Earth Weekend

April 22 is Earth Day! East Gwillimbury is inviting YOU to join us at our Earth Weekend.

 Eco Fair

 Join us on Saturday, April 20 for East Gwillimbury’s FIRST Eco Fair at the EG Sports Complex from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Open House – the Eco Fair will provide residents with information about the environmental programs they can access through the town and participating institutions and organizations.

• Let it bee – native flower planting: planting a community native garden, decorating rocks, and making pollinator’s signs with residents.

• E-waste Roundup – collection of unwanted electronics.

• Battery and textile collection: located at the Eco Fair, these are ongoing collection programs available to residents.

• Workshop – How to make an eco-friendly event: one workshop about eco-friendly events planning, presented 3 times (12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.).

• The Fourth R: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Revolutionize: by Dance Fachin, a Toronto-based dance company, challenges traditional notions of dance performance by integrating narrative, multimedia elements and activism, creating a multi-sensory experience that will engage your emotions and intellect, presented three times (12:30, p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.).

Tree distribution – tree seedlings will be distributed to the first 100 residents who attend the Eco Fair.

 Community Cleanup

 Join Ward Councillors and the Mayor on Sunday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Community Cleanup at various locations in EG:


Ward 1: Holland Landing Community Centre
Ward 2: EG Sports Complex
Ward 3: Ross Family Complex

Community cleanup at each location: volunteers will gather at each location to pick up supplies and perform cleanup activities at the surrounding areas. Water and refreshments will be provided to attendees. Please bring your reusable water bottle.

Cleanup kits distribution: if you want to organize a community cleanup event in your neighborhood on a future date, you can register and request kits.

• The program will stay open during the spring and summer.

 Flag Raising
 Join us on Monday, April 22 at 9 a.m. for a Flag Raising at the Civic Centre. Council and staff will gather at the land acknowledgment garden to raise the Earth Day flag and reflect on environmental actions.

 The Town of East Gwillimbury (EG) is committed to preserving our natural environment and promoting sustainability in our corporate practices and across the community.

See how EG is making the environment a priority and implementing Thinking Green ideas throughout the community. EG is consistently addressing environmental considerations throughout its operations.
Some examples are:

  • On-going efforts to increase waste diversion from landfill
  • On-going Water Conservation initiatives in collaboration with the Region of York
  • Development Standards addressing matters such as energy efficiency, green space and pedestrian accessibility
  • Development and on-going improvement of the Town's Thinking Green and Sustainable Development strategies
  • Mosquito Control Program
  • Local Farmers Market
  • Annual Town-Wide Litter Cleanup Event
  • Annual Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Collection Event
  • Energy Retrofit Program

Invasive Plant Species

If you have invasive plants, we have tips to help remove them once and for all from your garden.

Focus on removing satellite populations or limiting plants before they start to dominate large areas.

Great care must be taken when disposing of invasive plants because some species can regenerate and/or colonize new areas from a single piece of rhizome, root stock, seed, or above ground vegetation.

Disposal of all invasive species should be done by:

  • Placing all plant material in heavy duty, construction grade black garbage bags. Seal the bags tightly, and cover any holes in the bag (e.g. with tape). When bagging root material, minimize the amount of soil being disposed of.
  • Garbage bags with plant material may be left in direct sunlight for a week or longer, to help kill plant material.
  • Care should be taken to not rip or otherwise put holes in the garbage bags so that the plant material remains contained.
  • Garbage bags with invasive species should be disposed through the local collection general garbage system.
  • Please note that invasive species can easily spread, they should not be composted.

Learn more about invasive species on the Ontario Parks website or the Ontario Invasive Plants website.

Please note that some plants (e.g. hogweed) need special treatment to avoid harm. If you are unsure of how to manage them, please visit the Species list at the Ontario Invasive Plant Council for detailed information.

Climate Emergency Declaration

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Council declared a Climate Emergency. This declaration formalizes the Town’s concerns, and more importantly, the actions that Council and staff will take to address climate change. The Town issued a media release to announce the declaration. 

The actions will build on the Town's current environmental policies and initiatives. The next steps will be:

  • Development of an Environmental Strategy
  • Creation of a Climate Action Plan
  • Update the Town’s Energy Plan,
  • Update the Town’s Thinking Green Development Standards

The full presentation is below: