GRCA Minutes Grand River Conservation Authority, 400 Clyde Road, Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5W6 Tel: (519) 621-2761 Fax: (519) 621-4844 Internet: http://www.grandriver.ca January 2006 Province introduces melts occur. The average temperature Clean Water Act at Shand Dam was 2.9 degrees below Volume 12 – No. 1 the long-term average. This cold snap The Ontario government has intro- broke a trend of six consecutive duced the Clean Water Act to imple- GRCA months of above normal tempera- ment source water protection plan- General Membership ning across Ontario. tures. A review of watershed conditions Chairman - Peter Krause The Act is expected to become law in the spring of 2006. A series of regu- and an update of the flood warning 1st Vice-Chairman - George Wicke lations to implement the act will also system will take place at meetings 2nd Vice-Chairman - Vic Prendergast be adopted then. scheduled over the next two months. The act calls for the development of Townships of Amaranth, East Police and emergency co-ordinators a source water protection plan that Garafraxa, East Luther-Grand Valley, will meet on Jan. 24, while flood co- would identify the threats to drinking Melancthon and Southgate - Paul ordinators will meet on Feb. 15. water sources and then outline the Chantree actions needed to reduce the risk. Ministry promises Townships of Mapleton and The plans would be developed on a to review tornado grants Wellington North - Pat Salter watershed basis. A Source Protection Township of Centre Wellington - Jean Committee, representing municipali- The Minister of Municipal Affairs Innes ties, key stakeholders and watershed will review the size of grants given to residents would be responsible for Town of Erin, Townships of Guelph- Mapleton and Centre Wellington developing the plan. Much of the Eramosa and Puslinch - Archie townships to help them cover the cost research needed to support the plan MacRobbie of cleaning up tornado damage. will be undertaken by conservation MPP Brad Duguid, parliamentary City of Guelph - authorities and municipalities. assistant to the minister, told the David Birtwistle, Dan Moziar The process is expected to take up Ontario legislature that “the minister Region of Waterloo - to five years. When the plan is in will actively look at their requests.” Jane Brewer, Jean Haalboom, Ross place, municipalities and conservation Kelterborn, Peter Krause, Joe Martens, authorities would be responsible to The comment came in response to Claudette Millar, Jane Mitchell, implement portions of the plan. comments by Ted Arnott, MPP for Waterloo-Wellington, who criticized Ralph Shantz, Bill Strauss, Precipitation near normal Lynne Woolstencroft the Ontario government for not giving in most of watershed. Town of North Perth and Township enough money to the two townships of Perth East - George Wicke Heavy rains in late November and following the Aug. 19 tornadoes that swept through the area. Region of Halton - snowfalls in December have made up The province has allocated a total of J. Barry Lee for dry weather during most of the fall in many parts of the watershed. $335,000 to the two townships, which City of Hamilton - The two-month average ranged will then share the money with other Jeanette Jamieson from 75 per cent of normal at Guelph agencies that had cleanup costs, County of Oxford - Lake to 109 per cent at Conestogo including the Grand River Alan Dale Lake and Laurel Creek. Much of the Conservation Authority. There was rainfall fell during the last week of County of Brant - considerable damage to trees in cot- Gord Moore, Brian Coleman November. However, the late November rain, tage lot areas, as well as forests in the City of Brantford - followed by cold temperatures in Conestogo Lake and Belwood Lake Robert Hillier, Vic Prendergast December has resulted in frozen conservation areas. Haldimand and Norfolk Counties - ground conditions across much of the Arnott suggested the municipalities Craig Ashbaugh, Lorne Boyko watershed. That could result in less should be eligible for an additional infiltration and more runoff when $330,000. THE GRAND - A Canadian Heritage River Community Conservation uments were turned over to the uni- The workshop is free, but partici- Grants approved versity in October. Also given to the pants must register before Feb. 10. To school were volumes of newspaper register, contact Cathy Smith at (519) The Grand River Conservation clippings dating back to 1935 and 740-4650, Ext. 4649 or by e-mail at Foundation and the GRCA have more than 45,000 photographic [email protected]. approved grants totaling $10,000 to images. eleven community and school groups The collection will be professionally Conference will highlight for a variety of environmental proj- catalogued and conserved by the uni- Grand River fishery ects. versity. Once cataloging is complete, Fishing experts from Canada and Seven of the grants are coming from the materials will be available to