AREA FOOD BANKS TO BENEFIT FROM LOCAL PRODUCE AND MEATS DONATION
Ten thousand dollars in food will be shared among eleven Huron and Perth County Food Banks over the next few months due to an initiative by the United Communities Credit Union (UCCU)
On Jan. 26, members of the United Communities Credit Union (UCCU) helped deliver local apples, potatoes, beef and pork to the Huron County Food Distribution Centre in Exeter. This food will be distributed amongst 11 area food banks. Lending a helping hand unloading a truck were Irene Edben and Rob MacVean, both from UCCU. In the background, volunteer, Bill Redshaw also brings in supplies. (Submitted photo)
At a giant “food drop” held Jan. 26, UCCU facilitated the first of two deliveries of local apples, potatoes, beef and pork to the Huron County Food Distribution Centre, located in Exeter, through its Farms to Food Banks Program.
Over the past three years $200,000 has been donated by United Communities, which has purchased over 360,000 pounds of food for Essex, Huron and Perth Counties.
“We worked with local farmers to obtain wholesale prices for apples, potatoes, pork and beef to provide to area food banks” states Jim Lynn, President and CEO of UCCU. “This comes at a time when job loss is high and hunger is extensive. This program not only brings nutritious food to local tables but also brings hope.”
The Credit Union also has an Employee Gift Matching Program which recognizes staff volunteerism by donating dollars to charities of their choice. Eight employees chose four food banks to have their combined $2,000 match donated to.
“Our staff continues to be extremely generous with their time and their money and our Gift Matching Program gives us a meaningful way to recognize this. Because of their dedication, an additional $10,000 will be donated to a variety of charities in the coming months”, said Lynn.
UCCU has been committed to enriching the lives of its members and communities in Southwestern Ontario for over 66 years providing personal and business members with flexible and professional banking, borrowing, investing and insurance products and services.
DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR CONTEST
Author, Laura Ingalls Wilder named a nearby water course Plum Creek in her series of children’s books. Maybe some local families have a name for a nearby creek that runs through or near their property. Local residents now have the opportunity to bring their own musings to life thanks to a contest being organized by the Bayfield North Watersheds Management Plan committee. They are inviting residents north of Bayfield to “name their creek” - but hurry, the Creek Rediscovery Program Contest closes Feb. 5.
The Bayfield North Watersheds is a 40-square-kilometre area, just north of Bayfield, which is home to 20 small creeks that flow directly into Lake Huron. These creeks have been given such bland scientific names as ‘Creek GO39,’ as part of the Bayfield North Watersheds Management Plan, but these alphanumeric names may not mean much to local people.
“The Bayfield North Watersheds Advisory Committee believes people in the community can give these creeks names that have more meaning to them,” said Hope Brock, Healthy Watersheds Technician with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). “We’re hoping that people north of Bayfield will enjoy the chance to name their creeks, become more aware of them and feel even more connected to them than they do already.”
Click image to view larger version.
A form for the contest is available online at www.abca.on.ca. Submissions must be received no later than Feb. 5.
Residents interested in naming their creek are invited to provide the following information: current creek name (e.g., GO31) or creek location (see map at abca.on.ca): proposed creek name; individual’s name, phone number and e-mail (optional).
If you would like to help your community rediscover a local creek, please submit the details to Hope Brock at the ABCA by phone at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610, by e-mail to hbrock@abca.on.ca. The form may also be faxed to 519-235-1963.
To see which creeks need a name check out The Bayfield North Watersheds Management Plan draft document online at www.abca.on.ca. Page 12 of the PDF document shows a map of the creeks involved. The Bayfield North Watersheds Advisory Committee will select a name after considering all submissions. There will be prizes for creativity.
A watershed management plan is created co-operatively by the community and government agencies to manage the water, land and water interactions, and aquatic resources within a particular watershed to protect and enhance the health of the ecosystem as land uses change.
According to Brock, the process of developing a community-based watershed plan has created an opportunity to ensure that as many local interests as possible are addressed.
“Members of the community have volunteered their time to develop this plan and they are improving the natural environment through their efforts,” she said.
The watershed management plan document will provide information about the natural environment and community interests and issues to landowners north of Bayfield and to other local decision makers, as well as local and government agencies. The land management, aquatics, and erosion sections of the plan provide background information, community interests and issues, a management goal and recommended actions.
NOMINATE A DESERVING RESIDENT AS CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR
Someone you know living within the Ausable Bayfield watershed could be Conservationist of the Year.
Residents are being encouraged to think of a person or group who is helping preserve natural health in your watershed and to nominate them today. Nominations are open until Feb. 24.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has been recognizing the watershed’s Conservationist of the Year since 1984. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated outstanding conservation achievements such as improving local water quality and quantity, improving forest conditions, fostering environmental education, advocating best management practices, restoring wetlands or protecting fish and wildlife habitat.
The Conservationist of the Year will be named at an annual awards evening hosted by the ABCA Board of Directors on March 18 at Ironwood Golf Club on Morrison Line, just east of Exeter. This year’s event celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity and will feature a speaker on this theme.
There are personal benefits to stewardship projects – such as conserving soil or reducing erosion and improving herd health – but most landowners undertake stewardship projects at their homes, farms or businesses because they want to improve their community.
