CVC Celebrates its Newest Conservation Area – Upper Credit River Conservation Area

On Saturday, June 10th, CVC along with its Community Partners, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Region of Peel celebrated the successful securement of the “Upper Credit River Conservation Area” - an 80 acre jewel of land that contains over 1 km of the Credit River.

For the past 50 years CVC has been working cooperatively with municipal partners, the Ontario government and non-governmental organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada to secure just over 2,428 hectares (6,000 acres) of greenlands within our watershed.

Greenlands securement helps protect water quantity and quality; provide natural heritage benefits for present and future generations; facilitate new fishing and recreational opportunities; and protect the scenic vistas of valleys, forests and hills that are characteristic of the watershed.

‘Greenlands’ is often a term used to refer to terrestrial and aquatic features (e.g. woodlands, wetlands, streams) and functions they provide (e.g. groundwater recharge) within ecosystems.

CVC’s most recent securement in 2005 was made possible through a funding partnership between the Region of Peel and an Ontario Greenland’s grant from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nature Conservancy of Canada. The “Upper Credit River Conservation area” is located just outside of the village of Alton, in the Town of Caledon and contains 1.3 km of the main Credit River, over 1 km of minor tributaries, 5.6 hectares (13.84 acres) of provincially significant wetland, as well as 7.2 hectares (17.7 acres) of forested land. The property is a key priority for protection and naturalization, and will be a prime location for hiking, picnicking and angling.

Caledon councilor Richard Paterak, Region of Peel Chair Emil Kolb and other dignitaries joined the festivities to celebrate the acquisition of CVC’s newest Conservation Area. The day began with a community tree planting along the Credit River by the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club and partners of the Upper Credit Rehabilitation Initiative. This was followed by appreciation ceremonies, a BBQ lunch, a nature hike and an electrofishing demo.

Making it Work!

Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, was among the several presenters at the “Making it Work - A Strategy for Sustainability” workshop to discuss the critical trends that impact the environment, the Credit River watershed, our communities and the direction we need to take to ensure safe, abundant, clean water now and in the future. Other key speakers included staff from the Centre for Watershed Protection (CWP) and the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC). The workshop focused on CVC’s “Credit River Water Management Strategy Update (CRWMSU)” and ran from June 19th – 22nd.

The goal of the CRWMSU was to select a management strategy that ensures “abundant, safe and clean water” now and in the future for both the people and wildlife within the Credit River watershed.

The study found that direct linkages exist between public health and the environment. Monitoring results found that existing watershed conditions show some degradation in the environment and that current planning and development practices are not sustainable. The study concluded that growth can occur if we adopt sustainable development practices and restore existing rural and urban land uses. In fact, Canadian market surveys conducted by CMHC found that 87% of respondents said they would be interested in purchasing a home in a sustainable community.

Municipalities and communities are looking for an ecologically friendly approach to land use changes and storm water management that aims at mitigating the impacts of urbanization on the environment.

“To build a sustainable future we must integrate provincial planning initiatives to assist our communities. Planning for the longer term - beyond 20 years through adaptive environmental management is key” says Pat Mullin, Chair of the Board of Directors of CVC and City of Mississauga Councillor

Energy Conservation Fair

The inaugural Energy Conservation Fair was held June 1-3 at Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School. The Fair showcased more than 30 businesses, government agencies and NGO’s that have a stake in energy conservation. Students, teachers and the local residents came out to find out how they can do their part.

A highlight of the Fair was a keynote address by Canada’s best known environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki. Known for his proactive approach to environmental issues, Dr. Suzuki touched on a broad range of topics in his speech entitled: The Challenge of the 21st Century: Setting the Real Bottom Line. His message focused on the fact that in Canada we have made the mistake of setting the Economy, and not the Environment, as the “Bottom Line”, meaning many of our decisions are based on impact to the economy without considering how this will affect the environment. Dr. Suzuki also made reference to the current trend of “urban sprawl” and noted the Brampton subdivisions surrounding the school are classic examples of development that deteriorates our environment.

So how does CVC fit in to the energy conservation picture? CVC’s recent update to the Credit River Water Management Strategy found that if we are to maintain the health of our river and the people who live in the watershed, we must change the way we plan for new developments. The way we currently develop is not sustainable in terms of the environment and energy. As the land in our watershed becomes increasingly urbanized, our water quality will deteriorate. A sustainable community promotes a healthy watershed and healthy people. This means:

• Protecting our water quality for drinking water

• Changing road layouts to reduce paved surfaces and
  encourage public transit

• Protecting natural spaces for fitness, environmental
  awareness, and clean water, land and air

• Conserving water and energy, e.g. by building heat-
  conserving townhouses rather than single-detached homes

• Protecting our watershed