Helping you improve stormwater management on your rural or urban property
The three-year Urban and Rural Stormwater Improvements (URSI) for Lake Huron Project (2018-2020) is to provide improved water storage capacity on the landscape.
If you would like to find out about funding and technical support to help you improve stormwater management on your property please call Angela Van Niekerk, Wetland Specialist with Ausable Bayfield Conservation, at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
The Urban and Rural Stormwater Improvements for Lake Huron Project will complete nine stormwater improvement projects over three years (2018-2020) in Ausable Bayfield watersheds along Lake Huron’s southeast shore.
The stormwater improvement projects will include creation of water retention areas at the edge of agricultural fields, wetland enhancement, and riparian plantings on the banks of creeks, drains, and rivers.
The local project will also educate community members about making stormwater management improvements on their properties. The project will also create a community rain garden.
The three-year project is possible thanks to recently announced funding from the Government of Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program.
Improved water storage capacity can reduce erosion and filter excess nutrients. This can help to protect and improve water quality in creeks, rivers, groundwater, and Lake Huron.
To learn more read on:
EcoAction funds to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation to add urban, rural stormwater improvements for Lake Huron
EcoAction to provide $100,000 to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation to support projects by local landowners to improve urban, rural stormwater management
The Government of Canada has announced $4.3 million in Canadian funding to support 58 new EcoAction Community Funding Program projects across the country.
The announced EcoAction funding includes $100,000 to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation for a three-year project that helps urban and rural landowners to make stormwater improvements that benefit Lake Huron.
To learn more click this link:
Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced the EcoAction funding on October 11, 2018. The funds will support concrete local action to help fight and adapt to climate change and to educate and engage Canadians in preserving and conserving water including the Great Lakes.
“We are proud to support community groups that are taking action to preserve water resources and promote energy-efficient practices,” said Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, in a news release.
“The Canadian EcoAction Community Funding for the Urban and Rural Stormwater Improvements for Lake Huron Project will make it possible to work with rural and urban landowners in our area to complete on-the-ground projects that improve stormwater management to keep our Great Lake great,” said Bob Radtke, Chair of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF).
EcoAction projects support communities across the country in protecting the environment and growing the economy by conserving water resources, adapting to climate change, and reducing pollution.
The local stormwater improvements made in the project should hold back more than 80 kilograms per year of potential pollutants in order to reduce impacts on Lake Huron.
The URSI project plans to improve and stabilize more than six hectares of shoreline; implement management and restoration actions in more than eight hectares; and plant more than 10,000 native plants, trees and shrubs. About 2,500 people will be engaged in activities related to the stormwater improvements project. Hundreds of student volunteers will be taking part in planting events or educational activities. There are economic benefits as well through projects completed and jobs created.
To learn more visit these links on the abca.ca website:
The EcoAction projects across Canada are forecasted to protect, stabilize, or improve up to 8,558 hectares of shoreline; reduce or divert 30,020,280 kilograms of toxic or harmful waste; and reduce water consumption by 60,925,140 litres – the equivalent of what 685 Canadians consume in a year. The projects are also forecasted to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 7,127 tonnes across Canada. This reduction would be the equivalent of removing 1,526 passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
The EcoAction program supports projects across Canada. In addition to the Urban and Rural Stormwater Improvements for Lake Huron Project there is a number of other funded projects taking place along or near the southeast shore of Lake Huron.
Other projects, supported by the funding, in or near Lake Huron include:
- $86,150 to Pine River Watershed Initiative Network for their work in this priority southeast shore area to Increase Habitat Availability and Water Storage Capacity in the Pine River Watershed
- $43,420 to the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association for their work Reviving a Productive Coldwater Stream in a Unique Karst Drainage System, Bruce Peninsula
- $85,791 to the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority for the Fertile Fields and Clean Streams project
- $93,272 to Georgian Bay Forever for the Divert and Capture – The Fight Against Microplastics in our Water project.
Environment and Climate Change Canada announces $4.3 million in funding support for 58 EcoAction Community Funding Program projects taking place across country
There are 58 new projects funded by Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program.
The projects are expected to reach 119,811 Canadians.
To find out more about the 2018 EcoAction Funding across Canada please visit the following links:
Since 1995, EcoAction has approved more than $115 million in funding for 3,150 projects that engage Canadians in direct activities to protect water, soil, and habitat. Since 2006, EcoAction has helped engage more than 2.5 million Canadians in environmental activities. For every dollar received through EcoAction, approximately $1.87 is leveraged from other funding partners.
