A grassroots effort to protect the Moraine
Save The Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition is a group of concerned community members across the Moraine focused on protecting its ecological and hydrological integrity. For over 25 years, we have worked at local and regional levels to ensure municipalities make good planning decisions based on legislation put in place to protect the Moraine and its unique features.
​​Since 1989, STORM has been working hard to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine. Early on in its formation the organization worked to raise the profile of the Moraine through education and awareness campaigns, with the overall goal of protecting it - forever. STORM’s years of experience and well-developed network of local and regional contacts were critical to the campaign that saved (legislatively) the Oak Ridges Moraine. In 2001, the Ontario Legislature unanimously enacted the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, and in 2002, the province passed the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan that is still in place today.
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STORM Today
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​With protections in place and the new planning environment this has created, STORM has shifted from advocating for protection to ensuring that the protections put in place are properly implemented. STORM remains a leader of Moraine protection by focusing on its natural and cultural heritage, and facilitating and implementing policy monitoring and best planning practices. STORM works collaboratively and has established relationships of mutual support with diverse groups and organizations. STORM participates in environmental land use planning, policy development and stewardship to safeguard the Moraine from inappropriate development that can have negative impacts.
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STORM is made up of a dedicated Board of Directors, students, researchers, special advisors, and staff residing on and around the Moraine.​​​​