Features

Watershed leadersapplaud GRCA record

75th Anniversary

Acclaim raisedawareness 2

Milestones

Celebrating 20 yearsof tailwater fishery 4

Grand ranks twotop fishing spots 4

Friends of Mill Creekcelebrate 10 years 5

What's Happening

Water Forum to focuson Grand-Erie links 6

Half way througha Grand year 6

Rotary gift supportsSnyder’s Flats project 7

Now available

Brochure highlightstop birding trails 8

Calendar 8

Grand RiverConservation

Authority

The Grand:A Canadian

Heritage River

By Michael-Allan MarionBrantford Expositor

Grand River Conservation Authority officialsbasked in the glow of accolades during a

ceremony in Brantford on May 28 marking the75th anniversary of the agency’s founding in1934.

With a panoramic view of the heritage riverand its green watershed shimmering in a mistyrain outside the large windows of the BrantfordGolf and Country Club, a succession of digni-taries lauded the organization.

They said the GRCA has donemuch to turn an “open sewer” into avibrant stream re-enriched withmarine life, supported by a resurgentecosystem and a system of conserva-tion areas and protected lands.

They had come to mark the occa-sion in Brantford, the site of the firstmeeting in May 1934 of the agency’s

forerunner: the Grand River ConservationCommission — a gathering of officials from allover the Grand Valley to form an organizationthat would co-operate with municipalities tomanage the watershed.

It later became the model for a system of con-servation authorities established by the Ontariogovernment in 1946 to manage watersheds acrossthe province.

“Your history is really a history of firsts,”Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield tolda gathering of about 100 authority board mem-

bers, staff and dignitaries from the fulllength of the Grand River watershed.

She rhymed off a history of “firsts”over the years, from writing the firstfisheries management plan to pioneer-ing computerized monitoring andinformation-gathering programs thatwere later emulated or copied by otherauthorities.

“The GRCA really has been a

Watershed leaders applaudGRCA’s 75-year record

The Grand River Watershed Newsletter Volume 15, Number 4 - July/August 2009

Ontario Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield poses with current and former chairs and topstaff members of the GRCA. They are: Alan Dale (left), present chair ; Peter Krause, chair, 1998-2006 ; James Bauer, chair, 1966-1990 ; Mac Coutts, general manager, 1953-1992 ; Alan Holmes,CAO, 1991-2000 ; and Paul Emerson, present CAO.

model for other agencies,” saidCansfield. “My ministry can’t do itswork without you.”

Sometimes the ministry and theauthority have differences in approach,“but our goal is the same,” she said. “Wecan and we must protect this goodearth.”

Brant County Mayor Ron Eddy saidhe has noticed “tremendous improve-ments” in the health of the watershedfrom the authority’s work over morethan several decades.

“We have a much more verdant val-ley,” he said, noting there are far morefish in cleaner steams again, more birdlife, and thousands of reforested acres.

“We’re getting closer to the originalvalley,” said Eddy.

Change in attitudeBut the biggest change, he said, has

been in the attitude of people who livein communities along the Grand and thewider watershed.

“They love the river again. Peopleused to say, ‘Stay away from the river.’Now they feel the valley is theirs to pro-tect.”

Brantford Mayor Mike Hancockpraised the authority’s ability to managereliably the Grand’s water supplythrough a system of dams and reservoirs,and programs that have made the streamcleaner.

Those are important to Brantford, hesaid, because the city takes all its drink-ing water from the river.

“There is nothing more important to acity than its water supply,” he said. Amunicipality can cope with other emer-gencies like power failures and devastat-ing storms, “but a lack of water will shutdown a city quickly.”

Sometimes there has been some “tur-bulence” in relations, he said, referringobliquely to the city’s current concernover sewage spills and discharges intothe Grand by upstream municipalities.But generally the relationship has beenrewarding.

“The Grand has gone from being an

open sewer to a healthy stream,” GRCAchairman Alan Dale told the gathering,in a presentation in which he alsorecounted the creation of the Belwoodnursery and the organization’s ability toplant millions of trees throughout theterritory.

Vic Prendergast, a board member

from Brantford and second vice-chair-man, said a main ingredient in theGRCA’s success is maintaining andenhancing a good partnership role withmember municipalities.

Reprinted with permission of TheBrantford Expositor.

But attitudes changed in the 1990swhen the river started to be noticed onnational and international stages.

The breakthrough came in 1994,when the Grand River system was desig-nated as a Canadian Heritage River. Ithad taken five years to collect the infor-mation to support the designation, so itwas a big achievement.

