There is a call for the NPCA Chair to resign.
The group, For Our Kids Niagara, has sent an open letter to board members with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority asking for Chair Dave Bylsma, who is Mayor of West Lincoln, and also a member of the Christian Heritage Party resign from the authority.
Shannon Duggan tells CKTB they are shocked that Bylsma is chairing the NPCA board, when he is part of a party which states very clearly on their website that man made climate change is a hoax.
They also want the NPCA to take more action on climate change.
The group is planning on being at the next NPCA meeting on January 15th.
We have reached out to Mayor Bylsma for comment.
A copy of the open letter is below
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Dear NPCA board members,
On September 27th, 2019 you shared a live video statement on your FB page. You stated clearly in this video that you supported the climate strike action around the world, and informed us that you have declared a state of emergency in response to the crisis.
We at For Our Kids Niagara want to tell you that saying these words is NOT ENOUGH. In fact, we are deeply disappointed by the lack of action the NPCA has taken in the last year. During the preceeding corruption from the last board, it is a fact that many environmental protections in Niagara were systematically dismantled. What is being done to ensure this damage is now reversed? When watching video of your recent meetings it becomes clear that there is no drive to respond to this state of emergency with any real action. There is a lot of discussion over how you don't have the time, or the resources, or the staff. How you can wait for provincial direction, whenever that may come.
We are also shocked to discover that the current chair of the NPCA, Mr Dave Bylsma, is the National president of another organization, the CHP. This group states very clearly on their website that man made climate change is a hoax. We would like to ask Mr Bylsma to resign his position with CHP and state categorically, on the record, that he believes in the science behind man made climate change. If he will not, then we call for his immediate dismissal from the NPCA board.
We believe it is inappropriate to select someone who does not believe in the science of climate change to be a member of the board of the NPCA. It is even more worrying to us that this man became the chair and seems likely to remain in that position. How many more of you on the board are actively denying the science which is accepted around the world? This is an outrageous position for anyone involved in environmental conservation. At your upcoming AGM on January 15th we will be watching closely. We would like to ask the board, in the interests of transparency, to make this an open vote. We would like any board member who votes to keep Mr Bylsma as chair visible for public record.
Niagara has been subject to some of the worst corruption in recent years and we demand that the current NPCA board members be held to a higher standard. We have less than 10 years to make the changes we need to avoid a mass extinction event. Let's say it again for you: WE HAVE LESS THAN 10 YEARS. Our kids need a FUTURE. Your kids need a future. You need to stop treating this as an exercise in beaurocracy and actually take action.
The NPCA is a taxpayer funded institution. You work for us. And you are failing us. You are failing our kids. You have the power in your hands to make a difference. Please use it before time runs out for us all.
Signed,
For Our Kids Niagara
Sources :
*watch the December NPCA board meeting here https://youtu.be/cZwJtrQZGWA
**see the Christian heritage party website with Mr. Bylsma listed as the national president here: https://www.chp.ca/about/team/
***look at the Christian heritage party's platform page on climate change here: https://www.chp.ca/platform/category/environment
**** the ipcc summary report for policy makers can be found here:
https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/