Southminster United Church

Southminster United Church

September 2024

 

What to Know About LNGO

 

Southminster’s Local, National & Global Outreach Committee Newsletter

 

Introduction

Welcome back, one and all!  We sincerely hope you enjoyed your summer break — regardless of the extensive rain and days of unbearable humidity!

 

This month, our format will be slightly different. We will introduce you to only one new organization, which is operating on a Local level.  Then, we are going to take a look back at a couple of well-established groups which were previously featured; in particular, Greenpeace (in the June issue) and Grassy Narrows (in the April issue).  And, of course, we have Paul’s monthly report on Mission & Services — containing some good news!

 

GREENPEACE submitted a very emotional article on global warming, specifically relating it to the suffering of wildlife, the responsibility of the fossil-fuel industry — specifically “Big Oil”— and how we can help.  At the end, we included input from sister advocacy organizations on the subject.

 

GRASSY NARROWS is embarking on a 1700-kilometre “River Run”, culminating in Toronto, where they will make entreaties to both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario on behalf of community members still suffering from methylmercury poisoning of their local river.

 

 

Local Outreach

 

OTTAWA COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

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In February this year, Steve Pomeroy, a Board Member of Ottawa Community Land Trust, gave a presentation to CCSAC, the Centretown Churches’ Social Action Committee, of which Southminster is a member.  The following information has been gleaned from the Minutes of that meeting.

 

Steve’s slides clearly indicated to us how housing affordability in Ottawa has been worsening, with higher interest rates making owning a home vastly more difficult for many people.  Rents are also rising dramatically.  We are losing 31 affordable housing units for every one built!  Declining vacancies and unaffordable rents are contributing to increased homelessness and homeless encampments, and causing increases in mental health and addiction issues.  For those seeking to escape homelessness, the lack of low-rent options makes this virtually impossible. While upping the investment to build more affordable homes and permanent supportive housing is critical, it is equally important to try to slow this phenomenon of erosion.

 

So, while attempting to taper down this problem and “plug holes in the bottom of the bucket”, the solution is currently absent in the National Housing Strategy.  This depletion reflects both a lack of new affordable housing construction as well as market pressures that drive rents well above affordable levels — enabled by the current Rent Control Regulations, which allow landlords to raise rents to whatever the market can bear, if the unit is vacant (vacancy decontrol).  Much of this loss is relative, in that the units still exist, but at much higher rents.  In other cases, the loss is absolute – older, low-rent properties are being demolished as cities seek to intensify, especially in their core and transit areas.  Some are even lost to the short-term rental market (AirBnB).

 

Although aware that this degradation of low-rent stock must be arrested, very few private rental properties are willing to offer below-market rents.  Acquisitions by non-profits offer cost-effective and immediate solutions; however, few can make these purchases.  The challenges include securing capital quickly, undertaking self-financing, ensuring organizational competencies, and readiness.

 

The OCLT was created to fill this gap citywide. The Trust buys existing buildings with affordable rents to remove them from the speculative market and preserve them in perpetuity.  OCLT is entrusted to hold such property for the community.  When asked how OCLT is able to keep these buildings, Steve advised that part of the purchasing budget includes upgrades such as new roofs and windows, as well as making the buildings as energy efficient as possible.

 

One goal of the OCLT is to establish a $1.6 million revolving fund in order to acquire further modestly-affordable rental housing. To accomplish this, they need to blend capital: social finance tools, including an investment fund and community bonds; public funding, including grants and non-repayable loans; and philanthropic gifts.

 

To this end, OCLT is offering “Housing Forever Bonds“ as investments. These bonds are of varying amounts and for varying durations, have favourable returns (currently 3.5%), and support the community.  One way to support OCLT is to purchase such a bond.  Another is to become a member, either as an individual or as part of an organization.  The OCLT is also looking for volunteers for either its committees, or to assist with community engagement.

 

For more information on this very worthwhile organization, visit their website at https://www.oclt.ca.    

 

National Outreach

 

GRASSY NARROWS

 

Background:  The devastating mercury crisis in Grassy Narrows First Nation has persisted for decades — ever since nine tonnes of mercury was dumped upstream in the 1960s — with little action from governments to help the people. To this day, most Grassy Narrows members get no compensation for the serious impacts of the ongoing mercury crisis on their health, culture, and livelihoods. To make matters worse, Ontario is still allowing mining exploration on Grassy Narrows lands, against their will.

