An issues meeting took place at the home of Elisabeth Evans on Tuesday, January 23rd.
The first presenter was Ami Gopal, director of Development at WATER FIRST, Canada’s leading NGO dedicated to resolving First Nations water challenges. She spoke about how her organization addresses boil water advisories and environmental water challenges in Indigenous communities through training, education and meaningful collaboration.
Their projects include:
The second presenter was Joan Barrett
THE UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE FRONTENAC ARCH (2002) and RIDEAU CANAL UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE (2007) - Report from Joan Barrett
Canada has 18 designated UNESCO Biosphere reserves. The southern border of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve extends along the shore of the St. Lawrence River from Brockville to Gananoque including the Canadian Islands. To the north it reaches through forest, farm land and small villages to the Rideau Canal. In 2007 the Rideau Canal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site which greatly extended the original boundaries of the Reserve. There are only a handful places in the world with such a double designation.
Five people made up the volunteer committee preparing the application to UNESCO in 2002. As chair of the township’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee I wrote the heritage section. An attempt was made to include the participation of the natives of the St. Lawrence - the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee - but had no success. We acknowledged their presence as First People. The other woman researcher wrote about economic opportunities spending her time encouraging embryonic businesses and farmers to support the Reserve’s concept. One of the authors was an expert on biodiversity, and the current Parks Canada Superintendent and his predecessor prepared the scientific and environmental aspects of the proposed lands. I did one of the major edits before we forwarded the application to Ottawa.
VISION STATEMENT :
The FRONTENAC ARCH will be known as a champion for world-class sustainable community development that celebrates nature, livelihood, wellbeing and culture and forges a better way of living and growing together.
The first presenter was Ami Gopal, director of Development at WATER FIRST, Canada’s leading NGO dedicated to resolving First Nations water challenges. She spoke about how her organization addresses boil water advisories and environmental water challenges in Indigenous communities through training, education and meaningful collaboration.
Their projects include:
- A 16-month paid internship for Indigenous people on Manitoulin Island, covering the basics of water treatment and water monitoring.
- Environmental Restoration: Collaborative initiatives with First Nations communities to restore the health of watersheds.
- Water Quality Studies where Indigenous youth are trained to take water samples at sites of importance determined by the community.
- Gush Workshops, which are fun-science driven workshops introducing Grade 7 and 8 students in Ontario to the water challenges faced by their Indigenous peers.
The second presenter was Joan Barrett
THE UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE FRONTENAC ARCH (2002) and RIDEAU CANAL UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE (2007) - Report from Joan Barrett
Canada has 18 designated UNESCO Biosphere reserves. The southern border of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve extends along the shore of the St. Lawrence River from Brockville to Gananoque including the Canadian Islands. To the north it reaches through forest, farm land and small villages to the Rideau Canal. In 2007 the Rideau Canal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site which greatly extended the original boundaries of the Reserve. There are only a handful places in the world with such a double designation.
Five people made up the volunteer committee preparing the application to UNESCO in 2002. As chair of the township’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee I wrote the heritage section. An attempt was made to include the participation of the natives of the St. Lawrence - the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee - but had no success. We acknowledged their presence as First People. The other woman researcher wrote about economic opportunities spending her time encouraging embryonic businesses and farmers to support the Reserve’s concept. One of the authors was an expert on biodiversity, and the current Parks Canada Superintendent and his predecessor prepared the scientific and environmental aspects of the proposed lands. I did one of the major edits before we forwarded the application to Ottawa.
VISION STATEMENT :
The FRONTENAC ARCH will be known as a champion for world-class sustainable community development that celebrates nature, livelihood, wellbeing and culture and forges a better way of living and growing together.