This is part of a series of articlesabout the history of the GRCA and itsmany programs. These are being fea-tured in Grand Actions during 2009 tocommemorate the 75th anniversary ofthe GRCA’s founding organization.

By Janet BaineGRCA Communications Specialist

Sixty years after the 1934 founding ofthe Grand River Conservation

Commission, there were still a lot ofpeople in the watershed with a low opin-ion of the Grand River.

Share the resources - Share the responsibility2

National, internationalattention raised awarenessof watershed improvements

The designation of the Grand River system as a Canadian Heritage River 15 yearsago was marked with a ceremony in Cambridge.

75th ANNIVERSARY

Recreational Fisheries Award from thefederal Minister of Fisheries andOceans.

“Not all watersheds in Canada can dothis, because the trust and willingness towork together is not always as wellunderstood. We are fortunate to havebuilt these partnerships over many years.That is the future,” said Warren Yerex,supervisor of aquatic resources.

Another innovative GRCA programstarted in 1998 — the Rural WaterQuality Program. It provides financialsupport and advice to farmers undertak-ing projects to protect water quality.They put up fences to keep livestock outof the rivers, plant vegetation and treesnear waterways and construct manurestorage facilities. In 2006, the programreceived an award for outstanding part-nership with business from theFoundation for Rural Living, a provin-cial organization.

In May 2000, the GRCA submitted anapplication for a new international awardand that fall it became just the secondwinner of the prestigious InternationalThiess Riverprize, which is awarded bythe International Riverfoundation inBrisbane, Australia.

The GRCA received the award onbehalf of itself and its municipal part-ners. The Grand is the only Canadian

river to have received this recognition.“Ours is a story of the recovery of the

Grand River from years of degradationand industrialization and how we areworking together to keep it healthy forfuture generations,” the Riverprize nom-ination said.

The Riverprize came with $100,000Australian dollars in prize money. Nowthat money supports the CommunityConservation Grant program which pro-vides grants to community and schoolgroups for environmental projects.

Winning the award also led to agreater international role for the GRCAin provincial, national and internationalcircles.

The GRCA won the prize the sameyear seven people died in Walkertonafter drinking contaminated water.Justice Dennis O’Connor, who headedup the Walkerton Inquiry, heard aboutthe GRCA’s International Riverprize andasked the GRCA to participate in thehearings.

“The Grand River ConservationAuthority has received global recogni-tion for its efforts in watershed planning,and I suggest that its model, combinedwith the model provided in the 1993watershed planning framework, may bea good starting point” for source protec-tion planning, O’Connor said in Part 2of the Walkerton Report.

The International Riverfoundationalso funded a twinning program betweenthe GRCA and the San Roque watershedin Argentina. Regular exchange visitshave paid dividends for both sides of thearrangement.

“You have played a unique role as acatalyst, facilitator, technical advisor andhonest broker,” Andrew HamiltonJoseph of Los Algarrobos told theGRCA board when he visited in April.“We have used your credibility as aninternationally recognized watershedmanagement expert to impress upon ourcommunities and our decision makersthe need to work together to improve ourwatersheds.”

GRAND ACTIONS • July/August 2009 3

It was even more notable that theGrand was the first Canadian river in aheavily populated area to be nominatedfor heritage status. Most of the otherheritage rivers were in remote, pristineenvironments.

Impressions changedThe designation changed the popular

impression of the Grand. People whothought of the river as a dirty, smellyplace to avoid started to look at it in anew way, said Barb Veale, co-ordinatorof policy, planning and partnerships withthe GRCA.

“This designation made peopleunderstand that the water quality andrecreational opportunities had dramati-cally improved,” said Veale.Recreational groups, municipalities andorganizations were bolstered by the des-ignation and stepped up the flurry ofriver improvements that were alreadyunderway.

By 1998, the Grand became Ontario’sfirst watershed to have a fisheries man-agement plan, thanks to a partnership ofcommunity and fishing organizationscalled the Grand River FisheriesManagement Plan ImplementationCommittee. This has led to improvedfishing and river access. In fact, thisMay the committee received the

The GRCA’s Rural Water Quality Program, which promotes fence building alongstreams, has been recognized by the Foundation for Rural Living.

GRCA, Trout Unlimited, Hamilton AreaFly Fishers and Tyers, KW Flyfishers,and Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club.