This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Ce projet a été réalisé avec l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada agissant par l’entremise du ministère fédéral de l’Environnement et du Changement
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Office closed November 12
Office closed on Monday, November 12, 2018
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Administration Centre office at 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, is closed on Monday, November 12, 2018.
The office reopens for regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) on Tuesday, November 13, 2018.
On Remembrance Day, November 11, we remember those who have served and sacrificed on behalf of all Canadians, and we remember those who serve and sacrifice on our behalf today.
Notices of service disruptions, such as this one, are posted online at abca.ca at this link:
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Friends of South Huron Trail on November 2
Friends of the South Huron Trail volunteers to gather for annual organizational meeting on Friday, November 2, 2018
Volunteers help to maintain popular South Huron Trail, raise funds for trail projects, host events such as free family snowshoeing on Family Day
Regular meetings are a necessity for some community groups. The Friends of the South Huron Trail is one group that accomplishes a great deal with only one meeting per year.
The volunteers of this community committee are holding their annual organizational meeting on Friday, November 2, 2018 at the boardroom of Ausable Bayfield Conservation east of Exeter.
The original Friends of MacNaughton-Morrison Trail group was formed in 1998.
To learn more click this link:
A newly-reorganized Friends of the South Huron Trail group first met on Monday, November 14, 2005. The latter group has met and worked in support of the trail every year since then – for almost a decade and a half of continuous service.
Volunteers have helped to maintain the MacNaughton-Morrison and Morrison Dam Conservation Area sections of the South Huron Trail. The group has emphasized the important role all users of the trail have in being responsible users, keeping dogs on leashes, and keeping the trail clean.
They have organized cleanup days, work parties, trail days, and guided hikes. Friends of the South Huron Trail were involved in trail warden and ‘Trailkeepers’ trail patrol programs and were active partners in the project to develop and promote the South Huron Trail Mobile so people with limited mobility could enjoy nature on the trail.
They have added trail crossing signs and promoted trail safety. Volunteers from the group have helped by volunteering at the annual charitable golf tournament in support of the trail and helping with installation of the Storytime Trail. They help with fundraising for projects such as the Pedestrian Bridge on the South Huron Trail project.
The volunteer group has hosted free family snowshoeing as part of Family Day WinterFest South Huron on the Family Day holiday Monday. Those are just some of the activities that have taken place thanks to these volunteers.
Friends of the South Huron Trail is an ad hoc committee of Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
To become a Friend of the South Huron Trail you are invited to phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca or you can attend the trail group meeting on Friday, November 2, 2018 at 9 a.m. at 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter.
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Family Day WinterFest South Huron to return in 2019
Community partners to meet in November 2018 to plan popular Family Day WinterFest South Huron for Holiday Monday, February 18, 2019
The Family Day WinterFest South Huron organizing committee is pleased to announce the popular winter festival is returning in 2019. Jeff Musser and Dave Frayne return as Co-Chairs to help bring together the many community partners who make this family-friendly winter festival a success each year.
“Mark your calendars for February 18, 2019,” said WinterFest Co-Chair Jeff Musser. “Dave and I are looking forward to the return of Family Day WinterFest South Huron.”
“We were pleased to be Co-Chairs last year and we are looking forward to being part of this great community event again,” said co-Chair Dave Frayne.
The community groups are holding their first (and only) organizational meeting to get the ball rolling (or to get the “snowball” rolling). Interested community partners are invited to meet on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the boardroom of Ausable Bayfield Conservation, at 71108 Morrison Line, 2 km east of Exeter for a short meeting to plan the 2019 day-long winter festival which takes place on the Family Day Holiday Monday, February 18, 2019.
Family Day WinterFest South Huron draws thousands of people to the area. More than 20 community groups join to organize this winter event with the support of local donors, businesses, and community organizations.
The committee encourages anyone who would like to host an event, sponsor an event, or donate to WinterFest to talk to one of the Co-Chairs.
The Exeter Lions Club held its first Family Day Breakfast in 2010. That breakfast has become a popular annual tradition since then. Other community groups joined forces with the Lions Club starting in 2011 to add other family-friendly activities for the holiday Family Monday. The success of the one-day winter festival has continued to “snowball” ever since.
WinterFest Co-Chair Dave Frayne said “this event is an example of what the people and groups in South Huron are able to accomplish by working together in partnership.”
Some events are at South Huron Recreation Centre and some events are at MacNaughton Park as well as other Exeter and area locations. Most events are free. There are events for all ages and chances for people to try out new things – even if they have never tried them before.
