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Bayfield's Ray Letheren finalist in Hometown Heroes Awards
14Award finalist thanks all
0 those who have worked
k with him for past 20 years
Special to the Clinton News Record
Ausauble Bayfield Conservation Authority
The Earth Day Canada Hometown
Heroes Award Program named Bayfield's
Ray Letheren as a finalist in the Individual
category. The national award program rec-
ognizes and celebrates environmental lead-
ers who foster meaningful, long-term com-
munity awareness and action. "I am
humbled and honoured to have been rec-
ognized as a finalist in the Hometown
Heroes Award Program," said Letheren. He
said being named as a finalist for the award
is really a recognition of the many people
with whom he has worked over the past 20
years. The award finalist said he is proud of
the work the Bayfield and area community
has done to increase awareness of the need
to protect "our most valuable resource,
water." He thanked his fellow community
members for their commitment to water
protection. He also thanked his wife Paula
for "enduring" throughout his efforts and
supporting his "other passion" - water
quality.
The finalist recognition honours Leth-
eren for his environmental leadership and
for his work to help create a sustainable
future in the local community. He is to
receive a certificate of recognition in
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honour of his achievement. As a finalist, he
is to be recognized in Earth Day Canada
news releases, profiled on the Hometown
Heroes Award Program website, and fea-
tured in public service announcements
sent to print media across Canada.
Letheren is a past recipient (Regional
Recipient, Ontario, 1995) of the Prime Min-
ister's Award for Teaching Excellence. As a
Bayfield resident with an interest in protec-
tion of water quality, he has continued to
educate bywriting on ways to reduce envi-
ronmental impacts, and organizing annual
symposia featuring internationally
acclaimed presenters. His communitywork
has helped to show how actions to protect
Lake Huron fit into the global picture. In
2004, he was recognized as Conservationist
of the Year in Ausable Bayfield watersheds.
In 2005, Letheren was a recipient of the
Glen Hodgins Memorial Award for Volun-
teer Contributions to Environmental Stew-
ardship for Perth and Huron counties.
The Hometown Heroes Award Program
finalist is founder and long-time Chair of
the Friends of the Bayfield River. The
Friends of the Bayfield River began water
quality monitoring in 1999 as part of their
work to protect and improve Lake Huron.
He has led the community group in an edu-
cation and remediation program that has
been called "ambitious" and that has
"engaged all community stakeholders" The
award finalist has organized Great Cana-
dian Shoreline Cleanup events since 2003.
In 2003, fundraising and tree planting by
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BY FRIDAY
DECEMBER 11
AT 5:OOPM.
Submitted Photo
Ausauble Bayfield Conservation Authority
announced on December 1 that Ray
Letheren of Bayfield (shown in the photo)
has been named as a finalist in the
Individual category of the Hometown
Heroes Award Program through Earth Day
Canada.
the Friends of the Bayfield River led to pro-
jects in the headwaters of the Bayfield River.
In 2004, Letheren led the work to publish
and distribute a 16 -page newspaper insert
about the Bayfield River. In 2006, he helped
to develop the Lakeshore Resident's Stew-
ardship Manual. This homeowner's envi-
ronmental evaluation guide was modeled
after the Environmental Farm Plan. The
homeowner's guide idea has been
embraced by Lake Simcoe and Parry
Sound cottage and seasonal resident
groups that are delivering a similar guide.
Letheren has written an environmental col-
umn, since 2008, which has appeared in
local newspapers. In 2014, he founded the
Bayfield Blue Community Project with 30
groups committed to reducing plastic
consumption.
The Friends of the Bayfield River chair-
man led the project to create health ben-
efits and water quality education at Ban-
nockbum Conservation Area through the
Bannockburn Walk a Mile Project. The
community group received funding from
a number of partners including the
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long -
Term Care. The project included a new,
professionally -narrated audio tour of the
area, nature interpretation signs, pedom-
eters to track trail use, and more. The
group has improved trails and restored
streams in the Bayfield River. Letheren
and the Friends of the Bayfield River have
also partnered with the Bayfield River
Valley Trails Association on projects to
plant trees, educate about water quality,
and expand community access to trails
with interpretive signage. The award
finalist is Past Chair of the Green Com-
mittee at the Alexandra Marine and Gen-
eral Hospital in Goderich. He is also a
past board member of the TD Canada
Trust Environmental Fund.
The award finalist said the national rec-
ognition from Earth Day Canada can help
to encourage other Canadian communities
"to join us in speaking for protection of our
water:' He hopes it will also help to inspire
local community leaders to consider the
concept of sustainability in each decision
they make.
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