The real benefit of the program ishow it has raised the profile of the riverwithin the community, resulting inimprovements to water quality, and theprotection of the river and its ecosystem.“People are more interested in protectingthe river when they have an interest init,” said Ian Hagman, District Manager,Ministry of Natural Resources.

Over the past 20 years, more than500,000 fish have been stocked in theriver and the resulting fishery, in combi-nation with the picturesque surrounding,has received international recognition asa “world class fishery.” In addition, aneconomic study has estimated that thefishery has generated a million dollarbenefit to the local economy.

es or bigger,” it continued.The article touts the variety of fish

species in the Grand River, includingrainbow trout, a few warm water fishand steelhead in Caledonia.

Whiteman’s Creek, which enters theGrand River between Paris andBrantford, “is a more intimate, lessfished tributary of the Grand Riverwhich flows cold enough to supportnative brown, rainbow and migratorysteelhead,” the article says.

The Grand River and Whiteman’sCreek beat out Algonquin Park whichwas third, followed by Forks of theCredit, Sault St. Marie, the NiagaraRiver, Maitland River, Aurora TroutLakes, Big Head River and the Ottawa-Rideau River.

The decision about the top ten was

Magazine ranksGrand, Whiteman’sas top fishing spots

Local anglers only need to go as faras the Grand River to experience the

best fly fishing in the province.The February-April 2009 issue of

Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine gives theGrand River the top spot in an articlecalled Ontario’s Top Ten do-it-yourselffly fishing destinations. Whiteman’sCreek is in the second spot.

The magazine article says “no officialOntario Top 10 list would be completewithout the Grand River — a true blue-ribbon tailwater fishery.”

“Watershed protection and restorationefforts have created a superb habitatwith plenty of eight to 16 inch browntrout and specimens as large as 26 inch-

Share the resources - Share the responsibility4

By Ken CornelisseMinistry of Natural Resources

An innovative program that has madethe Grand River one of the best

trout fishing rivers in Ontario recentlycelebrated its 20th anniversary.

On May 12, representatives of theorganizations that have managed thebrown trout stocking program gottogether at Belwood Lake ConservationArea to mark the anniversary.Representatives of the Ministry ofNatural Resources, GRCA, Friends ofthe Grand and Trout Unlimited Canadacame together at the Belwood LakeConservation Area. As part of the event,they helped put several buckets full ofbrown trout into the Grand.

Each year, the MNR provides about24,000 brown trout from the provincialhatcheries for stocking the Grand Rivertailwater fishery. The fishery extendsfrom the Shand Dam at Lake Belwood,through the communities of Fergus andElora, to the Highway 86 bridge at WestMontrose, a distance of about 28 km.

The Shand Dam was completed in1942 to help protect against downstreamflooding. Water stored in the reservoir isreleased gradually during the warmmonths to maintain flows in the river.The area downstream of the dam isknown as the “tailwater.”

The deeper waters of the reservoirremain cool, even during the heat ofsummer. The addition of the cool waterto the river creates a habitat suitable forbrown trout.

The original team of enthusiasts thatpursued the creation of the tailwaterfishery included Jack Imhof and LarryHalyk of the ministry, Warren Yerex ofthe GRCA and the late Walt Crawford ofTrout Unlimited. Later, the volunteergroup Friends of the Grand was formedand its members have been helping tostock the fish annually along with the

Celebrating 20 yearsof the tailwater fishery

Art Timmerman of the Ministry ofNatural Resources moves fish into atruck transfer tank

MILESTONES

Friends of Mill Creek are celebrating10 successful years that have seen

people who could be adversaries setaside their differences in order to worktogether for the benefit of Mill Creek.

The group will celebrate its 10thanniversary on Thursday, Aug. 13 atShades’ Mills Conservation Area. Theevent will include demonstrations ofbenthic sampling, to check the health ofthe watercourse based on the bugs thatlive there, and electro-fishing at 3:30p.m. followed by a barbeque and presen-tations.

“This project has so many facets to itthat it has many benefits to the environ-ment. It is pretty exciting,” said BradWhitcombe, Mayor of PuslinchTownship. He was instrumental in form-ing this group and continues to help itsucceed.

Landowners, politicians, young peo-ple, local industrialists and environmen-talists have all volunteered their timeand effort for the benefit of this spring-fed cold water stream that runs throughPuslinch Township and the City ofCambridge where it joins the GrandRiver.

GRAND ACTIONS • July/August 2009 5

based on accessibility, the quality of thefishery and access to accommodation,fishing information and sustainability,said Nick Pujic, the managing editor ofthe magazine. He says there are manygroups maintaining the Grand River andit is one of the only fisheries that isimproving in quality.

