Dear Minister Phillips, The…

Dear Minister Phillips,
The Girl Guides of Canada have a strong history of collaborating with South Nation Conservation (SNC) to provide outdoor opportunities and stewardship projects for Girl Guides that supplement SNC’s environmental mandate.
This includes partnering with SNC to:
• Deliver hands-on educational programs that supplement the Girl Guides Canada Program;
• Incorporate Girl Guides activities at local stewardship project sites;
• Include First Nations traditional knowledge in Girl Guides activities;
• Host local Girl Guides groups at Conservation Areas;
• Provide opportunities for Girl Guides to receive activity crests.
SNC has and continues to provide significant value to the local communities it serves through the following core services:
• Fostering Landowner Stewardship – plant trees, manage community lands, offer resources, work with partners on important water quality improvement projects.
• Protecting People and Property – Map and regulate floodplains and natural hazards, work closely with municipalities, residents and build community to support sustainable development, deliver flood forecasting programs and protect drinking water sources.
• Providing Natural Spaces and Recreational Opportunities – own and manage over 20,000 acres of public natural spaces.
Making Science-Based Decisions – collect water, stream, fisheries, forestry and
wetland data to support stewardship programs and guide sustainable
development.
• Empowering Communities and Youth – Partner with schools and communities
to deliver on-the-ground stewardship work and environmental education.
SNC’s working relationship with Girl Guides is a testament to their boots-on-the-ground
approach to working directly with local partners, stakeholders and residents in a
meaningful way.
SNC staff have demonstrated the ability, local knowledge and expertise required to
organize and promote community projects that promote the local environment and raise
awareness of protecting people and property from natural hazards.
We are committed to supporting SNC’s ability to deliver important on-the-ground services
to local partners that connect local youth to nature.
We encourage the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to consider the
value in the services provided by Conservation Authorities that supplement their core
mandate of protecting people and property from natural hazards.
Sincerely,
_______________________
P.J. Vink
Guider, 1st Russell Pathfinders