stu- the Thiess RiverPrize Fund, which the U.S. will gather in Brantford on dents and researchers at all three Jan. 28 for a symposium on a decade was created with the prize money watershed universities. The GRCA given to the GRCA when it won the of progress in the development of the retains access to original materials Grand River fishery. Thiess RiverPrize in 2000. should they be required in the future. Recipients of those grants are: Big “Grand Waters…Grand Fish: Brothers and Big Sisters of Brantford, GRCA seeks approval Celebration Dinner and Symposium” $1,200 for a youth environmental to install warning booms will recognize accomplishments since camping trip at Brant Park; the Grand River Fisheries Springtime In Paris festival, $1,000 for The GRCA has applied for permis- Management Plan was adopted 10 riverside tree planting; Guelph Field sion to install safety booms upstream years ago. The event will include an afternoon Naturalists, $1,000 for the Young of several dams in the watershed. symposium with speakers and dis- Naturalists Program; Langs Farm Applications were filed for four plays. The evening will be filled with Village Association of Cambridge, Grand River dams: Parkhill in several social events including a din- $1,300 for Youth Day Eco-Camp; Our Cambridge, Wilkes in Brantford, ner and auction for items such as fish- Lady of Fatima School in Cambridge, Caledonia and Dunnville. An applica- ing trips, boats and art. It will be held $500 for wetland rehabilitation and tion was also filed for the Guelph at the German Canadian Club, 914 education; St. Mary’s School in Elora, Dam on the Speed River. In the Henry Street from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. A $500 for schoolyard naturalization; St. future, the GRCA will apply for per- total of 160 tickets are available at $40 Teresa of Avila School in Elmira, $500 mission for about 25 more dams it each from Larry or Kim Mellors at for schoolyard naturalization. owns. 758-9400. Four of the grants are coming from The booms warn boaters, anglers Keynote speaker at the dinner will the Grand Champions Fund, which is and others on the water of the dan- be Rick Kustich of Grand Island, N.Y. made up of donations made by many gers associated with the dams. who is a noted flyfisherman and foundation donors over the years. The GRCA has applied for permis- author. Among his books are “Fly Recipients of those grants are: Social sion from the federal Department of Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead” Planning Council of Cambridge and Transport which regulates navigable and "Fly Fishing the Great Lakes North Dumfries, $1,000 for an envi- waterways across the country. The Tributaries.” He’ll be talking about his ronmental forum for non-profit department’s permission is needed because the booms are an impediment experiences fishing the Grand River groups; Evergreen Learning Grounds watershed. Program of Waterloo Region elemen- to navigation. tary schools, $1,000 for a school tree Workshop on heritage planting participant recognition event; and ‘the competitive edge’ Laurentian Public School of Kitchener, This issue of "GRCA Minutes" $500 for schoolyard naturalization; The role heritage buildings and dis- was published in January 2006. and Paris Central School, $500 for tricts can play in giving a city a com- It is a summary of the schoolyard naturalization. petitive edge will be the theme of a December 2005 business con- The grants are awarded annually. day-long workshop scheduled for Feb. ducted by the Planning & Information about the program is in 20 at the University of Waterloo Operations; Administration, the foundation section of the GRCA School of Architecture on Melville Finance & Personnel; and website at www.grandriver.ca Street in Cambridge. General Membership University to archive The workshop is sponsored by the Committees. Space permitting, GRCA documents Heritage Working Group, an organi- other noteworthy happenings zation made up of heritage organiza- and topics of interest have been The University of Waterloo is the tions from throughout the Grand included. The Grand River new home of many studies, reports, River watershed. Conservation Authority wel- photos, meeting minutes and other Speakers will discuss the role of her- comes the photocopying and dis- materials produced by the GRCA and itage in cities as diverse as tribution of "GRCA Minutes" or its predecessor organizations since the Peterborough, Quebec City and visit our website at www.grand 1930s. Toronto, as well as communities in the river.ca About 100 boxes of papers and doc- Grand River Watershed. THE GRAND - A Canadian Heritage River GRCA Minutes Grand River Conservation Authority, 400 Clyde Road, Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5W6 Tel: (519) 621-2761 Fax: (519) 621-4844 Internet: http://www.grandriver.ca February 2006 Krause acclaimed residents to exercise caution around Volume 12 – No. 2 as GRCA chair rivers, streams and ponds.