Dear Minister Phillips, The…

Dear Minister Phillips,

The Spencerville Mill and Museum has a strong history of close collaboration with South Nation Conservation (SNC) to organize community events and partner on stewardship projects that supplement SNC’s environmental mandate.

This includes partnering with SNC to deliver:

- River events along the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and South Nation Rivers;

- Community events dedicated to showcasing local exhibitors and environment;

- Community and park clean-ups;

- Cost-effective recreational opportunities for local families.

SNC also provides support, including:

- Supporting community partners with events that promote the local environment;

- Integrating watershed environmental knowledge into programs and outreach;

- Providing hands-on staff support for event planning, marketing and coordination.

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 the Spencerville Mill and Museum is a testament to their boots-on-the-ground approach to working directly with local partners, stakeholders and residents in a meaningful way.

Without support from SNC, partners such as the Spencerville Mill and Museum could be faced with difficulties in delivering cost-effective community events for the people.

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 people 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,

Colin Thain
Treasurer
Spencerville Mill and Museum