Part 1: Environment Advisory Committee Advances Climate Work, Grants, and Long-Stalled Bylaw Review - 10/14/2025

The meeting opened a few minutes late as members worked through technical issues and waited for quorum. Once everyone was present, Chair Ben Thornton formally called the meeting to order, confirmed the agenda, approved the previous minutes, and confirmed there were no declarations of pecuniary interest.

Photo: PEC Council/ YouTube

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Announcements and Environmental Symposium Update

The announcements section took up a meaningful portion of the early meeting. Cathie Coultis shared a positive update on the Fourth Annual Environmental Symposium, held September 27 at Isaiah Tubbs Resort. Attendance was strong with 34 participants, and the event successfully raised funds for environmental initiatives. She also noted early discussions about collaborating with SSJI on a future symposium. Committee members received the update positively.

Councillor John Hirsch and Ben Thornton highlighted two recent wins. Council passed the motion to apply climate and environmental lenses across County decision making, and the County will be receiving another climate intern, which was welcomed as much needed capacity support.

Members were also reminded that the new zoning bylaw was heading to Planning Committee the following evening, with encouragement for members to review and submit comments.

Funding Opportunities and Capacity Support

Councillor Kate MacNaughton flagged a major funding opportunity through the County Foundation Vital Impact Fund, open until November 3, with up to $180,000 available for projects aligned with sustainability and environmental goals. The group discussed how this could potentially support County environmental work, including staffing support. Public comments were not registered, and the meeting moved into substantive agenda items.

Site Alteration Bylaw Review Restarted

The first major discussion was an update on the Site Alteration Bylaw, led by Cristal Landstra, the new Director of Development Services, joined by Dale Egan, Planning Coordinator. Cristal acknowledged that the bylaw has been stalled for years and confirmed that staff are now actively reviewing it internally across departments. She explained that the complexity lies in coordination, enforcement capacity, and determining whether a traditional site alteration bylaw is the best tool for the County, or whether alternative regulatory approaches might achieve similar outcomes more effectively.

Committee members asked detailed questions about timelines, enforcement challenges, best practices from other municipalities, and how tree protection fits into the conversation. Cristal committed to returning to the committee with a clearer timeline once internal discussions progress further.

Climate Action Plan Progress and Grant Updates

The next major item focused on Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Green Municipal Fund grants, as well as the status of the Climate Action Plan. Albert, from Operations, provided an update on the PCP Milestone 3 work, explaining that consultation is complete but staff capacity has slowed progress. A new intern starting in January is expected to help advance the plan toward completion by summer 2026.

Albert also shared positive grant news. The County has applied to the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies fund, leveraging existing capital dollars to potentially double tree planting efforts in Wellington. Additional successful grants were announced for pollinator friendly roadside planting and green space revitalization projects.

Budget Placeholders for Future Grants Discussed

The committee then discussed the need for budget placeholders to support future grant applications, recognizing that without committed municipal matching funds, grant opportunities could be lost for another year.

Campfire Circle Submission Endorsed

Later in the meeting, the committee reviewed and endorsed a submission regarding the Campfire Circle development, prepared by the Planning Working Group with input from environmental organizations. The discussion focused on water quality, woodland protection, and the limits of control once projects reach the site plan stage.

Working group updates followed, including notes on the Climate Action Plan, Natural Cover, and Education and Outreach efforts. Members acknowledged that some groups are paused while waiting for clearer direction, particularly around tree and site alteration tools.

The meeting concluded with a discussion of the committee work plan, with agreement to add clearer timelines to track when staff responses and reports are expected. The next meeting was confirmed for November 4, and the meeting adjourned at 5:21 pm.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:21:052. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.