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A Celebration to mark our 50th anniversary!
On May 13th 2004, CVC celebrated its 50th anniversary. The momentous occasion was marked by various events throughout the day.....more
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Water Management Strategy Update
The Water Management Strategy Update is an update of the Credit River Management Strategy originally developed in 1992.....more
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Fletcher’s Creek Monitoring and Outreach Program Update
Fletchers Creek has become a focus for assessing the response of watercourses to urbanization....more
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The 2004 Peel Children's Water Festival
CVC participated once again in this year's Peel Children's Water Festival.....more
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Belfountain Stonework Restoration: Phase 1 Complete
Belfountain is currently undergoing two phases of stonework restoration....more
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Conservation Awards - New Deadline!
The Friends of the Credit Conservation Awards has a new deadline of September 15th....more
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Watch for Turtles!
The Credit River Watershed posted its first Turtle Crossing sign in the Old Village of Meadowvale near CVC's Administrative Office.....more
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Caring for the Credit Through Art
On Saturday, June 5th, in conjunction with the Norval Riverfest, the Credit River Alliance (CRA) hosted a one day art show in an old brick house borrowed from the Norval United Church.....more
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Norval Riverfest Celebrates Life on the Credit
On a beautifully sunny June 5th, Rae Horst, CVC's General Manager opened the 6th annual Norval Riverfest.....more
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Ontario's Minister of Transport helps out with Earth Day Celebration
The Honourable Harinder Takhar, Ontario's Minister of Transportation, helps students and faculty plant trees at University of Toronto – Mississauga (UTM) Campus on April 23rd, 2004....more
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St. Barbara Elementary School in Levi Creek plants 200 native trees for Arbor Day with CVC
What better way to celebrate Arbor Day, a day dedicated to tree planting and increasing the awareness of the importance of trees, than going out and doing just that – planting trees!....more
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WeCare, and so can you!
Building on the success of the recently completed Upper Credit River Rehabilitation Initiative, Trout Unlimited (TU) and CVC, with funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), hosted a workshop on April 3, 2004.....more
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Monitoring Fish - a Shocking Experience!
Mixing electricity with water together generally isn't a good idea, but for Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), it proves to be a successful way of monitoring the health of the fish community of the Credit River.....more
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A Naturalist's Eye: Halton/North Peel Naturalist Club (HNPNC) Salamander Monitoring Project
The Halton/North Peel Naturalist Club (HNPNC) Salamander Monitoring Project was designed to measure variations of red-backed salamander and other salamander populations over time at six sites in the Halton and Peel Regions....more
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A Celebration to mark our 50th anniversary!
On May 13th 2004, CVC celebrated its 50th anniversary. The momentous occasion was marked by various events throughout the day.
 To
start off, the Region of Peel
proclaimed May 13th to be “Credit
Valley Conservation Day in the
Region of Peel” and raised the
CVC flag in honour of this proclamation.
Pat Mullin, present CVC Chair,
and Emil Kolb, Peel Regional
Chair, both outlined the dedication
shown over the past 50 years
by the watershed municipalities,
CVC staff, community groups,
volunteers and landowners who
have contributed to making the
Credit River Watershed what
it is today. Some of the other
dignitaries in attendance included
Frank Dale, past CVC Chair and
George Carlson, CVC Board Member
and Mississauga Councillor Ward
6.
The festivities continued into the afternoon at the CVC Administrative Office. To commemorate the 50 years of successful conservation management by CVC and its partners, the mayors of the watershed, joined by the Peel Regional Chair, planted a landmark 6th million tree. Mayor Hazel McCallion of Mississauga spoke on CVC's contribution to the environment and unveiled a commemorative plaque celebrating both the tree planting and the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Steve Mahoney, MP, Mississauga West presented CVC with a celebratory tribute by Prime Minister Paul Martin. Additional tributes were bestowed upon CVC by Mayors Marolyn Morrison (Caledon), Susan Fennell (Brampton), Hazel McCallion (Mississauga), and Emil Kolb.
To close the event, Harold Kennedy, Pat Mullin and Doug Reddington (CVC's first Chair) cut the 50th anniversary cake.
On the whole, the event was a huge success – a success which mirrors a legacy that CVC has been working towards the past 50 years. Without the concerted help of dedicated staff and volunteers the event would not have been possible. In the same manner, just as the conservation of the Credit River watershed would not have been possible without the help of all the partnerships involved. To everyone, we extend a sincere and grateful thank you! Of course, the celebrations do not stop here. There will be more events in the months ahead. Please contact CVC to find out more information.
