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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-01-28, Page 7Wednesday, January 28, 2015 • News Record 7 World Wetlands Day 2015 encourages youth awareness Healthy Headwaters Wetlands Initiative works to improve local water quality, quantity and habitat for healthier future This February 2, 2015 is World Wetlands Day. The theme this year is Wetlands for our Future. The key role of wetlands in our future is a reason this year's event has a focus on youths ages 15 to 24. The theme focuses on the need for wetlands for future water quality and water quantity. Wetlands filter water and provide habitat for many species, according to Angela VanNiekerk, Wetland Special- ist with Ausable Bayfield Con- servation. "Wetlands can slow water down," she said. "This allows for sediment and nutri- ents to settle. That improves water quality before it reaches our rivers and lakes." Wetlands help reduce flood- ing and erosion and filter and purify pollutants from water runoff. Wetlands are also important areas to recharge groundwater supplies. World Wetlands Day organizers have launched a photo contest. Organizers invite anyone between the ages of 15 and 24 to snap a photo of their favourite wet- land. You may submit the photo to worldwetlandsday. org between February 2 and March 2, 2015 for a chance to win. (You are reminded to stay away from thin ice and high water which are unsafe, especially at this time of year. Call Ausable Bayfield Conser- vation at 519-235-2610 or toll- free 1-888-286-2610 for sites of public wetlands near you.). The Healthy Headwaters Wetlands Initiative (HHWI) is a local wetlands partnership. Ausable Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority (ABCA) is lead- ing this partnership along with local groups such as Middlesex Stewardship Council, Huron Stewardship Council, and Ducks Unlim- ited Canada. Environment Canada's National Wetlands Conservation Fund and other agencies provide funding support. This funding makes it possible to help landowners preserve, restore, or enhance natural features on their own properties. Healthy Headwa- ters provides landowners with technical expertise and finan- cial incentives. This allows local people to complete suc- cessful wetland projects. Environment Canada's National Wetlands Conser- vation Fund has provided funding support to the Healthy Headwaters Wet- lands Initiative for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. The funds are to be distrib- uted throughout the various wetlands projects in the sur- rounding area. This is to help local landowners to cover some of the financial costs associated with the restora- tion or enhancement of degraded or lost wetlands on their properties. There are varied projects available to landowners. If you are interested in a site visit, please contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation. For information on this, and other programs, phone the ABCA at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or visit abca.on.ca. Type 'wet- lands' into the search box at the top of the home page and then press 'Search.' This will show you the location of the wetlands page. ABCA calls for nominations for Conservationist of the Year award Local conservation authority honours jpwatershed person, farm, business, or group with award for their work to protect soil, water, and living things Ausable Bayfield Conser- vation invites you to nomi- nate a person, business, farm, or organization for the Con- servationist of the Year Award to be presented in March of 2015. The nomination dead- line is January 31, 2015. "This award is a way for us to make special mention of an exceptional person, business, or group that has been doing good work for several years for the benefit of soil, water, and living things in the water- shed," said Brian Horner, General Manager and Secre- tary Treasurer of Ausable Bay- field Conservation. Examples of this kind of work include conservation -related educa- tion or projects that protect or improve water quality and habitat for species. Ausable Bayfield Conser- vation Authority (ABCA) pre- sents the award each year at the annual conservation awards evening in March. The local conservation authority has presented the award since 1984. Past winners of the Conser- vationist of the Year Award include individuals, farms, service clubs, community organizations, companies, nature groups, and munici- palities. Each award winner is a business, organization, or person residing in the water- shed or having done conser- vation work there. The Conservationist of the Year receives a framed limited -edition conserva- tion print as a prize and the conservation authority also makes a donation towards a tree and plaque at a Com- memorative Woods site maintained by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation. The nomination form and award guidelines are Draft Huron County Food Charter now available for community review CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 6 Amy MacDonald, Regis- tered Dietician with Huron County Health Unit and HFAN Director shared her enthusiasm: "HFAN is excited that we have reached this place in our Food Char- ter development process. In Huron County there has been much success in vari- ous areas of food system development but the charter becomes a framework where we can connect those efforts and build support for further work." Joan Brady of Sus- tainable Futures Farm and Food Consulting added, "a food charter is written by the community to build and protect community strengths and I look forward to this part of the Food Charter development process where we engage the public and ask them to comment on whether we have reflected their values properly': A full copy of the Draft Charter is available from Joan Brady at jbrady@hay. huronfoodactionnet- net or Amy MacDonald at work@gmail.com. All comments are welcome. Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING The 139th Annual Meeting of the Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company will be held at the Kirkton-Woodham Community Centre at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2015 for the presentation of the Annual Report, to elect Directors and to transact any business that may rightly come before the meeting. Nominations will be received for the election of two Directors for a three year term. The Directors whose term of office expires are Jack Hodgert and Larry Gardiner. Jack Hodgert will stand for re-election. Larry Gardiner is retiring from the Board after serving for 26 years as a Director. Article 22: Any person wishing to seek election or re-election as a Director must file his/her intention to stand for election in writing with the President & CEO of the Corporation in person at least thirty days in advance of the Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting called for the purpose of electing Directors. The 2014 Financial Statements for Usborne & Hibbert Mutual will be posted to the company's web site. Copies will be available at the company office, 507 Main Street South, Exeter, Ontario. Tom Feeney Shelagh Cleary BA, FCIP Chair President & CEO available on the Ausable Bayfield Conservation web- site at abca.on.ca. Simply type in 'award' in the search box at the top of the home page and then press 'Search' to find the page. A winner of the award is a person, group, or organization that puts positive conservation principles into action. Current Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff and directors are not eligi- ble for the award. Call 519-235-2610 or toll- free 1-888-286-2610 or email communications@ abca.on.ca if you would like more information about the award. Notice Province of Ontario has approved local Source Protection Plans and Updated Assessment Reports for Maitland Valley, Ausable Bayfield Source Protection Areas The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee is pleased to announce positive steps forward that will reduce risk to your municipal drinking water sources. The Province of Ontario has approved Updated Assessment Reports and locally developed Source Protection Plans. Plans were approved on January 19, 2015. The date they take effect is April 1, 2015. You are invited to inspect these documents online at: www.sourcewaterinfo.on.ca or during business hours at one of these locations: Maitland Valley Conservation Authority 1093 Marietta Street, Wroxeter, Ontario 519-335-3557 Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority 71 108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, Ontario 519-235-2610 If you are located close to a municipal well and would like to learn if Plan policies apply to you, or how you can protect local drinking water sources, call toll-free 1-888-286-2610. For more information on the approved Source Protection Plan and the policies that will apply to drinking water threat activities, you are also invited to attend one of these open houses: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 - REACH Centre, Clinton, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - North Huron Wescast Community Complex, Wingham, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thank you for all you do to protect drinking water and public health. Ausable Bayfield DRINKING WATER Maitland Valley SOURCE PROTECTION Source Protection ACT FOR CLEAN WATER Region Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Region, do ABCA, 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, ON NOM 155 519-235-2610. 1-888-286-2610 • info@sourcewaterinfo.on.ca • sourcewaterinfo.on.ca Date of Notice: January22, 2015 Made possible with funding support from the Province of Ontario