“This is testament to the incrediblework that has been done on these riversover many years,” said Alan Dale, chairof the Grand River ConservationAuthority. “It’s yet another sign that thededication of the Grand River FisheriesImplementation Committee has reallypaid off.”

The committee is co-chaired by theGRCA and the Ministry of NaturalResources. It created Ontario’s firstwatershed-wide fisheries managementplan in 1998 thanks to input and dedica-tion of a dozen community groups.Earlier in May, the committee memberswent to Parliament Hill to receive aNational Recreational Fisheries Award.

“Sometimes it takes national recogni-tion, such as the fisheries award and thetop two spots in a national publication,for people to realize how successfulthese efforts have been,” Dale said.“When we live here, we lose sight ofthese successes, especially when thepopulation and the demands on the localrivers keep growing.

Even though the committee membersmay, to an outsider, appear to have con-flicting interests, they have been able towork together for the benefit of thecreek.

“This program has been incrediblysuccessful and it is a model for othercommunities to follow,” says WarrenYerex, aquatics supervisor with theGRCA.

There are many factors that have ledthe natural areas near the stream to dete-riorate over the years, since the commu-nity has developed quickly and the creekhasn’t recovered from construction ofHighway 401 in the 1960s.

Despite these challenges, Mill Creekhas many positive environmental fea-tures that are being brought back to lifeby the commitment of people.

“The concerned community is reallypulling together,” says Robert Messier,who works with landowners and thegroup members and continues to beimpressed with the energy that peopleput into environmental improvements.

Since 1998, many landowners haveworked to improve the water quality ofthe creek by fencing off the livestock sothey can’t get near the river, plantingtrees and putting in vegetation along thestreambanks.

Each summer since 2003, local 17-year-olds have been hired as Mill CreekRangers to undertake stream rehabilita-tion projects along the creek, often onprivate land.

“It has been a great benefit not onlyto the stream, but also to the young peo-ple. For many, it is their first opportunityto get environmental experience and thislikely influences their career choice,”Whitcombe says.

Teens are paid through financialdonations from the community. It isdonors who have really jumped on boardfrom the local community to ensure thatthis program happens each year.

Friends of Mill Creek markdecade of improvement

Students prepare a new channel for Mill Creek as part of the restoration work led bythe Friends of Mill Creek.

Share the resources - Share the responsibility6

The link between the Great Lakes andthe rivers that flow into them will be

the subject of presentations at the NinthAnnual Grand River Watershed WaterForum on Sept. 18 in Cambridge.

“Great Lakes ~ Great Links: A GrandConnection” will allow for an exchangeof ideas about the relationship betweenthe Great Lakes and their tributaries.

The morning program will focus onthe issues facing the Great Lakes andtheir impact on the watershed. The after-noon session will focus on the watershed

Water Forum to focus on linkbetween Grand and Lake Erie

response to the Great Lakes concernsand innovative solutions.

The annual event, which attractsabout 400 participants, takes place at thehead office of the Grand RiverConservation Authority, 400 Clyde Rd.Cambridge from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Registration for the event is open to thepublic. Details about the program,speakers and registration (including anonline registration process) can be foundin the Water Forum section of theGRCA website at www.grandriver.ca

The registration fee of $100, or $55for students and seniors, includes lunch.

Keynote speakers include:• Peter Annin, a veteran conflict and

environmental journalist who publishedhis first book, The Great Lakes WaterWars, in 2006. This has been called thedefinitive work on the Great Lakeswater diversion controversy.

• Jim Vollmershasen, EnvironmentCanada’s senior manager in Ontario andco-chair of the Great Lakes Bi-nationalExecutive Committee, who will speakabout setting priorities to restore andmaintain the Great Lakes ecosystem.

• Dr. Gail Krantzberg, a professorand director at the McMaster Centre forEngineering and Public Policy.

• Dr. Bruce Mitchell, associateprovost at the University of Waterloo,who researches policy and governanceaspects of water management

• Dwight Boyd, Sandra Cooke andWarren Yerex, senior GRCA staff mem-bers will speak about the Grand-ErieConnection.

• Paul Emerson, CAO of the GRCAwho will present his annual WatershedReport on the Grand River watershed

• Gord Miller, environmental com-missioner of Ontario, will provide awrap-up of the day’s presentations.

Moderator for the morning sessionwill be Mike Farwell, managing editorof News 570 radio station. Afternoonmoderator is Lynn Haddrall, editor-in-chief of the Waterloo Region Record.

