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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 26 ,2 02 0 | 34 ON NOW AT THE BRICK!ON NOW AT THE BRICK! SAVING YOU MORE For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. The Town of Halton Hills is developing a Specialized Transit Plan and we want to hear from you! The Specialized Transit Plan will aim to improve the ActiVan service within the Town, better serving our residents/community and ultimately supporting the broader Halton Hills Transit Service Strategy. Visit the Specialized Transit Plan project page on letstalkhaltonhills.ca & have your say! Learnmore about the proposed plan, leave your feedback & comments, ask the Town questions & complete the survey before the December 18, 2020 deadline. As the Region under- takes a massive review of its Official Plan, local resi- dents are urging Halton of- ficials to strongly focus on initiatives that will help prevent climate change. During a special council meeting on the topic held Nov. 18, over a dozen people delegated to regional coun- cillors, sharing their thoughts on areas of the Of- ficial Plan they would like changed or strengthened. The land-use policy doc- ument, which is reviewed every five years, guides de- cisions on matters like where new housing should go and green space protec- tion. Council heard from sev- eral climate action sup- porters, with most con- tending that solid urban boundaries are needed to stop development from in- fringing on the green space in Halton's rural areas and preserve land for agricul- ture uses. They also advo- cated for green develop- ment standards for new construction throughout Halton. HERE'S WHAT SOME OF THEM HAD TO SAY: • "You declared a cli- mate emergency, now please lead. Please stop paving paradise. Please put our children and grand- children's future's first." -- Janet Duval of the Halton Hills Climate Ac- tion Team, which is calling for intensification within firm urban boundaries, walkable neighbourhoods and more. • "Ensuring our green spaces and places is a ne- cessity for a healthy com- munity. Hard urban boundaries will ensure via- ble and thriving ecosys- tems and agricultural land, and build a community that is balanced and pre- pared for the ever-chang- ing effects of climate change." -- Lisa Kohler, execu- tive director of the Halton Environmental Network • "When it comes to effi- cient buildings and devel- opment, we recognize that half of Halton's greenhouse gas emissions are account- ed for by buildings. That means meaningful climate action will have to address building efficiency." -- Bianca Caramento, manager of the Bay Area Climate Change Council To help residents learn more about the Official Plan aspects under review, Halton has created sum- mary webpages and posted discussion papers at hal- ton.ca/ropr. The review process will continue into 2021. Local residents can still share their feedback at ropr@halton.ca or by call- ing 311. NEWS Local residents are calling for green development standards for new construction throughout Halton. Torstar file photo RESIDENTS PUSH FOR FURTHER ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com