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| Left to right: Hazel McCallion (Mayor of Mississauga ), Susan Fennell (Mayor of Brampton), Lou Maieron (Town of Erin County Councillor), Emil Kolb (Peel Regional Chair), Rod Finnie (Mayor of Erin), Marolyn Morrison (Mayor of Caledon), Keith Thompson (Mayor of Mono), Ann Mulvale(Mayor of Oakville), Joan Robson (Halton Hills Councillor, Ward 2), Steve Mahoney (MP, Mississauga West) . |
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Water Management Strategy: Progress Report
The Water Management Strategy Update is an update of the Credit River Management Strategy originally developed in 1992. The aim of the strategy is to ensure that there is “abundant, safe and clean water” now and into the future for both the people and wildlife that live in the Credit River watershed.
CVC's team has been actively attending various public events in an effort to increase the awareness of the goals and plans for the Water Management Strategy Update. Some of the events included:
- Public Works Day at Square One in Mississauga (May 15, 2004). Public Works Day is part of a one week celebration that the City of Mississauga hosts to inform the public about the function of their public works deptarment.
- Bread and Honey Festival in Streetsville (June 5, 2004). An annual event dating back to 1973, the Bread and Honey Festival received its beloved name from the the local mills and small apiaries, who baked the bread and made the honey for everyone to enjoy during the festival.
- Well Aware Public Forum 2 (June 8 and 16, 2004). Well Aware encourages Ontario's residential well owners to protect their wells and our common groundwater supplies. The Community Forums are held in neighbourhoods across the province and they give well owners an opportunity to hear directly from well experts.
A coloring contest was also held at the Public Works Day and the Bread and Honey Festival. Entrants ranged from 3 to 12 years old. The contest winner, 11-year old Alyssa from Mississauga, received a one year pass to CVC conservation areas for herself and her family. Congratulations Alyssa! (If you would like to see Alyssa's artwork, please click here!)
If you would like more information on the Credit River Water Management Strategy Update, please contact CVC. |
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Fletcher’s Creek Monitoring and Outreach Program Update
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| Fletchers Creek at Highway 7 at low, moderate and extreme water levels. |
Fletchers Creek has become a focus for assessing the response of watercourses to urbanization. With the support of the City of Mississauga and the City of Brampton, CVC conducts detailed annual monitoring of the creek. This monitoring includes taking measurements and observations on: flow, precipitation, water quality, fish, aquatic bugs, and stream habitat.
The program monitors the effects of urbanization, stormwater management ponds, and how well stormwater quality and quantity is being managed. There are several issues that face the Fletchers Creek subwatershed, including the rapid response of the creek flow to rain events; consistently high concentrations of nutrients and trace metals, often in connection with high suspended solids, and high levels of bacteria at all levels of suspended solids.
The work will continue into 2004 (Year 4 for CVC, Year 7 for entire project), in conjunction with the expanded Effectiveness Monitoring Program (new in 2003) which looks at the effectiveness of stormwater management in response to increasing levels of impervious areas in recently developed/developing areas of Northwest Brampton.
The Fletchers Creek Community Outreach Program was created in response to trends observed through the Fletchers Creek Monitoring Program. This program aims at creating awareness in the community with respect to issues that have arisen through CVC's monitoring.
To date, close to 500 Grade 2 students from five schools and over 100 ESL students have participated in the Outreach Program. In addition, CVC included a display for the program at the Brampton Spring Cleanup Appreciation on April 24 that was attended by over 1,500 Brampton residents. As a community that genuinely values their local environment, the program has received positive feedback from all participants in the Fletchers Creek community. CVC is continuing to work with community groups to improve the health of Fletchers Creek.
For more information, please contact CVC. |
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The 2004 Peel Children's Water Festival
 CVC participated once again in this year's Peel Children's Water Festival. Hosting 5000 children at the Heart Lake Conservation Area in Brampton, the Peel Children's Water Festival was a great opportunity for children to learn about the importance of water in a fun and meaningful way through interactive hands-on displays. The festival ran from May 27 to June 2 (with the exception of Sunday), with Saturday May 29 being public day. Family, friends and anyone else interested in the environment were invited out on this glorious sunny day to experience all of the activities and events, such as the Birds of Prey Free-Flight demonstration, Sciensational Sssnakes, Wildflower Planting and Trout Release.
