Sarnia, February 21, 2013: The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority held their 2013 annual meeting in Sarnia on Thursday. Steve Arnold representing St. Clair Township was elected Chair and Terry Burrell representing the City of Sarnia was elected Vice-Chair.
The Board voted unanimously to accept the 2013 budget of $5,724,666. “This budget represents a great deal of conservation work for our region,” Arnold said. “It includes environmental monitoring, protecting our sources of drinking water, outdoor education programs for school children, grants for landowners to implement conservation projects, erosion protection along the St. Clair River, managing over 2,000 hectares of land and much more,” Arnold explained. “Our General Levy, which is the part of budget funded by municipalities, was $631,915 or about 11% of the total budget”. The remaining funds come from self generated revenue, government grants and fundraised dollars. “We are proud of our record of providing a cost-effective yet comprehensive conservation program for our region that continually meets the needs of our member municipalities and the region,” Arnold said.
Four conservation Awards were presented at the meeting.
Heather Wright
Heather Wright is a freelance journalist in Sarnia‐Lambton who writes for Sarnia and Lambton This Week, the Petrolia Topic, and Today’s Farmer, amongst others. She has been covering municipal politics for over two decades. In addition to her focus on municipal politics, Ms. Wright often writes about environmental issues and has reported often on projects and programs of the Conservation Authority.
McKenzie and Blundy Funeral Home
The 2012 dedication service, held on September 16, marked the 25th anniversary of planting trees in memory of loved ones through the McKenzie and Blundy Funeral Home. Over 6,000 trees have been dedicated in memory at the Wawanosh Wetlands Conservation Area and the Perch Creek Habitat Management Area since 1987. Each year, about 1,000 people attend a dedication service run by the funeral home. Their long-time support of the memorial forest program has had a major impact on the success of this program across the region.
Friends of Warwick Conservation Area
The Friends of Warwick is a volunteer group of campers that operates special events and raises money for improvements for the Warwick Conservation Area including additional playground equipment, furnishings for the visitor centre, and for support of their programs. The Friends of Warwick operates about 15 different activities each weekend as well as larger events such as an Antique Car Show, Live Elvis Night Show, Fishing Derby, and Halloween in the Summer. While the other two campgrounds do have volunteers, the Friends of Warwick have gone well beyond to be a vital part of the “Warwick Experience.”
Sarnia Environmental Advisory Committee
Sarnia City Council appoints members to sit on the Sarnia Environmental Advisory Committee to advise and assist City Council on environmental issues, and to promote stewardship and conservation of the environment in the City. In 2012, the Committee was very active providing input on waste reduction and recycling; the Community Sustainability Plan; and the draft anti-idling by-law. In addition, the Committee has assisted with bringing guest speakers into the community to discuss environmental issues.