Some events depend on snow but there are indoor events as well and “snow or no snow, WinterFest is a go!” (In the case of extreme weather, people are encouraged to visit southhuron.ca for any notices or cancellations).
When events are confirmed, they are to be posted online at familydaywinterfest.ca. When events are confirmed people can visit the website to find out about new events as they are added, to find out times and locations, and to see which events are free and which ones require admission. Keep posted as well for a growing list of generous sponsors.
To learn more visit these links:
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Pedestrian bridge construction begins
The construction of the much-anticipated Jones Bridge downstream of Morrison Dam is beginning.
Sections of the MacNaughton-Morrison Trail will be closed during construction and installation. People must avoid the pedestrian bridge area, downstream of Morrison Dam, during the period of construction, according to Kate Monk, Manager of Stewardship, Land and Education at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
Ausable Bayfield Conservation will post Notices of Service Disruptions related to the trail on the abca.ca website on this web page link:
Donations are still needed to fund the trail bridge project. More than $235,000 has already been donated or pledged and another $65,000 is needed.
To donate, call 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or donate online by visiting the Pedestrian Bridge on the South Huron Trail web page:
You may also call one of your community representatives on the community working group.
The continuing fundraising campaign is not slowing down the progress of this project ‘building a bridge to a safer, more active community.’ Iron Bridge Fabrication Inc. of Brunner, Ontario is manufacturing the bridge structure. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has selected VanDriel Excavating Inc., of the Clinton area, as the winning tender to do the work needed to erect the bridge including pouring abutments and installation of the bridge. B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, of Goderich, is the project’s consulting engineer.
An on-site meeting was held at the bridge site on October 15, 2018 with representatives of the conservation authority, the contractor, the engineer, the Pedestrian Bridge Community Working Group, Friends of the South Huron Trail, and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF).
Work is proceeding on schedule. Construction and installation of the bridge should be completed before the end of November. There may be additional work and ancillary structures completed in the new year.
The bridge is to be called Jones Bridge and it is dedicated by Donna Jones, in loving memory of Ted Jones. Ted Jones was a dedicated community volunteer and conservationist and a long-time director of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation and a long-time member of the Exeter Lions Club.
Some trail users currently have to walk beside vehicle traffic beside the roadway over Morrison Dam in order to enjoy both sections of the South Huron Trail. The new pedestrian bridge will change that by offering a safer, more scenic alternative. The proposed bridge will be suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, wheelchairs, the South Huron Trail Mobile (for people with limited mobility), and winter visitors.
Donations to the Jones Bridge project, made directly to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, are eligible for charitable gift receipts for income tax purposes. To learn more, or to donate, visit abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610. You are also invited to contact any of the members of the community working group. Their names are in the bridge brochure available online and in printed copies.
MEETING AT FUTURE SITE OF JONES BRIDGE:
In photo above, a meeting was held on October 15, 2018, downstream of Morrison Dam, at the future site of the Pedestrian Bridge on the South Huron Trail. Shown at the on-site meeting, from left to right in photo, are: Alec Scott, consultant; Kate Monk, ABCA Manager of Stewardship, Land and Education; Peter Darbishire and Lorne Rideout, Pedestrian Bridge Community Working Group members; Tommy Kokas, ABCA Water Resources E.I.T.; Daniel King, ABCA Regulations Coordinator; Ryan Munn, P.Eng., B. M. Ross and Associates Limited; and Derrick VanDriel, VanDriel Excavating Inc.
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Owl Prowl on November 3
You can learn about amazing local nocturnal animals at annual Owl Prowl near Exeter on Saturday, November 3, 2018.
To learn more click these links:
Hundreds of people to call for owls, learn about nighttime creatures; Conservation Halton to bring live owls; Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation is sponsor
Owls are amazing nocturnal animals. The Owl Prowl is a local chance to learn about these special nighttime creatures and even meet them.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation hosts the annual Owl Prowl event at Morrison Dam Conservation Area, east of Exeter, on Saturday, November 3, 2018. Those who attend can meet live owls from Conservation Halton’s Mountsberg Raptor Centre.
There are two sessions.
The first session is recommended for families and starts at 6 p.m.
The second session starts at 7:30 p.m.
Each 90-minute session begins with a short talk from Ausable Bayfield Conservation educators on owls.
After the talk, attendees are sorted into two groups. One group stays in the workshop to meet live owls and ask questions about them, or dissect a pellet, or have their picture taken with Otis the Owl (human-sized costumed owl).
