Join us to mark the 20th year that we hold ceremony at Toronto Police Headquarters for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans and Two-Spirit people (MMIWGT2S)and the passing of beloved Elder Wanda Whitebird who led this event for 19 years. MORE INFO TBA photo credit: Karri North Bring your signs and banners honouring MMIWG2S only please.

More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1627811931191318/

With an Ontario election looming, we all need to understand the critical election issues that affect us most! How will your vote affect your cost of living, health, housing and insurance, access to food, and more? Find out by joining this special pre-election OCEC non-partisan webinar. You will hear about important platform policies of each party, and an expert panelists’ discussion of the real-life impacts of these policies on you and your loved ones. Put your questions directly to our panelists during the Q+A to follow.

Affordability:
Housing & Insurance
Kathryn Bakos
Managing Director, Finance & Resilience, Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation

Health:
Dr. Mili Roy
Ontario Regional Co-chair, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Affordability:
Energy
Dr. Mark Winfield
Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University

Agriculture and Food Security
Brent Preston,
Author, Farmer
Sustainability Options

Democracies & voting:
Dr. Louise Comeau
Senior Advisor, Re.Climate, Carleton University

This non-partisan event will also summarize the platforms of the 4 major parties.

This online event will have closed captioning

Register and More details: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FWNbdlwCRfiKzzB8Tscwuw#/registration

On Thursday 13th February we will be joined by Rev. Sue Parfitt. She'll be speaking about her book 'Bodies On The Line'. A book that explores faith, resistance and the climate crisis. Sue's words and wisdom WILL only gain relevance from our present moment. So come along and hear from one of our most radical and inspiring voices.

We'll also be sharing more about the action plans for spring and what you can do to get involved. We're here to spark something big—and we need YOU to be a part of it. To be a part of the resistance that is necessary at this time.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ow7BJSjCTPOgFjLKaFxvRA#/registration

As of 2021, there are over 7 million young people in Canada between the ages of 15 and 29, and they are the country's most diverse and educated demographic group. As youth experts and youth, we know the power and value of activating youth in our work. Across all sectors, we depend heavily on the next generation's innovation, creativity, and ingenuity to animate our work and shape and define the world of tomorrow.

Whether you’re hoping to reach youth as staff, clients, volunteers, supporters, donors, board members, or maybe even your next Executive Director or CEO, you will need a comprehensive and targeted strategy to reach, engage and retain young people. After working with youth for 20 years, Apathy is Boring has developed the Youth Friendly Program to help organizations invest their time, energy and resources to uplift and activate young people in their spaces.

Webinar: Youth Friendly ENGOs and You
February 11, 1-2 PM ET

Workshops:
Thursdays, March 20 - April 3, 1-2:30 pm ET

1) Intentional Interactions & You(th): Reaching Youth Where They’re At

2) Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Recruit Youth

3) Youth as Decision-Makers: Creating Meaningful Opportunities
‍

Register and More details: https://www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca/events/youth-friendly-engos-and-you

On February 11, Toronto City Council will be voting on the 2025 City Budget. Social Planning Toronto and partners are organizing a community rally outside City Hall to let Council know this is no time for cuts.

This year's proposed budget includes increased investments into vital community services such as affordable housing, transit, and a student nutrition program, but this funding won’t be guaranteed unless City Council votes to support it. It’s time to send a strong message: we need to fund a city where everyone can thrive. 

More details: https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/fund_our_city_toronto_budget_rally

Join us on Saturday, February 1st at 6pm to celebrate the launch of Toronto's Climate Voting Records website! The website tracks voting data in real time and shows how each councillor in Toronto is voting on climate related policies including transit, cycling, TransformTO, energy, climate justice, and more. This is also a great opporunity to meet members in the climate community and find ways to get involved. The event is free and will have food 🍕

This in-person event is wheel-chair accessible.

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/climate-voting-records-toronto-website-launch-party-information-session-tickets-1130107775779

Engagement organizing (EO) involves building your organization’s people power by identifying and recruiting people who share your organization’s interests, cultivating relationships with them, and supporting them in specific ways to volunteer, donate and advocate for your cause.

It allows organizations to scale up their efforts with the help of digital technologies and a shift in management roles to support ever greater levels of volunteer participation and leadership. The result is resilient, robust and effective organizations that operate at a level much higher than those who follow conventional organizing approaches.