 

Grassy Narrows’ people are powerful leaders in the movement for Indigenous Sovereignty and environmental justice.  They have shown that, together, we can fight for justice against all odds and make real gains.  They secured an historic agreement —  “no logging on their territory for the next 10 years” —  as well as important promises to clean up the river in question.  They have the longest-running blockade in Canadian history, which has helped foster Indigenous resistance across Turtle Island, and has also saved 15 million trees from being cut.

 

Mercury Care Home:  In November of 1985, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed and later supported by the 1986 passage of the federal “Grassy Narrows and Islington Indian Bands Mercury Pollution Claims Settlement Act” and the “Ontario English and Wabigoon River Systems Mercury Contamination Settlement Agreement Act”.   On April 2, 2020, Canada and ANA (Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek) signed the “Mercury Care Home Framework Agreement”, with an Amendment added on July 26, 2021, which builds on the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensure that ANA residents who are living with methylmercury poisoning receive the care they need, while staying close to home, community and family.  It will offer specialized care to residents in order to address their unique health care needs, as well as providing supported living for those who require it.

 

For the 2024 “RIVER RUN” event, community members and leaders will travel 1,700 kilometres, from Grassy Narrows to Toronto, culminating in a rally there to show solidarity in the fight for mercury justice, freedom, and restoration of the community way of life to the way it existed prior to the mercury crisis. 

 

Grassy Narrows youth and community members are walking to achieve this justice by requiring both the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada to:

 

Compensate everyone in Grassy Narrows fairly for the mercury crisis; and,

Respect the “Grassy Narrows Indigenous Protected Area” by ending mining and logging plans in Grassy Narrows’ territory.

 

You can join Grassy Narrows in Toronto on September 18th to show that you are with them on their path to achieve mercury justice.  The meeting place is Grange Park (behind the Art Gallery) at Noon.  Buses are coming in from across Ontario and Quebec to stand in solidarity.  Below are links for buses from Ottawa/Montreal and Kingston.  Please click on the corresponding link to reserve a seat.

•  Ottawa/Montreal -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5cDyPkzibxPUYCCP84TUhKWSMYdzidmXhcWPwzBL7do4jTQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

•    Kingston - https://forms.gle/EeCfr7R7mQi

 

Sign up: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

 

Check out FreeGrassy.net for more details as the event approaches. 

 

RSVP For River Run 2024

 

National and Global Outreach

 

GREENPEACE

 

We found  this August 23rd GREENPEACE email very thought-provoking and felt we should share it with you.  It reads, in part:

 

“July marked the 14th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures, putting 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record. This summer has really been one for the books — from devastating wildfires to massive floods and unbearable extreme heat, we’re really feeling the impacts of a warming world. 

Communities like yours and mine are suffering the detrimental impacts of climate chaos, with homes being lost in destructive wildfires and lives being put at risk by toxic smoke and extremely high temperatures.  All the while, wildlife – the silent and often forgotten victims of climate disasters – are also losing their homes and having their livelihoods destroyed.”

 

To this end, GREENPEACE published an article more clearly explaining the plight of wildlife caused by this extreme heating of our planet, and we felt it important enough to draw to your attention.  The links within will take you to explanations of interest.  The article follows:

 

“The Forgotten Victims of Climate Disasters

We are in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis, with rates of species loss unprecedented in human history. As global emissions make the climate warmer and increasingly unpredictable, the effect on wildlife and ecosystems is becoming ever more evident.  From insects to birds and mammals to old-growth forests, the Earth’s biodiversity is facing serious threats  from a warming world. 

 

The fiery toll of wildfires on wildlife

When they sense a wildfire, large and fast animals are often able to escape by running or flying away.  On the other hand, smaller or slower animals — frogs, turtles, snakes, small mammals — tend to seek refuge by hiding, which may lead to them dying during the fire. Should these animals survive the flames, they, like us, are vulnerable to heat exhaustion, oxygen deprivation, smoke inhalation, and dehydration — all of which could be fatal.

 

Following a fire, wildlife habitats completely change. Entire forests are replaced with small shrubs and grass, leading to loss of food and nesting sites for animals. These drastic ecosystem changes could make species increasingly vulnerable to extinction — with already threatened species or populations most at risk. 

