During our AGM in Fenelon Falls this month, five groups and individuals received Environmental Recognition Awards for their contributions to local environmental protection. 

Director Heather Stauble presented the Individual Conservationist Award to Sandy Wansbrough, who has been a volunteer with Kawartha Water Watch over the past 10 years, providing important water quality information about Sturgeon Lake. In addition to this, he has provided ongoing research and advocacy on environmental issues, including PCBs in Sturgeon Lake; and, over the years, been involved with KPOW, the Lindsay Ops Landfill Public Review Committee, Friends of Kawartha Conservation, the City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee, and Friends of the Osprey.

Director Pat Warren presented the Community Conservationist Award to Kathy Armstrong, on behalf of the Killarney Bay-Cedar Point Cottage Association, for naturalizing the shoreline in Killarney Bay Parkette to help protect Balsam Lake, and also participating on the Community Advisory Panel for lake management planning in the Kawarthas.

Director Chuck Mercier presented the Partner Award to Andrea Hicks, on behalf of the Community Stream Steward Program. They supported three urban tributary restoration projects in Port Perry in 2012 by providing funding, site plans, and the coordination of project materials; and led an educational tour of the Lake Scugog watershed in 2012 with community members, and staff and councillors from the Township of Scugog.

Vice Chair John Hancock presented the Business Award to RBC Blue Water Project for providing $75,000 over three years to the Blue Canoe Program. The grant has enabled Kawartha Conservation to hire, train, and support seasonal staff who are speaking with shoreline property owners on over 2,600 properties on Balsam, Cameron, and Sturgeon lakes, and encouraging and helping with practices that protect the lakes.

A second Business Award was given to B. Armstrong Contracting Inc. for always obtaining permits for projects that are near water and in other environmentally sensitive areas, and complying with the permit conditions, which helps ensure projects are protected from flooding hazards and not adversely impacting the environment. The owner of the company, Brian Armstrong, had also contributed valuable input to our planning policies and fee schedule updates.  

During the meeting, a keynote presentation was provided by Drew Monkman, nature columnist and author of Nature's Year: Changing Seasons in Central and Eastern Ontario, and CAO Rob Messervey highlighted some of our activities in 2012.  

Also at the meeting, Donna Villemaire was re-elected to Chair and John Hancock to Vice Chair, and Years of Service awards were presented to four staff members, including Cindy Haney, Brent Kulba, Dave Pridham, and Rob Stavinga, each for their 5 years of service. Director Pat Warren was recognized for 5 years of service since 1999, and Chair Donna Villemaire for 10 years of consecutive service.

Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller provides a keynote address

The Township of Scugog and Kawartha Conservation hosted a symposium in Port Perry on Jan. 25 to discuss the issues, share best management practices and experiences, and determine the next steps forward in enhancing the management of large-scale fill activities. Over 260 people from across the province attended, and included representatives from consulting firms, academic institutions, provincial and local environmental associations, land development, contracting and aggregate industries, conservation authorities, and local citizens associations, as well as scientists, lawyers, elected and senior staff from municipalities, and others directly involved in the movement of fill. 

Some of the challenges presented during the day included the quality of soils being deposited at sites and the challenges of monitoring and ensuring it is clean; who has jurisdiction over the sites; the potential for contamination to groundwater resources; and issues with noise, traffic, and dust. Other issues also identified were the range of municipal by-laws dealing with fill, some of which are strong, some weak, and some non-existent, and how the end uses of sites are not always identified before filling.

Some of the solutions presented were:

• Changing the Municipal Act to require a materials management plan as part of the development - and change the Planning Act as required to manage storage and zoning considerations 
• Implementing province-wide practices, standards, and regulation 
• Promoting Best Management Practices documents of the Ministry of the Environment and the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario 
• Ensure appropriate soil testing occurs at both the source and fill site 
• Managing the excavation of earth materials on a life-cycle basis.

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Gord Miller, provided a concluding keynote address, and expressed that fill should be the responsibility of those who generate the excess soils. 

Complete video from the symposium, presentations, and background resources are being posted at www.KawarthaConservation.com/fill 

• 26 fencing projects (20 km of fence)
• 14 alternate watering
• 9 wetland restoration and creation
• 4 stream crossings
• 2 runoff control
• 3 riparian planting
• 2 manure storage.