With our interactive activity, the Fish of the Credit, we were able to teach children in grades 2 to 5 about some of the fish species that make the Credit River their home. The interactive fishing of our make-belief Credit River exposed the children to a sample of fish within the river, such as brook, rainbow, and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, redside dace, yellow perch, brown bullhead catfish, northern pike and carp. With our “one-fish-limit” in place, each child learned their fish's habitat, as well as the importance and significance of certain fish, such as the brook trout (an indicator species providing us with information about the quality of the water), the redside dace (an endangered species) and the carp or brown bullhead catfish (both species tolerant of more polluted waters).
Volunteers played an important role in making CVC's appearance at the festival such a success. A sincere thank-you to all those who made the event possible. |
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Belfountain Stonework Restoration: Phase 1 Complete
Belfountain Conservation Area,
located in the quaint village
of Belfountain in Caledon, is
one of our most picturesque
conservation areas, as well
as one deep-rooted in history.
The land was originally bought
back in 1908 by Charles W. Mack
and his wife. Mr. Mack with
his extraordinary vision developed
his own miniature versions of
Niagara Falls and Yellowstone
Cave. Over the years he added
stonewalls, footpaths and scenic
lookouts and a fountain topped
with a bell honouring the village.
CVC acquired the land in 1959
with the intention of restoring
and maintaining the park as
Mack would have wanted it. In
keeping with this intention,
Belfountain is currently undergoing
two phases of stonework restoration.
Phase One included restoring
the terrace area, and re-securing
stone work walls, while Phase
Two involves continuing with
the securement of old stone
walls and walkways, and replacement
of the fountain stone. Phase
One was completed last September.
Come and see the rejuvenated look. Visit Belfountain today!
| Summer Hours of Operation: |
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June 18th - September 6th
Weekdays, weekends, and holidays:
9 a.m. – 9 p.m. |
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Adults $4.00
Seniors and Children 3-12: $2.25 |
For more information, please contact CVC, or visit the Belfountain section of our website, or call us to mail you one of our Belfountain Conservation Area brochures. |
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Friends of the Credit Conservation Awards - New Deadline!!!
 The Friends of the Credit Conservation Awards has a new deadline of September 15th, replacing the previous deadline of October 1st.
The Conservation Awards, which are open every year and are presented on behalf of the CVC Board of Directors, recognize those individuals, landowners, community groups, municipalities and agencies who have made a significant contribution to the health of the Credit River watershed. Projects can range from ones in their infant stages to ones that have run over several years, and can include: restoration projects, events, publications, educational programs, conservation land or easement donations, or environmental policies or plans.
An upcoming addition to the
awards program is a proposed
Youth Award - a new category
added to recognize the important
environmental contributions
of young people.
Let us know about the worthy projects and people that are making a difference. Download a nomination form here. |
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Watch for Turtles!
 The first Turtle Crossing sign was posted in the Old Village of Meadowvale near CVC's Administrative Office. The signs will not only warn people of a potential traffic hazard, but it will more importantly help to protect the Snapping Turtles in the area. It is quite normal for snapping turtles to leave the river in the spring to lay eggs and to travel overland in the fall to familiar wetlands where they will hibernate for the winter.
The signs were erected with the help of Phil Ferarra and Steve Barret (City of Mississauga 's Transportation and Works Department), George Carlson (Mississauga Councillor and CVC Board Member), Robin Bannerman (Meadowvale resident) and Bob Morris (CVC Biologist).
Traffic mortality of turtles has recently been identified as a significant contributing factor to their decline in recent years. If encountered on land these turtles should be left alone and not harassed. Normally they won't bite, but will defend themselves on land where they feel less secure. Large adult snapping turtles crossing the road in this area today were likely born when Derry Road was a gravel cartpath many years ago.
Snapping Turtles can grow up to 20 inches and weigh up to 75 pounds, and once they reach their full adult-size, they have very few predators. Snapping turtles are more likely to be affected by predation during the egg stage of their development, when their nests are raided by raccoons, skunks and foxes. Other major contributions to their decline are habitat loss, traffic mortalities and over-harvesting for food. Being a long-lived predator/scavenger of aquatic habitats they also tend to “bioaccumulate” many toxins, such as PCB's, and are likely succumb to related illnesses such as liver failure, poisoning and cancers.
