Community Initiatives across Ontario

Environment Canada supports community initiatives that improve local air quality and help meet national pollution reduction targets.

Many municipalities in Ontario set pollution reduction targets on air toxics, smog and greenhouse gases, and develop smog response and energy efficiency plans that address the health and environmental impacts of these pollutants.

Local actions on clean air and successful cooperation among community members and all levels of government are essential for reduction of air pollution. As part of the federal government's Clean Air Agenda, Environment Canada supports local government involvement and action in these initiatives. 

Please contact the Air & Inventories Division at (416) 739-5855, for information on submitting a proposal for a local community initiative in Ontario.

Click on one of the following communities to find out what is being done in their area:

• City of Toronto
• Greater Toronto Area
• Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth
• City of London
• City of Windsor
• Lambton County 

City of Toronto

20/20: The Way to Clean Air

Environment Canada has supported the City of Toronto and their 20/20 social marketing campaign since its launch in June 2002. This campaign helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and provides tools and resources to help GTA residents reduce home energy and vehicle use by 20 percent, through the guidance of a step by step 20/20 planner.

Greater Toronto Area

Smog Summit

The Smog Summit is an annual one-day event held in Toronto where Ministers, Mayors, Regional Chairs and other officials from all levels of government come together to affirm or reaffirm their commitment to address smog and air quality and to report progress on commitments made at previous summits.

Each attending representative signs the Inter-Governmental Declaration on Clean Air which makes statements of common understanding concerning air quality issues and contains actions taken jointly by all members of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Clean Air Council.

Primary organizers for the Smog Summit include the Clean Air Partnership and a Secretariat composed of representatives from several City of Toronto departments, businesses and non-governmental organizations concerned with air quality.  As a member of the GTA Clean Air Council since its inception in 2000, Environment Canada has participated in the planning and support of the Toronto Smog Summit and committed to actions to improve air quality.

For more information about Toronto Smog Summits, visit the Clean Air Partnership website.

Clean Air Council

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Clean Air Council is an inter-governmental working group dedicated to exploring joint initiatives and liaising with municipalities across Canada to discover best practices for reducing smog.  The Clean Air Council was established as the result of a joint commitment made by all levels of government at the 2000 Smog Summit.

The GTA Clean Air Council provides an excellent opportunity for all levels of government to promote clean air practices in their day-to-day activities and to engage the public in actions to improve air quality, through information sharing and outreach.

For more information about the GTA Clean Air Council, visit the Clean Air Partnership website.

Car Free Day

On September 22, 2001 Toronto became the first North American city to stage an official Car Free Day.  This is an event that encourages everyone to leave their car at home and take alternative transportation instead.  Environment Canada provided support to the Sierra Club for the 2002 Toronto Car Free Day and has continued supporting Sierra Club for the 2003 and 2004 Toronto and Ottawa Car Free Day activities.

Clean Air Foundation

The Clean Air Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing, facilitating and implementing public engagement programs and strategic initiatives that lead to a measurable improvement in air quality.  Environment Canada, with Natural Resources Canada, has supported a pilot program organized by the Clean Air Foundation in Toronto to evaluate the change-out of old room air conditioners for new ENERGY STAR qualified energy efficient models.

Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth

Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth (RMHW)

Clean Air Hamilton, formerly the Hamilton Air Quality Initiative, was initiated by the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth (RMHW), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and Environment Canada to address air quality concerns of the community.  

Clean Air Hamilton focused on nine program areas in 2000, 2001 and 2002, with an emphasis on reducing emissions from urban sources.  Strategies were initiated to reduce single occupancy auto trips, purchase low emission vehicles, model transportation emissions, reduce smog-causing emissions and plant trees.   Clean Air Hamilton also provided advice on land use and transportation issues related to air quality for consideration in city-wide planning.

Some of the accomplishments so far include a series of reports regarding the state of the RMHW’s air quality, a Corporate Smog Response Plan, an annual international “Upwind-Downwind” air quality conference and an annual Commuter Challenge event held during Environment Week.

Green Venture IWALK Project

International Walk to School Day (IWALK) is held every year in October at schools in 27 different countries. It promotes the issues of traffic safety, physical activity and cleaner air.  IWALK is run by Green Venture and the Public Health and Community Services Department of the City of Hamilton.  Environment Canada provided support for this program in 2003 through Green Venture.

City of London

Air Quality Awareness for Physicians

Environment Canada provided financial support to the Middlesex-London Health Unit to hire a consultant to research and promote activities which lead to improvement of air quality. This project consisted of a campaign to increase awareness and understanding of climate change and air quality issues, through community education pilots.  It also included the introduction and promotion of London’s anti-idling by-law, the Health Unit’s Air Quality Business Plan strategies and the City of London’s Ride Share and Commuter Challenge initiatives.

City of Windsor

Windsor Free Transit Days

In 2003, Environment Canada and the City of Windsor helped to improve local air quality in Windsor with the “Free Transit on Smog Advisory Days” pilot project with Transit Windsor.

Windsor-Essex County Air Quality Committee (WECAQC)

Environment Canada provided financial support to Windsor-Essex County Air Quality Committee to hire an air quality coordinator who was responsible for the development of a Smog Action Plan project for local municipalities and private sectors.

Lambton County

Environment Canada partnered with Lambton County Community Health Services to continue the delivery of their public and school education program on air quality. The school program offered curriculum-based, in-class presentations to teachers in Lambton County from both school boards.  Public education was delivered through presentations, displays, media outlets and other awareness programs in order to stress the importance of individual responsibility in taking action to reduce smog precursors and greenhouse gas emissions to improve air quality.