“Local stewards undertake beneficial projects on their land to improve the watershed for the future and this award is a great opportunity to recognize those efforts,” said Tom Prout, General Manager and Secretary Treasurer.
Last year’s Conservationist of the Year winner was the late Lorne Teeple.
Landowners and organizations help keep your natural environment healthy – now you can honor that individual, business, family or organization by nominating them as the Conservationist of the Year.
To be eligible for the award, recipients must be located within the jurisdiction of ABCA. Current ABCA staff and directors are not eligible. Nomination forms are available at the ABCA office at 235-2610 or 1-888-286-2610 or www.abca.on.ca
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SKATE AND DONATE
Eleven year-old, Jessie Payne has enlisted the support of her family and school friends to organize the fundraiser: Skate and Donate for Haiti Relief. It will be held on Feb. 7.
The Bayfield Arena will be the place to lace up your skates from noon to 3 p.m. If all that exercise makes you hungry a food booth run by Huron Centennial students will be availalbe. On the menu, hot dogs, hot chocolate and Culbert's cream puffs - a local delicacy.
Proceeds will go to the Red Cross Relief Efforts. For more information call 519 565-2900.
HAITI APPEAL
Since Jan. 12, our television screens and newspapers have been filled with images of the aftermath of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake which struck the island of Haiti.
On a local level, Bayfield residents can help the initiative of the Canadian Red Cross by attending a Fundraiser – Appeal for Haiti on Feb. 6 at The Docks Restaurant.
Music for the evening will be provided from 8-11 p.m. by Cactus Jam.
“We ask that you come and enjoy the hospitality and music and make a donation as you are able to this most important appeal,” said Joyce Lambert, one of the event’s organizers.
All of the donations collected will be given to the Red Cross Appeal for Haiti. Official Tax receipts will be issued.
FILM SOCIETY
The curtain will go up at a new time when the first film in the next series of movies offered by the Bayfield Film Society is viewed on Feb. 11.
A later start time has been set for the new season with movies starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Bayfield Town Hall.
The movies scheduled for the new season are Stone Angel, Feb. 11; Happy Go Lucky, March 11; The Secret Life of Bees, Apr. 8; and Cairo Time, May 13.
A season’s subscription is just $35 to view these four intriguing films. People are also able to attend individual movies for $10 by purchasing at the door.
For subscription tickets please contact Lynne Gillians at 519 565-5884 or by email at lynnegillians@hotmail.com
AUSABLE BAYFIELD AND MAITLAND VALLEY WATERSHED PUBLIC MEETING
Zurich is the location for a public meeting related to the unveiling of draft proposed assessment reports for Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley watersheds.
Assessment reports are required under the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006 for each source protection area in the region. The reports describe the local watershed areas and available water supply, identify vulnerable areas where drinking water sources might face a risk of contamination or depletion, assess threats to drinking water within those vulnerable areas, and provide information necessary for the development of source protection plans by the source protection committee.
Public delegations are welcome at a public meeting to be held at the Municipality of Bluewater – Zurich Complex, 15 East Street, in Zurich on Feb. 25 from 3-6 p.m. To reserve a time to present at this formal public meeting call the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Project at least two days in advance (see numbers below).
“The creation of these reports is a very important step forward in protection of our municipal drinking water sources,” said Larry Brown, The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee Chair. “The documents will tell us the number of potential drinking water threats in the two source protection areas and the committee will then be able to develop appropriate policies by 2012.”
For more information on the delegation-format public meeting in Zurich visit sourcewaterinfo.on.ca or phone Jenna at 519-235-2610 or 1-888-286-2610.
TAKE TIME IN 2010
More than 45 people have signed up for each of the “Take Time in 2010” programs that are now being held on Monday afternoons until Feb. 15.
These programs provide the perfect opportunity for friends and neighbors to learn and share with one another.
The programs are held from 1:30-3 p.m. and each of the four participating churches will host one event.
It is never too late to participate in the programs. Participants may simply call the church coordinator of the session they wish to be a part of. The cost is $2 per session. Participants are strongly encouraged to register in advance as some speakers may wish to provide handouts and an accurate attendance number would prove helpful in doing so. However, registration at the door is also permissible.
Want to attend but don’t have the transportation needed to get to the location of the presentation? Rides can be provided, just call the coordinator of that session.
Participants at the Feb. 8 session can learn more about “Travel within Canada” as guest Heather Moffat, of Ellison Travel, focuses on Newfoundland as a destination.
Moffatt is the manager of Ellison Travel and Tours Group Department. She began her travel career in 1979 and since that time she has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and travel experience. St. Andrew’s United Church will play host to this session and Shirley McAllister is the person to get a hold of for more information. She can be reached at 519 565-5620.
The final session in the series will be held at Trinity Anglican Church on Feb. 15. Participants will learn about “Adventures in Southern Sudan and Beyond” with Janet Tufts. She is currently the Executive Director of The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and is also a very active volunteer. Last year, she traveled to the Sudan with a team representing Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS) and will share some of those experiences through this presentation. Elaine Scrimgeour is the coordinator of this session and she can be reached by calling 519 565-5544.
BRIDGE CLUB
Jean Bowman and Gordon Kurtz were the high scorers when the Wednesday Evening Bridge Club met at the Bayfield Lions’ Community Building on Jan. 20.
The club members will host their next gathering on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. All are welcome to join in the fun.
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