2023 Environmental Excellence Awards – Otonabee Region Conservation Authority

Conservation Partnership Award

Awarded to Curve Lake First Nation Cultural Centre

Members of the Curve Lake First Nation Cultural Centre have collaborated with Otonabee Conservation on several signage projects to coordinate translations by Elders and community members from Curve Lake First Nation so that the Ojibway language can be included on a variety of signs at several sites throughout the Otonabee Region watershed and at Curve Lake First Nation.

Ojibway and English languages are now included on signs for the Drinking Water Source Protection Program, Mikinaak (pronounced Mick-in-ack) or Turtle Crossing Signs to help encourage drivers to watch for, avoid, and help turtles to cross the roads during nesting season, and most recently on signs along the Jackson Creek Trail.

Translations on the Jackson Creek Trail signs include species names for birds, trees and wildlife.

Future projects are being planned to add an audio component to these educational signs via QR Code linkages so visitors to the Jackson Creek Trail can see and hear the Ojibway language while out along the trail.

Recently, Curve Lake First Nation Chief Keith Knott spoke at the Jackson Creek Trail Re-opening event referring to Otonabee Conservation and Curve Lake First Nation as neighbours and recognizing that neighbours help each other and work together.

The Curve Lake First Nation Cultural Centre has been a wonderful and gracious neighbour, sharing their knowledge, their language, and assisting Otonabee Conservation staff with matters related to local traditions and protocols as a starting point to establishing respectful, positive relations between neighbours.

We are honoured to celebrate our shared projects with our neighbours.

Please join me in congratulating Anne Taylor, Tracey Taylor, Eliza Braden-Taylor, and Jack Hoggarth from the Curve Lake First Nation Cultural Centre with the Environmental Excellence Conservation Partnership Award.

Conservation Partnership Award

Awarded to Gillian Barnes, City of Peterborough

Otonabee Conservation has recently worked with Gillian on several projects that have enhanced habitat, increased biodiversity, showcased sustainable practices, and helped to mitigate climate change.

Gillian was supportive of the partnership between Otonabee Conservation, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and the Brock Mission to include the planting of over 300 native trees and shrubs on the site of the new shelter to offer a safe outdoor space for residents and increase greenspace in the City of Peterborough.

Gillian has been deeply involved in the upgrades at the Beavermead Campground, which is owned by City of Peterborough and operated by Otonabee Conservation.

Recently at Beavermead Campground, Gillian managed two construction projects: a new fully accessible comfort station and sustainability built mass timber gatehouse, which is a natural, renewable and sustainable building material providing a low carbon footprint and aligning with the City’s climate action plan.

Gillian was always considerate to include Otonabee Conservation staff feedback and requirements into the design and construction of these projects andinvolved staff as part of the project team during the infrastructure projects.

After the gatehouse construction completion, Gillian reached out to collaborate with Otonabee Conservation to facilitate the use of native plants for landscaping around the new building. The project was completed in October 2022 and included the installation of a rain garden and a native plant garden at the Beavermead Gatehouse. The designs for both gardens were created by Otonabee Conservation with support from GreenUP and installed with the help of students from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Youth Leadership and Sustainability Program.

Gillian was supportive of incorporating techniques to capture runoff by building the rain garden, which was designed to capture runoff from the roof of the new gatehouse, which is then temporarily stored in the garden during a storm event and slowly drains away reducing flooding, filtering pollutants, and channelling runoff into the ground.

This garden is now a demonstration site at the campground for an average of over 17,000 campers who visit each season, to showcase sustainable landscaping techniques and to enhance habitat with over 100 native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that also increase biodiversity in the City of Peterborough.

The Beavermead Gatehouse Garden Project also enabled students from the local Youth Leadership and Sustainability class to assist, providing hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Gillian Barnes has managed projects in partnership with Otonabee Conservation that clearly facilitate and demonstrate the City of Peterborough’s commitment to enhance local sustainability and support community efforts to adopt sustainable practices.

We look forward to continued collaborations that will support the shared mission of conserving, protecting, and enhancing a healthy, natural environment in the Otonabee Region watershed.

Please join me in congratulating Gillian Barnes and City of Peterborough, winner of the Environmental Excellence Conservation Partnership Award.

Business Award

Awarded to David Bonsall, D.M. Wills

David Bonsall and Rajeev Shan from D.M. Wills accept the Business Award.

D.M. Wills Associates Limited is a multi-discipline firm, offering civil, structural and water resources engineering, along with land use planning and environmental services in Peterborough and across Ontario.

Outside of their professional services, D.M. Wills is active in the community and has sponsored many local events including Otonabee Conservation’s Discovery Days event in 2019 to encourage the public to learn about heritage, nature, and the outdoors.

For 15 years, under the leadership of David Bonsall, D.M. Wills has provided support for inspections and maintenance of Otonabee’s water control programs.

Over the past six years, D.M. Wills has provided Otonabee Conservation with project management contract administration for engineering, design, and project management on numerous infrastructure projects for the Conservation Lands Program.

Some of these programs include:

Structural assessments at Brookwood Wildlife Area
Multiple years of work on the Jackson Creek Trail including:

engineering and design, tendering support, and construction project management for Jackson Creek Trail Bridge Replacement,
- refurbishment plans, engineering, and design for erosion drainage repairs
- tendering support and construction project management for bridge repairs in support of the Jackson Creek Trail Revitalization Project

Engineering and design, tending support, and construction project management for the Warsaw Caves Gatehouse and the Harold Town, Selwyn Beach and Squirrel Creek accessible washrooms (which are currently being installed), with Rajeev Shan coordinating the structural design of the washroom facilities.

Managing construction projects has been particularly challenging in recent years during the pandemic, with widespread difficulties sourcing materials and contractors, managing rising costs, and executing project timeline requirements.

David has gone above and beyond to ensure that Otonabee Conservation’s projects have been successful in these ever-changing times.

David has been instrumental in sourcing a construction team to take on the 3 accessible washroom projects with very tight timeline requirements. He has also worked closely with project partners to negotiate the costs to meet the Authority’s budget requirements.

David continues to provide quick turnaround times to review and authorize construction documents from the contractor to keep the projects moving forward and on schedule.

He has always provided an exceptional level of expertise when dealing with structural engineering, design, project management, and contract administration services for Otonabee Conservation.

Individual Conservationist Award

Awarded to Robert Crowley & Family

Since Fall 2020, Robert Crowley has partnered with Otonabee Conservation to plant 4,500 trees on the family farm in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township!

Robert has contributed countless amounts of time, provided equipment for preparation of site before planting, provided funding, assisted with planting of trees, engaged friends and family in the planting process, and collaborated with Otonabee Conservation staff to assess the ongoing survival and health of trees.

These efforts make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change impacts. A tree sequesters around 220-225 kg of Carbon in its lifetime. The 4,500 trees planted on the Crowley family farm will sequester over 1 million kg of carbon over their lifespan of about 80 years.

While mitigating the effects of climate change, these trees also enhance habitat, and increase biodiversity.

Robert has also provided opportunities for students and volunteers to visit his family farm to assist with the tree planting activities, enabling participants to engage in real opportunities to work on the landscape and enhance the local environment.

We are pleased to present the Crowley Family with the Environmental Excellence Conservationist Award for their demonstrated commitment to enhancing the health of the Otonabee Region watershed and setting an amazing example for current and future generations.