Environment front and centre at Centennial Secondary debate

Four of the five Bay of Quinte federal election candidates discussed nothing but the environment for over 90 minutes on Thursday night.

At one of the hundreds of events nationwide called the 100 Debates on the Environment; Stephanie Bell, Paul Bordonaro, Danny Celovsky and Neil Ellis each spoke about what they and their parties would do to help solve the climate emergency. Conservative candidate Tim Durkin was absent from the debate.

100 Debates on the Environment has a simple mission: to make the environment an issue that no party and no candidate can ignore by organizing more than 100 inclusive, politically neutral, and environment-focused all-candidates debates in communities across Canada.

The event was organized by staff and students at Centennial Secondary School and live streamed to 100 Debates on the Environment Facebook page.

Scott Simmons, a teacher at CSS and Madison Redding, a senior Centennial student moderated the event.

The well attended event covered at Centennial discussed a number of topics including appropriate energy sources for the Bay of Quinte, strengthening the Environmental Protection Act, protecting watersheds and transportation.

Redding opened the event by stressing the importance of dealing with climate change now and referencing Greta Thunberg who has mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to take a stand and demand action on climate change; including a student who traveled from Belleville to Toronto when she should have been more concerned with her university applications then a climate change rally.

The debate opened with four questions that were common to all debates on the environment across the nation, followed by two local environmental questions followed by audience submitted questions.

The first question asked of the candidates had to do with the key elements of an action plan to meet international obligations.

Bell said her party wants to end subsidies for fossil fuels and to make the polluters pay. The NDP believes in investing in a green economy, having not only efficient housing but affordable as well. They want to preserve the oceans and natural environment and believe Indigenous people play a critical role in maintaining forests and land.

Bordonaro said the PPC believes that Canada needs to do what is best within our own country and not let a non-elected organization dictate what our nation is to do. He said they want to protect the air, water and soil and protect environmentally sensitive areas.

Celovsky simply stated it is time to act and that Canada needs to make the transition to green energy, reduce needless consumption and the trash it creates. He wants to set the foundation immediately, retool manufacturing, have the population depend less on driving and have an electrical grid from east to west to north. Celovsky says net zero by 2050 is possible.

Ellis said their party has five year targets for reducing carbon emissions on their way to net zero by 2050 and carbon pricing will help change habits to make this happen. There are electric car incentives along with a two billion tree planting program, all which will play a part in making their environmental plan work.

The candidates were asked about reducing water pollution by working with farmers and municipalities and preventing flooding events.

 

Bordonaro stated the first thing we need to do is get plastics out of our water as it is ending up in our seafood. He continued by saying when it comes to flooding, he wants to have the International Joint Commission taken to court.

Celovsky said the decisions made upstream effect those downstream and flooding locally is expected to be even worse next year. He said there needs to be a national fresh water monitoring system as fresh water is a right in every community as a fundamental right.

Ellis says his party is working on flood mapping all of Canada and has established a $2 million disaster mitigation plan for events like funding to help municipalities deal with the additional costs. He says they are working on a low cost insurance plan for those who are living in flood zones, working on retrofitting 1.5 million homes with interest free loans and working on protecting wetlands and 25% of land and water bodies as well. He says they need to clean up our legacy for our children.

Bell says they need to plant trees, preserve our wetlands, preserve the soil and invest more in conservation authorities and give them more power than they currently have.

The candidates were next asked about protecting the quantity and quality of our wilderness.

Celovsky went first and said nature is the world’s biggest gift and it is a delicately balanced system and he will do everything he can to protect the wilderness.

Ellis said when his government was elected there was only 1% of the coastline protected and now there is 14%, which is still below their goal of 25%. He continued noting the 14 acres protected in Prince Edward County as well. He highlighted the banning of microbeads and single use plastics as well as a way to help fix the climate change crisis.

Bell says trees are beyond value and we need to plant more of them. She said we also need to look to our Indigenous neighbours and their rights respected because when their rights are taken care of, our lands are taken care of.