Halfwaythrough aGrand yearBy David BebeeWaterloo Region Record

Having spent six months workingon this daily photo blog “A Year

on the Grand,” I have an even greaterappreciation for the Grand River andits stewards.

Making almost daily trips down tothe water has given me so much moreof an education about the flora andfauna that populate the banks andwaters. I am also amazed at howmuch the river can change in a 24hour period. A couple of examples ofthe ever changing ecosystem are the

formation of ice during a cold snap tothe opening of fiddle heads into ferns.

The contrasts of winter to the gen-tler season of spring have amazed meas well. The water becomes so power-ful after freezing that it knocked downlarge trees which were then pusheddown stream. Yet after the spring thawin some places it couldn’t be gentler.

I am also impressed with the pas-sionate readers and grand enthusiastswho have written to us or I havetalked to on trails or at the river’sedge. There are a lot of concernedpeople and strong supporters of theGrand River in this watershed.

Check out the Year on the Grandphotoblog online by David Bebee andMathew McCarthy at www.therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand.

Mathew McCarthy’s photo for the Waterloo Region Record shows Tim Kuntz,(left) and Nikki Thackeray of the GRCA taking water quality measurements.

WHAT’SHAPPENING?

GRAND ACTIONS • July/August 2009 7

By Marc Miquel HelsenWoolwich Observer

In the 1980s it was a gravel pit. Now,more than 20 years later, the 200-odd

acres of land at the end of Snyder’s FlatsRoad in Bloomingdale form part of adiverse natural landscape that serves as apublicly-accessible natural space.

The Grand River ConservationAuthority, which owns the Snyder’sFlats Rotary Forest, officially launchedthe opening of the park on May 29.

Representatives of the Kitchener-Conestoga Rotary Club presented theGrand River Conservation Foundation acheque for $182,000, part of the pro-ceeds of the club’s 2008 Dream Homelottery.

The money will be used to plant56,000 native trees and shrubs to restoreforests and grasslands, build the RotaryWalk trail and install interpretive sig-nage. Additional support for the RotaryForest was provided by the GoodFoundation Inc., in memory of Milton R.Good, and the Trees Ontario Foundation.

The 240-acre property is nestled in abend in the Grand River, which flanksthe property on the north, west andsouthern sides.

Gravel was extracted between 1979and 1987. The agreement between theaggregate company – which ownedproperty adjacent to the lot and whichexploited the GRCA land – and the con-servation authority contained rigorousguidelines and regulations for a rehabili-tation process that began even whileaggregate was being removed.

A lengthy process, the rehabilitationextended over two phases, the first ofwhich began simultaneous to the extrac-tion: as gravel was drawn, topsoil rippedfrom new cells was placed on top ofgraded areas in which extraction wasalready completed. That allowed forrehabilitation to begin even as work con-tinued.

The second phase, which occurred

when the final grades had beenachieved, saw a “fair bit of tree plantingat that time, especially around the northpond” explained Martin Neumann,supervisor of terrestrial resources for theGRCA.

“Most of the restoration or rehabilita-tion was the shaping of the terrestrialand aquatic components of the land-scape. A fair bit of tree planting aroundthe north pond,” he said. The plot ofland now holds two ponds and a flood-plain pool.

Some bio-engineering work was con-ducted around the outlet to the flood-plain pool and then the Rotary Forestinitiative kicked off this spring, formingpart of a more intensive habitat restora-tion initiative.

The work is far from done, however.Not surprisingly, some of the plant

life that took root at the former pit did souninvited. Now, the GRCA is looking todeal with those invasive species.

“Some of the things coming in natu-rally are not native plants and in factsome of them, if left to their owndevices, might take the place over, so,we want to make sure that we’re favour-ing the native species in our restoration

and our plant management.”Some of the plants causing concern

are the European buckthorn, Manitobamaple and garlic mustard.

“These three species are three of thebiggest problems in terms of invasiveexotic species that we have regionally,and the Manitoba maple and garlic mus-tard are especially prevalent in flood-plain areas,” said Neumann.

As the plants and trees flourish, sotoo will the wild animals that make thelocale their home. While the area is per-haps too small to attract rare endangeredspecies, it already is home to severalnative species including osprey, deer,foxes, coyotes, woodchucks, beaver,muskrats, snapping and painted turtlesand several fish.

The oxbow floodplain pool is con-nected to the river and during flood con-ditions water flows over the property –at least two of the three ponds are con-nected to the river in flood conditions –the source of the area’s aquatic species,said Neumann, noting that none of thecurrent animal inhabitants were intro-duced by GRCA.

