Here are your ... jobs for the weekend

It’s spring, and although it hasn’t been a particularly wet one, we can usually count on a fair bit of rain in April. Whether or not that rain will fall predictably over the rest of the growing season, however, is another story.

As the planet heats up, the air can hold more moisture, which leads to less frequent, but more severe rain. Learning to manage all of that water at once is a task best done before trouble hits.

Meanwhile, not related directly to rain, over at Queen’s Park, the Ford Government is moving to gut the endangered species act. The intention is to pave the way (literally) for more greenfield development by his billionaire developer cronies. The damage that may be cause by this could be irreversable if it means the extirpration or extinction of species from our natural areas.

So with that in mind, here are your … jobs for the weekend.

1. It’s rain barrel time. This weekend is the perfect time in Southern Ontario to get your rain barrel up. While it may dip below zero between now and the traditional last frost date of May 24th, a hard freeze is unlikely. That means it’s a good opportunity to connect your rain barrel to your downspouts and start capturing that sweet, sweet rain water. Some people think rain water is way better for your plants, because of it’s lack of chemicals like chlorine that are used in municipal water treatment. If you don’t have a rain barrel, search online for local sales near you that support green organizations. In Hamilton, the city has a pretty good deal every year.

2. Consider adding ‘low impact development’ features to your property. These are features that mimic the natural flow of water, and reduce flooding, increase biodeversity and capture rainwater. In Hamilton there are now grants for putting in water capturing infrastructure into your garden, which include rain gardens, permeable paving, and other features. The grant here is run by Green Veture, one of our truly great local eco-organizations, and to qualify you’ll need to attend an info session, arrange a consultation at your property, and fill in an application. Applications open April 22nd and the program fills up quick so don’t dilly-dally.

3. As mentioned, Ford is in the process of gutting the endangered species act. Section 10 of the just tabled Bill 5, or the ironically named “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act” (seriously, who names these things?) would repeal the Endanged Species Act and replace it with the Species Conservation Act. This wouldn’t be so bad, if the proposed act was intended to conserve anything other than rich developers' investments, but here we are. The new law would eliminate many protections by narrowing the definition of habitat, and create massive development zones where the rules don’t apply. You know what to do, climate justice warriors: Write your MPP (you can find them here) to express your disgust, and copy the Minister of the Environment on your email.

That’s all for your Good Friday edition of Jobs for the Weekend. Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and enjoy the blooms and buds that are appearing everywhere.