Through EO 101, participants will learn the basics of engagement organizing, how to help your organization to become a people-powered organization and how to apply EO in your day-to-day work life while advancing the mission of your organization.

Dates: January 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28 and March 7, 2025 from 1-3 PM ET

Register and More Details: https://www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca/events/course-engagement-organizing-101

Join ICA’s Angel Brant as we host 2 members from Bad River Band to share their story of their fight against Enbridge. This is the first public screening of the award winning film narrated by Edward Norton, BAD RIVER. This is an event to build public awareness of our role in shutting down line 5, and to invite more members into the Canada End Line 5 Coalition. There will be a Patagonia raffle, free popcorn and bubbly sponsored by Geez Louise.

We appreciate your support! An action toolkit will also be released alongside the timing of the screenings.

Register and More details: https://harthouse.ca/events/bad-river

This month, we shed some light onto the research findings, policy and LCA, and alternative models to plastics.

Register and More details: lu.ma/CN_PLASTICS

Are you thinking about AI and how it affects your work? Concerned about the impact of AI on climate change? Want to get a handle on how policy making might affect you -- or how you might shape it?Canadian non-profits need to get involved in advocacy relating to artificial intelligence policy. It’s complex and fast-moving. Katie Gibson clearly articulated the good thinking needed on AI for Canada’s nonprofits in a recent article of the Philanthropist.

This area is complex and fast moving but she supplies us the questions and processes and encourages each of us to get in the game. In this conversation she'll recap what the sector is facing but customize her thoughts for the environmental community. There will be plenty of opportunity for back and forth so join us then for an empowering and insightful exchange with someone in the middle of this emerging priority.

Free on Zoom

Regsier and More details: https://www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca/events/a-conversation-with-katie-gibson

Join us for a special gathering where residents come together to plan our climate actions for the years 2025-2030. We'll begin with brief overviews of the key challenges & opportunities, but the heart of the event will be the roundtable discussions.
Let's collaborate, brainstorm, and strategize on how we can make a positive impact on our community and the environment.

This in-person event is wheel-chair accessible, This event is kid-friendly and open to all ages

Please register as space is limited. Everyone is welcome.

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/transform-etobicoke-residents-meet-to-plan-our-climate-actions-2025-2030-tickets-1136082004859

A small but growing number of studies are increasingly exploring the range of emotions young people experience as a result of climate-driven disruption. One aspect of this research pays particular attention to how these emotions impact both desires and plans to parent children, now and in the future. However, these studies pay little to no attention to racial difference, despite the fact that communities in the U.S. experience differential environmental and climate impacts based on social factors, including race. This presentation explores the question: is race a factor in the expression of climate emotions and parenting plans? And if so, how can we address climate emotions as a key component of climate justice interventions that support vulnerable communities of color?

Register and More details: https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/events/environment-seminar-series-climate-anxiety-climate-justice-and-future-reproduction-jade-s

Climate change is taking a toll on our City with more and more big storms happening every year. At the same time, we’re seeing the TTC crumbling and service levels not meeting transit rider needs. The city needs new money to protect against the impact of big storms and fix our transit system, but where can it come from? Cities across North America use fees from big box and corporate landlords to fund transit, flood protection and other city services. Join Social Planning Toronto, TTC Riders and the Toronto Environmental Alliance to learn more and help us build support for new funding tools that can protect our city from floods and build a better transit system for everyone.

Register and More details: https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/making_big_oil_and_big_box_stores_pay_up_funding_a_flood_safe_and_transit_friendly_city

Councillor Saxe will be holding a virtual townhall on the Transform TO Action Plan 2026-2030 on Thursday, January 23, 7:00-8:00 pm.

Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/Q4mUXzepQ1CgAUCThXZlMA#/registration

In support of local urban greening programs, the 3+30+300 rule (or principle) sets evidence-based guidelines for visible green (seeing at least 3 larger trees from every home, place of work, and school), surrounding green (no less than 30% tree canopy cover in every neighbourhood), and recreational green (at most 300 metres to the nearest, high-quality public green space). Since its launch in early 2021 by the seminar presenter, in the midst of the Covid19-pandemic when the importance of visible and nearby nature became very clear, the rule has been adopted by municipalities, regional and national governments, and international organizations across the world.

