Local Media
    • Selected Reads
    • Podcasts-Books-Movies
      • Books
      • Movies
    • Ontario Climate News
    • Climate News Canada
    • From Around the World
      • COP 27
      • U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal – Dec, 2022
    • Focus On The Science
      • IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change
    • Climate and the Law
  • Others
    • Communities Taking Action Feature
    • Local Climate Groups & Initiatives
    • Climate Action Initiatives in other Communities
    • Indigenous Peoples – Canada
      • Indigenous Peoples Around the World
    • Young women on the front lines of the climate movement.
    • Seniors In Action
  • Resources
    • Real Climate Facts And Figures And Solutions
    • EV Charger Map
    • Muskoka Water Web
    • Renewable Energy in Muskoka
    • Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
    • Governments at Every Level
      • Governments at Every Level
      • Our Provincial and Federal Representatives
      • Our District Government
    • Climate Emergency Declaration
      • Climate Emergency Declaration
      • Invitation to Endorse CAM’s Declaration of Climate Emergency Resolution
        • Endorsements — Climate Emergency Declaration
      • The Back Story

—-Municipal Candidate Survey—- Terry Pilger

Gravenhurst – Mayor

1.     What actions have you personally taken to support a greener, more sustainable climate?

In my personal life I have taken advantage of some modern technologies including the use of tools and equipment once powered by gas now by efficient battery power. Also, through better communication tools, I am able to greatly reduce driving to achieve and have become much more resourceful.

As well I supported the request for Gravenhurst be considered as an early pilot in the IVY electric vehicle charger program. As a result, the town chargers located at Sobeys. We need to keep an eye out for more opportunities like this.

2.     What opportunities for climate leadership at the municipal level (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)) would you champion in one or more of these areas: Buildings | Housing | Land use (sprawl) | Transportation | Other

Housing & Building

Planning could allow for more sustainable, environmentally harmonious building practices. This is about resourcefulness and education, being somehow included, represented, and understood in the building department for consideration and implementation.

Land use (sprawl)

Regarding urban sprawl, where at all possible development should be encouraged where we can maximize the water and sewage plants. Densification is the term that describes the increasing density of people living in urban areas. This is being encouraged by the province and may be a way to improve the situation. But we must be mindful of things like natural water runoff. And strive for creative storm water management so that more contaminants do not end up in our lakes.

 Transportation

Over the years I have pushed for and had success at the district level in active transportation.

AT integrates physical activity into normal daily life within the community, such as commuting to and from work, school, or shopping. As well as many health benefits, there are countless paybacks of AT from an environmental standpoint. One of the most obvious benefits is a reduced reliance on cars thereby reducing vehicle emissions which lead to air pollution and contribute to climate change.

In the last few years, myself and fellow councillors have been pushing for the return of passenger train service to Gravenhurst. This just make so much sense especially with the cost of fuel theses days.

It was not that many years ago that we participated in the Bike train program, a sustainable transportation and cycle tourism initiative introducing bike racks onboard select passenger rail trains to destinations. This could happen again. Its my belief that polar express will be returning with a stop in Gravenhurst within a few years. I will continue to follow up on this.

An upcoming transportation study may give us a number of ideas. We may be considering alternate sources for transportation, be it community driven, an Uber-like program, e-bike initiatives or shuttle services across town. We must ask, what can be initiated at the municipal level.

3. A long-term problem requires a long-term solution. What is your 100-year plan? If elected, what would be your first action?

Being asked for a 100-year plan is interesting. If this question were asked one hundred years ago, I’m sure the folks would never have imagined a planet and a society we have today. Nevertheless, Climate is now changing more rapidly than anticipated and we must learn to adapt and mitigate to a fluctuating environment. Coordinate efforts with other municipalities, provincial and federal governments. Additional funding sources need to be investigated to further advance climate action in Muskoka. There also needs to be   an ongoing local climate vulnerability and risk assessment. We also require coordination with business and community support for Emergency Management Planning including mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

I believe flooding will continue to be an issue and expansion of the flood plain mapping in Muskoka needs to take place, with a view to limit certain development or at least ensure flood protection measures in construction.

It seems that little attention is being paid to what role climate change has on food security, and human health. This is an area that needs to be taken under consideration as well, with the continued population growth. Planning may have to have a harder look how development reduces the amount of land available for things like agriculture.

My first action if elected regarding this matter would be to review Muskoka’s Climate Change Strategy

With my colleagues in order to understand what will be required in the coming years.

Let's take action together in 2022
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Mail

Our Weekly Newsletter

View
Subscribe

Regular Features

Political Action of the Week -Attend community open house on new hospitals for inclusion of climate solutions

Select Online Reads - The Magic Green Belt - Margaret Atwood

Muskoka Drawdown -  Frank’s guest is Gideon Forman, a climate change and transportation policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Feature Podcast – For inspiration: Bill McKibben on CBC's Reasons For Optimism

Climate And The Law - Environmental groups taking provincial government to court over attack on Hamilton’s official plan

Buildings - Concrete Built The Modern World. Now It’s Destroying It.

Focus On The Science - Exxon scientists accurately predicted the pace and scale of climate change more than 40 years ago.

Quick N Delish - Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup.

Listen to The Music - “PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER” - C!C!C! with Patti Smith - Get inspired to join a Climate Rally 

On The Road To Zero

New Challenges

Quote Me

"The people have spoken. I'm going to listen to them, they don't want me to touch the Greenbelt, we won't touch the Greenbelt." - Doug Ford


Contact Your Representative

Graydon Smith -- MPP Parry Sound-Muskoka

Scott Aitchison — MP Parry Sound-Muskoka

Our District and Municipal Councils - Find your local representative

Search

Our News

  • Climate groups in Parry Sound Muskoka sit down face to face with MPP Graydon Smith
  • OPEN LETTER TO MPP HON. GRAYDON SMITH
  • BILL 23 MUST GO.
  • Climate Action Muskoka Raises The Alarm About Bill 23
  • Sept 24 – Municipal Candidates – Climate Action?

Centre For Truth and Reconciliation

For more information click on the logo

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Instagram
  • Mail

Our Weekly Newsletter

View
Subscribe
Donations
Powered by WordPress Theme: BlogX by wpthemespace.com