Friends of Island Lake Kick-Off October 1st!

Sunday October 1st, was an exciting day at Island Lake Conservation Area, with a launch of a fundraising campaign by the Friends of Island Lake, a community walkathon and the announcement of the series of bridges to be built across the lake. The Friends of Island Lake have committed to raising the money for the continuation of the Vicki Barron Trail.

The overall vision is to complete the 12.5 kilometre walking and cycling pathway around the entire perimeter of Island Lake that will eventually link up with planned or existing pathway in Orangeville, Caledon and Mono trail that is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

The afternoon began with a barbeque and proceeded to speeches by members of the conservation authority and its board. The free, community focused event raised more than $6500 in support of the project.

Bob Shirley, a member of the CVC Foundation board and chair of the Friends of Island Lake, started the proceedings with a recap of the trail project’s history, reminding those present that the walkway is named for Vicki Barron, “an acknowledge leader in conservation and former general manager of Credit Valley Conservation.” He reported that 2.5 kilometres of the shared-use, fully accessible trail has been completed along the south shore of Island Lake.

A number of plaques were presented to individuals and organizations for their donations to the cause and thanks were expressed to various companies who have provided help with the construction.

Founding members of the Friends of Island Lake are Bob Burnside, Terry Carter, Don Cullen, Marc Darby, Doc Gillies, Dr. Warren Hilliard, Laura Ryan, Bob Shirley and Brenda Teeter.

It’s in Your Nature to Give … Please support the Island Lake Community Trails Project

GIVE A GIFT PROGRAM $100
Honour a special occasion, birthday, anniversary etc. by supporting the trail project and we will send the recipient a gift acknowledging your generosity (includes an Annual Vehicle Permit)

IN MEMORIAM GIFT $1000 +
Commemorate the life of a loved one through recognition on a permanent trail amenity.

DONOR $201-$999
Recognition on a kiosk and an Annual Vehicle Permit.

SPONSOR $1000-$4999
Recognition on a kiosk and an Annual Vehicle Permit valid for three years

PATRON $5000-$9999
Recognition on a kiosk and trail marker and an Annual Vehicle Permit valid for five years.

NAMING PRIVILEGES $10,000+
Recognition on a specific trail amenity, such as a viewing platform, for a ten year duration and an Annual Vehicle Permit valid for ten years.

IN-KIND DONATIONS
Donations of services and/or materials that will aid in trail development are always welcome and are subject to the same recognition as monetary
donations.

For the Love of Conservation

Environmental stewardship has always been of great importance to Louise and Nigel Biggar. When they decided to get married in the spring of 2005, it seemed only natural for them to support a local, green cause. Instead of gifts, they asked their family and friends to make donations to the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVCF).

Growing up in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, Louise (née Langhoff-Roos) has spent a lot of time in the outdoors; sailing, camping, hiking, climbing, cross-country skiing and running. She shares her passion for the outdoors with her husband, Nigel, who is from Toronto. Nigel worked as a Park Ranger in North Ontario for a decade.

The couple’s interest in supporting CVCF comes from time spent at a family home in Glen Williams. Here they enjoy the sound of the river as it flows by, the birds that live alongside it and the beavers that occasionally feed on the apple trees.

At their wedding celebrations – they had four of them altogether! – they were overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family. In total they contributed over $4000.00 that was used to plant 425 trees on Saturday, October 14th along Black Creek south of Georgetown.

The couple was particularly interested in a partnership approach to make the contributions go even further. Consequently, the Credit River Angler Society helped determine the plant site and contributed sweat equity to the project under the guidance of CVC’s Stewardship Program.

“We are convinced that CVCF will put the money to good use,” says Nigel. “We also hope that other individuals will use traditional gift giving mechanisms to advance environmental stewardship,” adds Louise.