Register and More details: https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/events/environment-and-health-seminar-series-330300-rule-greener-and-healthier-cities-background

This session will outline the political landscape of the upcoming federal election. It will cover:

Current and trending public opinion, voter trends and likely electoral outcomes;
Implications, challenges and opportunities for environmental policy;
The importance of relationship building across parties and with relevant constituencies;
How and where to pitch platform asks;
Election strategies; and
How to engage with the public service during the pre-election period.
This workshop is for those who have at least some experience with government relations, and want to learn more. The format will be interactive, with opportunities for Q&A and discussion of specific examples. The focus will be on the federal government, although the principles apply at the provincial level, and to some degree, the municipal.

‍Register and More details: https://www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca/events/environmental-advocacy-in-a-changing-political-landscape

Mike Layton is VP Philanthropy, Corporate and Community Partners at Second Harvest. Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue organization. Learn how they redirect surplus food to the non-profit sector to feed communities, and how this benefits the environment.

More details: https://impactnetzero.ca/eglinton-lawrence/

PHP4ca is hosting information events at the homes of local Parkdale-High Park/ Ward 4 residents who have installed a heat pump and/or completed other retrofits to reduce their carbon emissions. This is our third event. We are partnered with Toronto Home Retrofits, and expert advisors who also attend to assist homeowners to make informed decisions in their retrofit choices. Our goal is to showcase the homes of individuals who have successfully reduced their dependency on fossil fuels and provide details of their experiences, to encourage and inspire other homeowners to reduce their carbon emissions and dependency on fossil fuels.

The event is located within Ward 4. Address details will be provided when you register.

Register and More details: https://www.php4climateaction.org/home-energy

The workshop is 3 hours. We try to start on time so do your best to arrive early and get organized with drinks or food if you wish. 1 1/2 - 2 hr Create the collage. Connect the cards. Share stories & emotions. 1 - 1/12 hr For the second part we dive into positive actions, based on your individual interests, capabilities & commitment, without judgement or shaming. Sometimes there’s lots of excitement though. As Dr. Suess says “Oh, the places you’ll go” The workshop is compelling & engaging. It takes a very serious topic and opens it up to learning by discover and understanding.

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/climate-fresk-workshop-scarborough-tickets-1090388083109

This is a vigil to express our concern re the Los Angeles wildfires and to call for climate leadership at all levels of government - local, provincial, national and international

This in-person event is wheel-chair accessible, This event is kid-friendly and open to all ages

Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LrdKqEHzBOBZHFfLGFHHpw13nkoY0FdqnoD2m894-5U/edit

Join us for presentations and discussion on the City of Toronto's climate strategy for 2026 - 2030. Participants will be invited to complete the City's survey and provide input into the TCAN survey which will inform a report to the City. We will also discuss opportunities for advocating for climate action in public hearings on the City's 2025 Budget.

This in-person event is wheel-chair accessible.

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/have-your-say-torontos-climate-plan-tickets-1119855460829

In this engaging session, participants will be challenged to explore their own biases and assumptions about different generations, gaining insights into the factors that shape each group’s values and behaviors. This session will provide practical strategies for bridging the generational divide and fostering greater understanding and cooperation among team members. Participants will leave with actionable insights to create a more inclusive and harmonious workplace.

Learning Objectives:

- Participants will learn the unique skill sets that each generation brings for synergetic cooperation.

- Participants will gain perspective and understanding in overcoming generational obstacles in the workplace.

- Participants will be able to define psychographic diversity and the role it plays in bridging the generational divide.

Register and More details: https://www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca/events/bridging-the-gap-the-generational-divide

Canadian book launch and webinar with authors: Dr. Ian Fairlie and Cindy Folkers

This book reveals that the harmful effects of radiation exposure – especially from the nuclear sector and especially to children – are more pervasive and worse than thought. These have been known for decades but suppressed by politically-motivated censorship and overt disparagement/persecution. Anyone who ever wondered about radiation or its close relative, radioactivity, should read the book and attend this webinar. It’s timely because the feds and several provincial governments are pushing hard for more public exposures to radiation via nuclear power. It explains radiation in easy-to-grasp language which clarifies its dangers and risks. Both authors will present on the webinar.

This online event will have closed captioning.