 

While fires are a natural part of forest ecosystems and allow certain species to thrive, the intensity and frequency of wildfires is rapidly increasing, disrupting the stability of ecosystems and making it ever more difficult for animals to escape the flames. 

 

As more fires blaze, we may see more animals wandering into urban areas, fleeing their lost habitats and looking for a place to rest.  Help them by giving them space, avoiding feeding them, and reporting any injured animals to your local Wildlife Rescue Centre.

 

It’s getting way too hot in here

On top of battling lost habitats in fires, animals fall victim to extreme heat. Hotter temperatures can cause dehydration and heat stress, increase the spread of invasive species, and disrupt hibernation and migration patterns — forcing wildlife to adapt to unfamiliar temperatures, resources and habitats.

Extreme temperatures have been identified as a culprit behind the growing number of local species’ extinctions. 

 

Should the planet continue to warm at a severe rate, up to one in three species could be lost over the next 50 years.  Insects are particularly at risk — the number of areas occupied by native bumblebees in North America has dropped by 46% relative to surveys taken between 1901 and 1974.

 

What can we do?

While communities, wildlife and entire ecosystems face the brunt of the climate crisis, the fossil-fuel industry reaps billions in profits and expands oil production.  By continuing to exploit coal, oil and gas, they are inflaming extreme weather, making climate disasters more frequent and more severe. 

 

Later is too late — communities are burning and animals are dying, and it is time for fossil-fuel polluters to pay for fueling this climate chaos. 

 

We are demanding they pay into a new Climate Recovery Fund — a fund which would be used to repair, rebuild, and adapt to future climate-change impacts.  By financially supporting communities and local governments facing the brunt of the crisis, we can work towards building resilient communities and ecosystems in the face of climate disasters.

 

The future is in our hands. Together, we can hold the fossil-fuel industry accountable for pouring fuel on the fire, and shape a better future for humanity and the planet.   They need to pay into a Climate Recovery Fund.   

 

Our hearts go out to the people, wildlife and ecosystems that have been negatively impacted by extreme weather events.”

 

Several sister advocacy organizations are also pushing for a solution.  Here are just a few.

 

350.org has this to say:  “A tax on Big Oil is just the first step. We know, if we have any hope of preserving a safe climate, we need to phase out the fossil-fuel industry.  Let’s start with this big move in the right direction.”

 

LEADNOW says:  “We can make Big Oil pay for their climate crimes – but it will take all of us. Thank you for stepping up in this critical moment – when Parliamentary Hearings and climate-induced wildfires are already putting fossil-fuel CEOs in the hot seat – to demand our government hold the fossil-fuel industry accountable for their destruction.”

 

The DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION states:  “Because we have already released so many greenhouse gases — such as carbon dioxide — into the atmosphere, we will be facing escalating wildfires for years to come.  We can reduce future risk by shifting from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner energy and protecting green spaces, but good forest management is also necessary.  The world is on fire, but solutions are available. With the cost to human health and life, infrastructure and wildlife rising every year, we need to use every tool we have. It’s past time to face reality.”

 

Global Outreach

 

MISSION & SERVICE

 

You may have noticed the “Certificate of Thanksgiving” on the bulletin board in front of the office. This was received at the beginning of the summer. The Certificate was issued by the United Church’s head office and recognizes Southminster’s total Mission & Service contributions for 2023: $15,807.   

 

A belated “thank you” from your LNGO Committee for your generosity and your concern for others.

 

Here is a quote from the letter written by the Moderator, Dr, Carmen Lansdowne, and the Executive Officer/Philanthropy, Sarah Charteris:

 

“Thanks to your faithfulness, our joint ministry through Mission and Service continues to transform lives and deepen discipleship.  In 2023, we faced many challenges.

 

In Canada, inflation, wildfires, and a rise in homelessness and food insecurity faced us all.  Globally, ongoing and new conflicts and natural disasters occurred with disturbing frequency. And throughout the year, communities of faith continued to respond to these challenges.”

 

United Churches together raised almost $21 million in 2023.  Bequests, other planned gifts, and emergency appeals brought the total to over $24 million!

 

 

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If you have suggestions for items that might be included  in this ongoing monthly newsletter, please send your ideas to: LNGO@southminsterunitedchurch.com.

 

Your LNGO Committee: Linda MacDonald, Paul Mullin, Heather Macfaden