The second group ventures on a night hike, with trained Ausable Bayfield Conservation educators to call in and look for owls that live in the conservation area near Exeter.
During this hike, past participants have seen and heard Eastern Screech Owls but it’s not guaranteed to see or hear them any given year.
The annual Owl Prowl takes place two kilometres east of Exeter, just south of Highway 83, at 71108 Morrison Line. The event happens at the conservation area’s workshop behind the main public office of the administration centre building. This event encourages people get outside in the evening, go for a walk with friends and family, and put senses to the test by listening and looking for owls.
Admission is by donation. Net proceeds from the event will go to Jones Bridge – a project to make the community safer and more active by building a new pedestrian bridge on the South Huron Trail so people don’t have to walk by the roadway beside vehicle traffic to enjoy both trail sections.
Space for seating is limited. Organizers ask attendees to dress for the weather and to leave pets at home. Also, the event hosts ask you to please ‘Lug-a-Mug’ to enjoy a hot chocolate.
Hundreds of people have learned about owls and their amazing nocturnal adaptations over the years through engaging multimedia presentations at this yearly moonlit guided hike to call for owls. To learn more, contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca
“This is a great chance for people of all ages to learn about owls,” said Denise Iszczuk, Conservation Educator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation. “This is a rare chance for people to get outside, get active in the evening and learn about amazing local nocturnal animals and how they adapt to life in the night.”
Special thanks go to the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation for sponsoring the event.
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Nature Day Camp on PA Days this Autumn
Ausable Bayfield Conservation has provided popular summer nature day camps – conservation authority is now offering day camps during Professional Activity Days on three Fridays this fall
You have heard of summer camp. How about autumn camp? How about day camp in December? Ausable Bayfield Conservation is hosting its first “rain, snow, or shine” nature day camps on three Professional Activity Day (PA Day) Fridays this autumn.
The first of the nature day camps took place on September 28, 2018 with a focus on what is happening in Autumn.
The next two PA Day Nature Camps in 2018 are November 2; and December 7.
There are spaces available, for both remaining nature camps, at the time of issue of this e-newsletter edition.
Registrations for the November 2 camp are accepted until October 29, 2018.
The November 2 day camp will focus on birds including owls. This is a pre-prowl program for those keen on nocturnal life and is also an excellent complementary activity to the Owl Prowl on November 3.
The camps take place at Morrison Dam Conservation Area, east of Exeter, and are for young people ages 6-10 and the cost is $35 per day.
The day camps run from 9 a.m. in the morning to 4 p.m. in the afternoon with ‘before and after’ care available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To find out more, or to register, visit abca.ca or call Ausable Bayfield Conservation at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610. You may also email Nina Sampson at nsampson@abca.ca
Nature Day Camps are ideal for young people who love being outdoors and who enjoy hiking and exploring, according to the conservation educators.
Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until camp is full and can be dropped off to Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Administrative Office, at 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, or you can register online.
Space is limited so conservation educators encourage you to register today.
Programs are run indoors in the case of severe inclement weather such as heavy rain, thunderstorms, snowstorms, or high winds.
To learn more visit the Nature Day camps page:
Learn more - click this link to the news item:
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New checklist, fact sheet offer landowners, contractors more details on what’s needed when applying for proposed shoreline protection works
Checklist for Applications for Shore Protection, fact sheet with information for landowners and contractors proposing shoreline protection works are posted online at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority website at abca.ca
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Board of Directors has approved a new fact sheet with information for landowners and contractors who are proposing shoreline protection works and a new Checklist for Applications for Shore Protection.
The two documents have been posted on the abca.ca shoreline management plan page at this link:
To learn more click the link for this news item:
To keep up-to-date on shoreline management topics please subscribe to regular updates by email through the Shoreline Management Plan Update e-newsletter:
The conservation authority requires permits for shoreline works proposed to prevent erosion. Providing more detail about what’s required for a permit application can help to expedite the application process and ensures the application process is consistent, according to ABCA staff.
“We feel it will be easier and faster for applicants to obtain permit approval if they know ahead of time what information is required,” said Geoffrey Cade, ABCA Manager of Water and Planning.
The board approved the two documents at its regular board meeting held on September 20, 2018.
The new checklist includes details about what’s needed in terms of drawings and plans and other submission requirements.
The fact sheet outlines application submission requirements, application fees, and ABCA’s application review process for shoreline protection.
To learn more visit abca.ca or contact ABCA at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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