A Message from Mike Balkwill, VP of Campaigns
As a long-time campaigner, I know you can’t win them all. But I share the deep disappointment of our former partner, Conserving Our Rural Ecosystems, and our allies, Protecting Escarpment Rural Land, at the decision of the Ontario Land Tribunal to approve the Nelson quarry expansion on Mount Nemo in Burlington. The expansion is unnecessary and poses unacceptable risks to the health and safety of the community, drinking water and a highly sensitive natural environment.
However, the decision is ‘not a done deal’ – an appeal is possible, and in fact necessary to expose the many legal errors in this decision.
Progress may seem slow and costly at times, and decisions like this one can seem like an impossible setback. However, environmental lawyer David Donnelly reminds us that a similar decision to approve development in the Oak Ridges Moraine led to the passage of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act in 2001. It also led to the promise of a Greenbelt, which was created by the next government. And, more recently, the exciting news about the Little Lakes victory (see below) shows there is hope.
It is the persistent and collective effort of all of us that will bring significant change. It’s still not too late to save Mount Nemo.
– Mike
Victory at Little Lakes!
We’re celebrating a major victory with our partners Friends of Ball’s Bridge & Little Lakes (FOBBLL)! In a landmark decision, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) ordered mandatory air quality monitoring and a 30-metre wood turtle habitat buffer around a proposed aggregate pit in the Little Lakes area. This decision follows a three-week OLT hearing, itself a culmination of six years of campaigning by the dedicated Little Lakes community.
“This is one of the strongest air quality decisions ever made [at the OLT] … and it represents a significant precedent for future aggregate applications in Ontario,” said lawyer David Donnelly.
Congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this victory possible!
When Life Hands You Lemons…
For five years, our partners Forks of the Credit Preservation Group have been fighting to protect this vital ecosystem in Caledon, ON from a proposed 800-acre, below-the-water-table, blasting quarry. Recently, a dose of sweetness has been introduced to the fight – both figuratively and literally. When seven-year-old Ella asked her grandparents about the “Say No to the Caledon Mega Quarry” signs she had seen in her community she was not simply satisfied with an answer – she wanted to act. With the help of her grandparents, Ella, her sister Liv and their cousin Max raised more than $1,100 in one day. How? By selling lemonade from a custom stand built by their Popa. Way to go, Ella, Liv and Max! You can read the full story here.
Youth Power in Action
Now in its fourth year, the Canadian Youth Climate Action Award celebrates the important work of young Canadians in the fight against climate change. This short video shares more about our incredible 2026 winners!
We are proud to partner on this work with Pivot Green. For a dose of climate optimism, check out their recent op-ed to learn more about the inspiration behind the award.
Photo by Kylee Smith
Reflecting on Two Decades of Water Advocacy
On July 7 we were pleased to recognize Arlene Slocombe’s 20 years of leadership in water advocacy with the Brigid’s Reflection Award. During this time, Arlene co-founded Water Watchers and served as Executive Director from 2009 – March 2026. The award grants Arlene a six-month sabbatical to reflect on her leadership in the movement to protect water and to share her learnings with others.
Mike Balkwill, our Vice President of Campaigns and a former colleague of Arlene’s, sums it up beautifully: “Just as water reflects to us all that is around it, we can benefit from the reflections of those who work hard, over many years, in the service of honouring and protecting water.”
Small Change Fund partners with Water Watchers on Safeguarding Our Health and Great Lakes and Water for Life.
Powerlines, Not Pipelines
As part of a National Day of Action hosted by our partners 350 Canada, more than 40 communities nationwide delivered giant copies of the “People’s MOU” to elected officials. The MOU urges Members of Parliament to sign a deal with the people pledging to protect communities, the climate and our future. Among the commitments included in the MOU is a call for representatives to end new oil, coal and gas extraction in Canada and to reinforce a clean energy transition that supports workers and uplifts Indigenous leadership.
Photo by Krissy Thompson Photography
Protecting Puslinch: Part 2
The campaign to protect farmland in Puslinch, Ontario from a proposed warehouse development is off to a strong start. After a successful community meeting in June, a recent independent poll determined that 48% of residents are against the use of a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to override Puslinch Council’s unanimous opposition to the development.
Partner Post: Butternut Creek Needs Your Help
We have been lucky! We wanted to have an independent ecologist evaluate Butternut Creek to find out how much of it qualifies as a protected Provincially Significant Wetland. We hired an ecologist and worked with Small Change Fund to launch our project, Protecting Butternut Creek for Today and for Future Generations. Now, a landowner along the Creek has filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal to allow a subdivision outside Kingston’s urban boundary. Knowing more about the Creek has become even more important. Please consider donating to help us get this critical evaluation work completed!
– Friends of Butternut Creek
Raising Our Voices for Georgian Bay
Last weekend, our partners Save Georgian Bay hosted the Voices for the Bay Music Fest in Collingwood to raise funds and awareness to Save the Bay. More than 330 tickets were sold, and the great weather, five amazing musical acts and a variety of food vendors ensured a fantastic night was had by all! Congrats to our partners on hosting such a successful and well-organized event. There is strong community support to stop TC Energy’s open-loop pumped storage mega project and the damage it will bring to Georgian Bay.
Rallying Against AI Data Centres
June’s newsletter piece on AI data centres resonated strongly with several readers; we appreciate everyone who took the time to send comments and share resources with us. If you are interested in learning more about the fight against these data centres in Canada – and why it matters – check out this video by The Breach that goes behind the scenes of this growing movement. Small Change Fund is developing a project to document and map AI data centres across Canada and provide resources to support local organizers.
New Projects
We are pleased to welcome these new projects to our roster:
- Aligning Financial Systems with Climate Responsibility is working to improve how the insurance industry reports climate-related risks and impacts, with a long-term goal of making sure that major polluters pay for the costs of damage from climate change.
- Building Student Power for Climate Justice aims to revitalize and resource student organizing in the fight for climate justice in Canada, ultimately diverting investments away from fossil fuels and towards a just and sustainable energy transition.
- Scaling Youth Democratic Engagement is seizing the opportunity created by upcoming elections to connect with disengaged youth and steward them towards community campaigns in climate, affordability and mental health.
Small News Bites
- Sophia Young, Program Coordinator for Get on the Bus, was selected as a recipient of the Young Planet Leaders Quarterly Sponsorships. The support from this international award will help advance youth-led climate action, transit equity and community change through Get on the Bus. Congratulations, Sophia!
- On September 9, our partners Seniors for Climate will be hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe for a webinar discussing the critical importance of talking about the climate crisis. You can learn more and register here. You can also sign the parliamentary petition to urge the Federal government to honour Canada’s emissions targets!
- We recently supported a research poll to determine how Nova Scotians feel about a proposed offshore wind energy industry in the province. Notably, the poll found 73% hold a positive impression of offshore wind energy, consistent across age groups, genders and political affiliations. Click here for more highlights!
- Don’t forget to check out our 2025 Annual Report for some inspirational summer reading!
We hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable summer!
Sincerely,
The Small Change Fund team
P.S. Your donation directly to Small Change Fund allows us to keep improving services and supports to help more grassroots projects succeed nationwide. Thank you for helping make change!
