Sustainable Living & CVC

Sustainable Living is about making changes to the way we do things now to ensure we have a good quality of life that includes a healthy environment in the future. It is about being aware of the longer-term impacts of our every day decisions. It is about preserving our natural systems and conserving limited resources for our children and grandchildren. Sustainable development is a global concern but requires local action.

In small communities like Orangeville, Caledon and Erin, the need for sustainable development is sometimes less apparent – but the pressures are every bit as real. With population growth or decline, the availability of affordable housing, the increasing age of essential infrastructure, environmental quality concerns and rising costs across the board are among the many issues faced by small municipalities throughout Canada. That is why it is also important for all municipalities to adopt sustainable planning and development practices.

As part of the Credit River Water Management Strategy (CRWMS), CVC has been working on a subwatershed study on the headwaters of the Credit River. The Headwaters Subwatershed Study will be recommending ways to manage the area in a sustainable manner by evaluating the natural features of the area, and considering the potential impact of various land uses and climate conditions. An example is designing new developments to incorporate natural areas such as mature forests and wetlands into community designs and protect their values for the ecosystem. For existing land uses, we can use rain barrels to capture rain water for lawn maintenance and gardening, returning this valuable resource to our groundwater system.

CVC partnered with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to present a information session on Sustainable Planning and Development for Small Communities on May 29, 2007.. The session was an opportunity to exchange ideas on “What is a Sustainable Community” and “What can we do in our daily lives and our communities to make our communities more sustainable”.

Stream of Dreams

Teachers in the West Credit watershed will soon have a unique way to educate students about our most precious natural resource – water! Beginning this fall, the Stream of Dreams will be dazzling the West Credit with charming community art murals, while teaching students about the watershed and the importance of their local rivers and streams. Students will paint a wooden fish, which is then installed on the school’s chain link fence to remind the community of their environmental responsibility. Schools in Erin, Hillsburgh and Belfountain will have the opportunity to participate in this program through the West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (WeCARE). Interested teachers and parents of children attending schools in the West Credit are encouraged to contact Amy Doole, WeCARE Project Coordinator at 1-800-668-5557 ext. 284.

Environmental Plans for Rural Lands

Credit Valley Conservation is piloting a new program this fall for non-farm rural landowners in the watershed. The program helps landowners to understand their rural property and identify sources of funding and technical advice to help them implement their land management goals. Landowners participating in the program will be better prepared to take action in managing their lands and waters and in protecting and maintaining their well and septic systems in the face of climate change.

The program will provide assistance to landowners through a self-assessment workbook developed by the University of Guelph and a community workshop series modeled on the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program. The program is also an opportunity for participants to connect with other landowners and stewardship organizations to exchange information and experiences.

The first workshop will be held this fall. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact Alison Qua-Enoo, Stewardship Technician at 1-800-668-5557 ext. 416 for more information.