The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is now accepting applications for the 2023 Ontario Community Environment Fund (OCEF) – a program that directs money collected from environmental penalties to community-based environmental projects like shoreline cleanups, habitat restoration and tree planting.
This year, more than $1.5 million is available for projects in three of the five regions where environmental penalties were collected. Please visit the OCEF webpage to see if your project proposal would fall within one of the following eligible regions with funding available:
- Southwest Region: $1,096,703.55
- West-Central Region: $364,080.68
- Northern Region: $75,246.00
- Central Region: $0 – no funding available
- Eastern Region: $0 – no funding available
OCEF funding is open to non-profit organizations, First Nations and Métis communities, municipalities, conservation foundations, schools, colleges and universities. Applicants must demonstrate that their project proposal is well designed and will lead to community and environmental benefits. Funding is available for environmental projects in the following two categories:
- Increase environmental restoration and remediation activities that repair environmental harm. Project examples may include, but are not limited to:
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- planting trees, shrubs or plants to help mitigate and adapt to climate change
- rebuilding fish habitat and creating fish spawning beds
- stabilizing stream banks and creating buffer strips to reduce nutrient run-off
- restoring streams to improve habitat and water quality
- Build resilient communities and local solutions to environmental issues. Project examples may include, but are not limited to:
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- improving the resilience of natural ecosystems by restoring wetlands and preserving areas of significant environmental and ecological importance
- installing rain gardens to reduce the risk of flooding and help communities adapt to climate change
- environmental monitoring that provides data to understand and support the protection and conservation of the natural environment
The deadline to submit an application through the Transfer Payment Ontario portal is Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Please review the program application guide for guidance on applying to the program.
We will be holding webinars to provide information and updates on the program and application process. To attend a webinar, please register for one of the following sessions via Eventbrite:
Meeting details, including a link to the Microsoft Teams meeting, will be emailed to you in the days leading up to the event.
If you have any additional questions, please email OCEF@ontario.ca.