Reprinted with permission of TheWoolwich Observer.

Rotary gift supports Snyder’s Flats project

Participating in the ribbon cutting at the launch of the Snyder’s Flats Rotary Forestproject were Mike Klein, chair of the 2008 Rotary Dream Home Lottery (left); DavidHales, president of the Grand River Conservation Foundation; Ian Murdoch, mem-ber of the foundation board and the Kitchener-Conestoga Rotary Club; and TonyDenison, President of the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club.

Share the resources - Share the responsibility8

New brochure andwebsite highlighttop birding trails

The Grand River watershed has anamazing variety of hiking and

cycling trails, used by thousands of resi-dents and visitors in all four seasons.

Avid birders knowthat these trails are alsogreat places to discoverthe more than 290species of birds thateither nest along theGrand or pass throughduring spring and fallmigration.

To help novice hik-ers and birders discoverthe trails this summer,the Grand RiverCountry tourism alliance has just com-

pleted its exciting “Trails Take Flight”brochure and accompanying website.They will introduce you to 20 of the bestbirding trails in the Grand RiverWatershed.

Information on the trails and birdspecies to be seen were scouted by theGuelph Field Naturalists, and the web-site was developed with a grant from the

Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion.The website features interactive trail

maps, and includes descriptive text andphotos about each trail and the birds youmay find there.

To discover your favourite birdingtrails this summer, check them outonline at www.grandrivercountry.com/trails

About Grand ActionsThis newsletter is produced bi-month-

ly by the Grand River ConservationAuthority. Current and back issues areavailable online at: www.grandriver.ca.For newsletter submissions and e-mailor post subscriptions, contact:

Janet Baine, GRCAPhone: 519-621-2763, Ext. 2302E-mail: jbaine@grandriver.caDeadlines for submissions are the

15th of February, April, June, August,October and December. Submissionsmay be edited for length or style.

Tax deductible donations and spon-sorships toward the cost of producingthis newsletter are always welcome.

NOW AVAILABLE

The Grand Calendar

10th Anniversary Celebration for Friends of Mill Creek, Thursday Aug.13 at Shades’ Mills Conservation Area, 3:30 p.m. This event includes demon-strations of benthic sampling, to check the health of the watercourse based onthe bugs that live there, and electro-fishing at 3:30 p.m. followed by a barbequeand presentations. See story page 5.

Family hike, Rockwood Conservation Area, Rockwood, Saturday, Sept.12, 9:45 a.m. Meet at the food concession shelter at 9:45 a.m. for 10:00 a.m.start. The program is free with park admission.

Great Lakes ~ Great Links: A Grand Connection, the 9th Annual GrandRiver Watershed Water Forum, GRCA, 400 Clyde Rd., Cambridge, Friday,Sept. 18th, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This year’s forum will explore the impact of theGreat Lakes on watersheds and how innovation and change can positively affectwatershed health in the Grand River watershed. See story page 6.

Doors Open Waterloo, Laurel Creek Nature Centre, Saturday, Sept. 19.10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided hikes and programs for kids in conjunction with theannual Doors Open Waterloo event. This was the GRCA's first purpose-builtnature centre and it received a green roof in 2008. It achieved silver ranking inthe provincial Eco-Schools program. Over 15,000 students and members of thepublic participate annually in the centre's environmental education programs.For a complete listing of free events, visit www.region.waterloo.on.ca/door-sopen or call 519-747-5139.

Best of the Grand hike, Brantford-Paris Loop, 10 a.m. , Saturday, Sept.19, 10 a.m. Meet on the east side of the Grand River at the end of PowerlineRoad, Brantford for a 10:00 a.m. start. This loop hike includes the scenic GrandValley Trail (GVT) and parts of the SC Johnson Rail Trail.

The Grand River Biothon, Pinehurst Conservation Area, Sept 21 1:30p.m. to 4 p.m. Over 24 hours, teams search to discover and record as many dif-ferent living things as possible to raise money to support outdoor education.Sunday features the public portion of this event, with many family activities.Funds are for environmental programs at the nature centres. People can sponsorthe biothon, come during the public participation time or join a team. For moreinformation contact Apps Mill Nature Centre, at 519-752-0655.

Note: A complete listing of events in the GRCA’s conservation areas andnature centres is available on www.grandriver.ca in the Calendar section. Thisincludes events planned for the GRCA’s 75th anniversary.