The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) began its 60th Anniversary celebrations on January 12, 2021, with a video message from General Manager, Brian McDougall. Posted on the Authority’s social media pages and YouTube channel, McDougall reflected on the organizations six decades of watershed management and environmental stewardship.
“Our 60th Anniversary will look quite a bit different than originally planned due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic,” said McDougall, “But it is a milestone anniversary, and especially now, we need to celebrate sixty years of achievements.”
Formally the Sydenham Valley Conservation Authority, the SCRCA was founded on January 12, 1961, in cooperation with the Province of Ontario and local municipalities. For 60 years, the SCRCA has implemented watershed management principles to ensure development occurs in safe and sustainable locations. Staff have also delivered conservation education programs to elementary and secondary students, worked with private landowners and organizations to create and enhance local habitat, and have become leaders in flood management and mitigation in the St. Clair watershed. The Authority owns 15 conservation areas covering 620 hectares of land, including three regional campgrounds that attract visitors from all regions of Ontario and beyond.
Past and Present – SCRCA staff pose in front of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority Administration Office in Strathroy, Ontario in the early 1980s (left) and 2017 (right).
“Our success would not have been possible without the support of our watershed communities, our member municipalities, and our local, provincial and federal partnerships,” continued McDougall.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to celebrate the Authority’s anniversary will pivot to ensure compliance with recommendations by local health authorities and the provincial and federal government. “We invite our watershed community to keep updated on our anniversary celebrations that will occur over the next year by visiting our social media and website,” said McDougall. “On behalf of all staff at the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, I want to thank [our watershed communities] for 60 years of conservation in the St. Clair region, and we look forward to many more.”