Register and More details: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XxiHwXW4S_evHMrJSzmVlA

Join us for presentations on the City of Toronto's climate strategy and the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. Presentation will be followed by break-out discussions on the climate strategy for 2026 - 2030. Participants will be invited to complete the City's survey and provide input into the TCAN survey which will inform a report to the City.
In the second part of the event, we will focus on climate justice and the 2025 City Budget. Speakers will include Sarah Buchanan of TEA (Toronto Environmental Alliance) and Anneli Legault and Gail Fairley of Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN). Hosted by ClimateFast.

This online event will have closed captioning.

Questions: lyn@climatefast.ca

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/have-your-say-torontos-climate-plan-tickets-1120090383489

Join Plastic Pollution Coalition on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, for a discussion with scientific, advocacy, and media experts about microplastics in us, and the importance of culture change, systems shifts, and plastic-free solutions that protect our health.

Register and More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/583050680985407/

Four-Part Webinar Series

Financing is one of the most common challenges local governments face when looking to put their climate plans into action. Municipal governments are limited in the tools available to them to raise revenue, being largely dependent on property taxes, user fees, and funding from other levels of government. Though climate mitigation and adaptation will ultimately result in cost-savings for governments and residents alike, many projects require significant initial investment, which can be a deterrent for cash-strapped municipalities.  

However, municipalities are also creating new and innovative solutions, creating taxation structures,  working with new partners, and tapping into new sources of revenue. This webinar will feature a discussion of the range of different climate financing options available to municipalities, as well as a case study of one community's successful approach to financing climate action.

Register and More details: https://events.tamarackcommunity.ca/webinar-series-overcoming-challenges-in-local-climate-action

Did you know that greenhouse gas emissions from buildings make up 56% of all community-wide emissions in this city?

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions that come from fossil fuels used for space and water heating in our buildings is key to reaching the City of Toronto’s climate target of net zero emissions by 2040. Switching away from fossil fuels and making buildings more energy efficient, can also lead to numerous benefits such as better protection against extreme weather, improved occupant comfort and better indoor air quality. Retrofits to existing homes and businesses can feel challenging and expensive, though, this is why the City is trying to get the public’s input on what policies, tools and support programs are needed to accelerate building retrofits in Toronto.

We are inviting you to host a conversation with people in your network or neighbourhood that will give us advice on what programs, supports, and services could encourage more people to retrofit their homes and businesses.

Register and More details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/host-a-conversation-on-retrofitting-toronto-buildings-tickets-1099361011379

Common Ground (2023) is the sequel to Kiss the Ground (2020), which is now available to view for free on YouTube. Common Ground picks up where Kiss the Ground leaves off, and includes more Black and Indigenous perspectives on regenerative agriculture. It also lays out a bold fighting stance against Big Ag and for healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people and healthy planet!

The film is a launch event for Compost Toronto, a relatively new group implementing composting projects in community and school gardens. Green Thumbs Growing Kids is sponsoring this project, and the event is also sponsored by some brilliant composting and farming friends!

This in-person event is wheel-chair accessible, This event is kid-friendly and open to all ages

More info? contact composttoronto@gmail.com or sunday@greenthumbsto.org

Register: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/common-ground-film

Join the TCBN Virtual Meet and Greet to learn about The Build Green Career Fair. The Build Green Career Fair connects job seekers with employers offering opportunities in green construction and sustainability. We are excited to welcome employers to learn how TCBN is transforming Toronto’s construction and labour sectors. Explore the value of partnering with us to drive equitable economic growth, support local businesses, and build stronger, more inclusive communities.

Register and More details: https://www.communitybenefits.ca/virtual_open_house

The Climate Fresk Workshop uses a “game model” consisting of 42 cards which are based on the IPCC scientific reports. The details are summarized and simplified and participants collaboratively create a collage showing the causes and consequences behind climate change and how planetary life is and will continue to be further impacted. The collage provides a concrete visual which is easily understood.

Action urgency is self-evident, rolling-out on its own without preaching, judgement and complicated explanations. It bonds and empowers participants to take action and spread the word. The workshop is not something to be afraid of, but not understanding climate change is.

Suitable for beginners to expert, ages 15 and up.

It is our responsibility to become aware of the situation in order to preserve and create a place where we, our children and grandchildren can live and thrive.

Please register in advance at Eventbrite.