The Peel water story

The Canadian Pacific Railway's Streetsville Station, 1914. The large hexagonal structure in the foreground is a water tank that replenishes passing steam engines. Water from the Credit River was pumped into the water tank using electrical power generated by the river at the Streetsville Power Plant.

As people with an interest in the environment, we're all familiar with the “Water Cycle.” Or are we? Where does all that rain water go that finds my roof or yard? Where does my tap water come from? Where does water go when we flush? And what are those water towers really for anyway?

Water cycle theory tells us about evaporation and precipitation, but not a lot about the water we use daily. Soon, school teachers in Peel will be buoyed up with a new, locally relevant resource: The Peel Water Story (PWS), developed by the Region of Peel's Department of Public Works with school board and conservation authority partners.

Teacher-targeted and cross-curricular by design, PWS combines a fascinating local history of water, classroom-ready activities, GIS maps, case studies of Peel students' eco-action projects, a guide to such projects, and a list of water education resources.

The narrative history presents cultural and natural heritage in a locally relevant way. In addition to other Peel communities, Streetsville on the Credit River is described in terms of its relationship to the river through time. Students will discover how in the early 1900's many homes in Streetsville had 3 water sources: groundwater from a well for drinking, rain water gathered in a cistern for laundry, and river water for household uses.

For more information, visit www.peelwaterstory.ca or call 905 791-7800 x4598.

City of Mississauga updates storm sewer use by-law

Mississauga City Council has enacted a new Storm Sewer Use By-law to increase its ability to help protect the quality of water which is eventually returned to Lake Ontario through the municipal storm sewer system. The new by-law, 259-05, significantly increases the enforcement capabilities of staff and the City’s ability to be proactive in protecting and ensuring the proper use of storm sewers in the City of Mississauga.

City staff will now be able to request a Pollution Prevention Plan from potential polluters which will identify methods of pollution prevention for specific sites. Also, discharge parameter limits have been updated and costs associated with cleaning up a spill or other environmental incidents that are not covered under the Regional Spill Contingency Plan are now eligible for recovery by the City under the new by-law

CRAA's stream habitat improvement continues

CRAA crew planting a 16 foot white spruce along the Credit River.

The Credit River Anglers Association (CRAA) is pleased to report our river valley reforestation program and related stream rehabilitation continue to make vast improvements to the Credit River watershed. Working with MNR, CVC, municipalities and other conservation groups we have now planted in excess of 175,000 trees into the watershed, along the Credit River and many tributaries. Other key projects include boulder placements, natural bank stabilization, dam mitigation and removal, fish ladder operation, fish stocking and public education.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has been a key sponsor to our projects donating over $265,000 over four years, with further significant funding from Eco Action, CFWIP, the City of Mississauga, The Salmon Derby and private fund raising. To date several million dollars worth of rehabilitation work, both cash and in kind have been donated to or by CRAA for our work.

Highlights this year included the continued reforestation of the Credit River Valley, targeting the stream corridor to reduce erosion, add shade to keep the water clean and cool, increase habitat for animals as well as invertebrates and fish in the river, and overall improve the health of the river. CRAA employed a reforestation crew again this year, planting over 14,500 trees in 2005, including over 2,000 mature trees up to 30 feet tall. Larger trees have been planted in areas where the river tends to flood and develop thick ice in winter, as smaller trees cannot withstand the added stresses.

A CRAA volunteer measures a large steelhead at the Streesville Fishway.

On the fisheries front CRAA will continue the river watch program this fall in Erindale, educating anglers and reporting poachers, working with the local conservation officers from MNR. Volunteers will manage the Streetsville fishway in both spring and fall and our volunteers will hatch and grow trout at our hatchery for stocking into the river.

CRAA is managed by an all volunteer executive and board. Each summer we hire students and graduates to further our goals of improving the jewel we know as the Credit River watershed. Please visit our website for further information to volunteer or learn more at www.craa.on.ca.

John Kendell
President, CRA

Annual meeting of the Canadian Chestnut Council

The annual meeting of the Canadian Chestnut Council (CCC) will be held Saturday, November 5, at the Agricultural Centre near Woodstock, Ontario.

Members of the CCC, and their friends, are encouraged to attend. Members of the general public interested in the chestnut restoration program are welcome as well. Bring a box lunch or partake of the free light refreshment provided.

Registration starts at 10:30 am. The general meeting will begin at 11:00 am with a short business session, when the work of the CCC over the past year will be summarized and directors will be elected.

Guest speakers Dr. Bill MacDonald and Dr. Brian Husband will describe their work. Dr. MacDonald (Treasurer, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF)), will report the research undertaken by that organization. As chestnut blight research is in many respects more advanced in the USA than in Canada, this presentation should be educational.

Dr. Brian Husband of the University of Guelph, aided by graduate student John Gerrath, will describe their chestnut studies. They have been engaged in a chestnut tree survey in Ontario and related activities. There will be a display of chestnut artifacts and photos of the planting sites. Extra copies of the Newsletter will be available. The Treasurer will be present to receive membership applications, renewals and donations. The meeting should adjourn by 4:30 pm.

The meeting site, the Agricultural Research Centre, can be reached by driving to the northwest corner of Woodstock, then north on County Road 59 about a mile to near the junction with County Road 17. The entrance is south of the junction, on the east side of the road.