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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1994-06-22, Page 26Page 26 Times -Advocate, June 22, 1994 COM MLI]\I Bill of Rights registry open for public use TORONTO - The electronic reg- istry, created under Ontario's Envi- ronmental Bill of Rights, is now available to residents in Middlesex. The registry is a computerized bul- letin board informing the public of environmentally significant propo- sals by 14 Ontario governments ministries. During the summer of 1994, more than 250 public and First Na- tion libraries across the province will come on-line. Middlesex resi- dents can access the registry through the Middlesex County Li- brary Headquarters in Arva (phone 660-8368). The Environmental Bill of Rights - a long-standing commitment of the NDP government - is built on the principle that everyone has the right to participate in decisions af- fecting the environment. Through the registry, people can get the in- formation they need to become in- volved. The first information available on the registry are Statements of Envi- ronmental Values (SEVs) in draft form prepared by each of 14 pro- vincial government ministries, indi- cating how they will ensure the en- vironment becomes a part of their decision-making. These were placed on the registry on May 15 for three months of pub- lic comment, with the final stale- ments appearing on the registry by November 15. The Ministry of Environment and Energy's proposals for environ- mentally significant acts and poli- cies will be placed on the registry by August 15, 1994. Those of all other ministries will be available beginning in April 1995. Proposed regulations and instru- ments for the Ministry of Environ- ment and Energy will be on the reg- istry by November 15 1994. Instruments include permits, licenc- es, approvals and orders. Talent show participants Entertaining thier classmates at the Exeter Public School Talent show was left, Julie Godbolt, and Alyssa Darling who sang "Evening in the Birch Path" Floating classroom teaches conservation PETERBOROUGH - The Onta- rio Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), in partnership with Shimano Sport Fisheries Ini- tiative, is launching a floating classroom this summer to give hundreds of children across the • province an unforgettable lesson in conservation. The new OFAH "Waterways Habitat" environmental conserva- tion program gives eight to 14 - year -old children a unique oppor- tunity to learn about conserving aquatic habitat. The summer pro- gram. with additional support from the Environmental Youth Corps and the Ontario Ministry of Natu- ral Resources, is an extension of the OFAH's award winning "Habi- tat is Where the Home Is." The program is not quite "fish- ing university, " but it shows kids that there's much more to going fishing than a rod and reel. "The intention is to give more kids quality outdoors knowledge," said Dr. Terry Quinney, OFAH provincial coordinator of fish and wildlife services. "Our society- is becoming more and more depen- dent on things that have little to do with the natural environment and there's no better way than fishing to get kids back outside," he said. The program emphasizes more than just catching fish - it shows kids that they have to become am- ateur biologists to really appreciate the importance of Ontario's water- ways. "Waterways Habitat" fea- tures a number of work stations, including local water chemistry. habitat protection. species identifi- cation, safety and ethics. live re- lease and angling techniques. Morning and afternoon sessions of "Waterways Habitat" will run each day at provincial parks, sum- mer camps. tournaments and re- sorts throughout Ontario. During each three- hour session, up to 45 children will learn how aquatic en- vironments can be improved and fishery resources conserved. To cap off each session. the chil- dren, along with the three-member OFAH crew, will take to the water on a 30 -foot pontoon boat donated by Shimano Sport Fisheries Initia- tive. The children will get to apply what they've learned back on shore through using oxygen metres and fish finders and by trying their hand at reeling in fish. A number of sponsors, including Shimano, the Shell Environmental Fund, Berkley, Lowrance, Bouy-0- Boy, Karcher Pressure Washers, Fryston Canada, Merganser Out- door Clothing, Rubbermaid Spe- cialty Products and Normark Cana- da, are supporting the program and donating products for the children to use. "Waterways Habitat" is an exten- sion of the OFAH program 'Trav- elling Teacher" which recently won a Canadian Wildlife Federa- tion award, a national prize for outstanding conservation work. Beginning April 15 1994, any two residents will have the right to request investigations where there is a suspected violation of a pre- scribed act, regulation or instru- ment administered by the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Other ministries will be phased in later. The Environmental Bill of Rights also gives Ontario residents in- creased access to the courts to pro- tect the environment. As of February I, 1995, any two Ontario residents will have the right to request reviews of Ministry of Environmental and Energy poli- cies, prescribed acts, regulations and prescribed instruments, or can request a review of the need for new acts, policies and regulations. the minister will determine if re- quests merit action. Employees will be protected from employer reprisals if they en- gage in any activity under the En- vironmental Bill of Rights, such as exercising their public participation rights or requesting a review or in- vestigation. They will be protected if they blow the whistle on a pollut- ing employer. Computer owners with a modem can access the registry using con- nect numbers 327-3000 local and 1-800-667-9979 and via Internet and other networks using telnet 192.75.4156.92 (user name BBS). To find out about the environ- mental registry and which libraries are on-line, people should request a copy of the Guide to Access and Use of the Environmental Registry from the Public Information Centre at the Ministry of Environment and Energy, 135 St. Clair Ave. W., To- ronto, Ont. M4V 1P5, (416) 323- 4321 or 1-800-565-4923. Also available are hard copies of one or all of the 14 draft ministry State- ments of Environmental Values. U.-pIcK STRAWBERRIES WEATHER PERMITTING HOURS 8 AM to 12 NOON 4 PM to 7 PM Children welcome with supervision Ready picked available... CaII ahead for freezer quantities CaII for crop update! 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