Let's do our part and help to conserve this important species. Be sure to watch out for turtles crossing the road, and keep our signs in place to increase awareness. For more information, please contact CVC. |
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Caring for the Credit Through Art
On Saturday, June 5th, in conjunction with the Norval Riverfest, the Credit River Alliance (CRA) hosted a one day art show in an old brick house borrowed from the Norval United Church. The theme for the show was “Celebrating the Credit River ” and brought together 40 works by 11 artists who live in, and get their inspiration from, the Credit River watershed. Sue Powell and George Perdue (local watershed artists), along with Leslie Adams (management committee member of CRA and president of POWER) were the show organizers. “We found the show's inspiration in Credit Valley Conservation's (CVC) 50 years of efforts in the watershed. We also wanted to bring together the arts and environment communities as they have a lot in common,” said Powell. 250 people viewed the original works with roughly 100 people attending the opening on Friday evening. “We're (CRA) thrilled to be honouring CVC's 50 years of efforts in the Credit. We also think its great to have the started the CRA during the CVC's 50th year and are working to engage everyone who has a stake in the health of our watershed,” said Lorraine Symmes, management committee chair of CRA .
CVC's Rae Horst (left), accepts artwork from CRA's Lorraine Symmes (right). |
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Symmes, on behalf of the CRA, presented the CVC with an original work by George Perdue. Rae Horst, general manager of the CVC, accepted the piece which will hang in CVC's office and noted that she was really accepting on behalf of everyone there, as CVC is not just its staff and Board but also its partners.
The artists were pleased with the show and agreed to donate up to 30% of the proceeds of sales to the CRA. “This year was a pilot to see how the community would respond to the show. It went well and exceeded my expectations,” said Adams.
Powell, Perdue and Adams are beginning to discus plans for next year. “We are getting our heads around what this show can evolve into and are hoping to host a longer, possibly juried show next year. |
I would also like to see some type of gala event, probably at the tail end of the show that could support the CRA financially and philosophically, ” said Adams.
The CRA, formed this year, is an umbrella organization for groups focusing on the environment of the watershed. 30 groups, representing 10,000 individuals, have endorsed the directions of the CRA and it is working to find common directions and common ground for the sustainability of the Credit River watershed. For further information on the CRA please contact Lorraine Symmes
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Norval Riverfest Celebrates Life on the Credit
On a beautifully sunny June 5th, Rae Horst, CVC's General Manager opened the 6th annual Norval Riverfest. Riverfest's organizers arranged the festival around the theme “Credit River – Protect it for Life”. The festival celebrates the magnificent beauty of the Credit River and promotes its preservation as a natural area for both recreation and ecological study. The activities at Riverfest emphasize participation, education, and fun within the community, through the enjoyment of nature and healthy living.
 At the festival Nonie Crete unveiled her new song “Where the Credit River Flows” that details the natural and cultural history of the Credit River. This lovely ballad in the tradition of James Gordon is a beautiful tribute to the river. It may also be the only song in history that mentions Norval three times. Her new CD, which was cosponsored by CVC and Willow Park Ecology Centre (WPEC), is available from the WPEC for $10. Contact Ruth Kuchinad at 905-702-9055 to get a copy. |
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Ontario’s Minister of Transportation helps celebrate Earth Day
Deanne Meadus, CVC Forester; Harinder Takhar, Minister of Transportation; Carolyn Scotchmer, Evergreen |
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The Honourable Harinder Takhar, Ontario's Minister of Transportation, helps students and faculty plant trees at University of Toronto – Mississauga (UTM) Campus on April 23rd, 2004. Approximately 40 volunteers came out to plant 200 trees with Minister Takhar and Vice President and Principle of UTM Ian Orchard. CVC is one of many partners, including Evergreen and the City of Mississauga, helping UTM naturalize its campus. UTM has planted 800 native trees and shrubs across the campus in an effort to reforest the campus. |
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CVC plants 200 native trees with St. Barbara Elementary School in Levi Creek in celebration of Arbor Day
 What better way to celebrate Arbor Day, a day dedicated to tree planting and increasing the awareness of the importance of trees, than going out and doing just that – planting trees! In support of this celebration, CVC’s Forester, Deanne Meadus, spoke to approximately 900 teachers and students combined at the St. Barbara Elementary School in Levi Creek. With the student audience ranging in grades from kindergarten to grade 8, Deanne stressed the importance of trees within our cities and watersheds. After each presentation, four students were picked from each class to help the Forestry staff plant trees on the school property. At the end of the day, a total of 200 native trees were planted. With the event being the first tree-planting experience for many of the children, they enjoyed themselves immensely. |
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WeCare and so can you!
 Building on the success of the recently completed Upper Credit River Rehabilitation Initiative, Trout Unlimited (TU) and CVC, with funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), hosted a workshop on April 3, 2004. Representatives from MNR, CVC, TU, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Isaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, Credit River Alliance, Atlantic Salmon Association, Credit River Anglers Association and the Alton Grange Association gathered to share their ideas, enthusiasm and experience in caring for the Credit River. The goal of the workshop was to examine the physical and biological conditions of the river in order to identify potential areas of concern and to prioritize future work. Brainstorming gave way to discussion and detailed planning exercises, which resulted in the participants identifying the West Credit Sub-watershed as the focus for a new initiative. The West Credit includes the communities of Hillsburgh, Erin and Belfountain.