Bordonaro says we need to introduce a national wilderness protection act to make sure we protect our wilderness and not go near it. He says he thinks we can’t do enough.

The next question had to do will air pollution and toxic substances and how Canadians can be better protected and committing to strengthening the Environmental Protection Act.

 

Ellis says the Environmental Protection Act does need to be reformed and it would be one of the first things his government would do. He says we need to stop burning the earth and leave a better legacy for our children.

Bell said her party would also strengthen the Environmental Protection Act but that is nothing without enforcement, she said that is the key. She felt there also needs to be a federal environmental bill of rights that enforces a healthy environment, clean air, water and soil.

Bordonaro stated he is for strengthening the Environmental Protection Act as well. His party is against the carbon tax he noted and said it is just an exchange of money and we are doing well to minimize coal use in Canada but we need to work towards no pollution. He says they want to work towards no pollution and they should close the paper plants in Trenton just based on air pollution and health concerns like cancer and speech impediments.

Celovsky asked what good are laws and regulations if they are not enforced. He said Canada already has most of the laws we need, but we simply need to enforce them. He said money got us into this mess and money won’t get us out of it.

The candidates were then asked two questions focused on the Bay of Quinte region.

The first question had to do with energy appropriate for the region.

Bell said a balanced way of things is the way to go as mining is dirty and battery storage is still very toxic. She says they need to look into the cleanest, most effective way to create energy without marginalizing people in other countries. She feels wind power may be the way to go.

Bordonaro says wind turbines aren’t too popular in this area but he is in favour if they aren’t an eye sore. He noted we should go back to an old source of energy in water turbines. He said Tesla has created solar shingles and that is something we need to look into in the future.

Celovsky says he would like to see us using less energy by living and working closer to home, but for what energy we do use, he wants it to be from a variety of green sources. He says solar and wind are options as well as storing energy. He also noted technology has come a long way and that needs to be put to use as well.

Ellis said there needs to be incentives for cities to make the switch to more green energy such as the Solar Fit program and the government has to hold them accountable. He noted Prince Edward County is one of those municipalities that produces more energy then it uses. He didn’t deny green energy has a high price tag but also has a long life span and they need to incentivize people to get off the grid.

The next question focused on watersheds and water quality.

Bordonaro says the local conservation authorities are doing a great job despite the provincial government cutting their funding. He said the federal government needs to step in and keep that funding going to keep the conservation authorities strong to protect our watersheds.

Celovsky said we here in the Bay of Quinte are effected by the upstream decisions that effect the quantity and quality of water here and there needs to be a national monitoring of water flows. He said there needs to be a way we can have a voice. He says increased water levels effect our ecology, tourism and agriculture industries and property owners.

Ellis says the Bay of Quinte has come a long way and through the Quinte Conservation and the Remedial Action Plan there are only two pollution problems left. He says the main issue in our water is phosphates which create blue green algae and the Conservation Authority is now looking to see where the hot spots for the phosphates are and where they are coming from.

Bell says we need to support local campaigns such as Plastic Free PEC and Save Picton Bay because they are groups advocating for the environment. She supports Quinte Conservation is important and using the information they create in a meaningful way and act on the maps created by the organization.

In closing, Celovsky said tackling climate change is tough but he has hope. Someone has to be the leader and find a way to do it and he feels the Green Party is up to the task. He says the targets are set, 60% reduction in carbon by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Ellis says they all have a common interest in the environment and have to protect it. He said the Liberals have a real plan and he can do more as an MP then he every could as mayor of Belleville. He said the Liberals have already stepped up and they plan to do more.

Bell said there needs to be less environmental impact and those polluters and countries need to be held accountable. She said the issue is a complex one but not an impossible one.

Bordonaro said the government has mismanaged the environment each year and politicians need to be more creative when it comes to finding solutions to problems. He said his party feels they need to take care of Canadians first.