Moving forward with WeCARE… The new initiative has a working title of the West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation and Enhancement (WeCARE) project. A grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation is funding the summer work of two habitat biologists, who will be assessing areas of the West Credit watershed and prioritizing locations for rehabilitation and enhancement.
The present goal of the WeCARE project is to grow from its preliminary planning stages into a multi-partner community initiative. A meeting is being organized for Tuesday, July 27th to introduce the WeCARE idea to local groups and West Credit watershed inhabitants. Only with local support and direction can this initiative be a success! Here is your chance to join with a group of conservation enthusiasts and help bring WeCARE to life! For more information about WeCARE and the meeting, please contact Dave Beaton. |
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Monitoring Fish - a Shocking Experience!
Marilyn
Morrison (Mayor of Caledon
and CVC Board Member)
proudly displays a brook
trout with CVC's Monitoring
Specialists, Lynne Gatzke
and Loveleen Clayton |
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Mixing electricity with water together generally isn't a good idea, but for CVC, it proves to be a successful way of monitoring the health of the fish community of the Credit River.
On June 25th, CVC monitored one of their 50 fish monitoring sites on the Credit River at Highway 24 in Caledon using a technique called electrofishing – an electrical pulse is sent through the water, which in turn “shock” the fish. They float to the water's surface, are netted and transported in buckets to the shore where a team of people are ready to measure, weigh and release the fish unharmed. The whole process requires a coordinated effort between CVC staff and numerous volunteers. |
On this day, CVC had volunteers from the Caledon Countryside Alliance, Town of Caledon, Ford Oakville and an avid angler. Mayor Marolyn Morrison also dropped in to see what a tremendous effort it takes to collect the data.
The analysis of the data collected at the site provides CVC with a picture of health of the Credit River and is a valuable tool to help determine the health of the watershed.
According to the CVC's Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program (IWMP), this particular Caldeon site is considered to be one of the healthiest stretches of the Credit River – not surprising to many anglers who have always valued this reach for its excellent brook trout fishing.
The IWMP was first established in 1999, and now has over 150 stations watershed-wide that monitors such things as forest health, wetland health, surface water, ground water, water chemistry, macroinvertebrates, and stream morphology.
Without the efforts of numerous volunteers, it would not be a possible to collect the information we do. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact CVC. |
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A Naturalist's Eye: Halton/North Peel Naturalist Club (HNPNC) Salamander Monitoring Project
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| Red-backed Salamander |
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| Blue-spotted Salamander |
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| Lead-backed phase of Red-backed salamander |
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| Red Eft |
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| Photo Credits: Don Scallen |
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The Halton/North Peel Naturalist Club (HNPNC) Salamander Monitoring Project was designed to measure variations of red-backed salamander and other salamander populations over time at six sites in the Halton and Peel Regions. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program provided funding for this project, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Wildlife Assessment Program developed the monitoring protocol. CVC provided access to their properties, logistical, and technical support. The Bruce Trail Association allowed access to one of their properties.
Volunteers from the HNPNC constructed sampling boards late in the summer of 2002. These boards were transported and laid out at the six sites by the volunteers in early Spring 2003. A grid of 20 modified boards (4 x 5) will be set up at each site. Once the plots were set up, volunteers visited and checked the boards for salamanders once every month from snow melt to first snowfall. Salamanders were identified by species, counted, and measured.
The monitoring of the plots during 2003 has produced 152 red-backed salamanders, 6 lead-backed phases of red-backed salamander, 2 blue-spotted salamanders, and 7 red efts; for a total of 167 salamanders and red efts. No spotted salamanders, four-toed salamanders, or Jefferson salamanders were observed during monitoring. At one plot, salamanders were observed in significant numbers on every visit, while at the other plots the numbers of salamanders appeared to increase with each subsequent visit. At a plot in Halton, no salamanders were observed during the entire sampling period. Another significant result includes the identification of a blue-spotted salamander in the heart of the City of Mississauga.
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| This project is a multi-year project, and is being carried out in conjunction with CVC's Terrestrial Monitoring Program. Members of the HNPNC have enjoyed the project and look forward to its future. CVC is considering expanding the salamander monitoring to other areas of the Credit River watershed as part of their monitoring programs. |
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