February 2009
Monthly Archive
February 11, 2009
Guelph Urban Forest Friends is the Guelph Civic League Citizen Group Of The Year!
This is great news for our group.
Hopefully it will further our campaign to encourage the City of Guelph to put a protective tree by-law into place without further delay.
It would be great to see as many GUFFERS come out to the Guelph Civic League Dance Party on Saturday February 14 to see us accept the award.
Guelph Civic League “Under The Covers” Dance Party – February 14
Yes indeed, it is time for another famous GCL dance. This big ‘fun’-raiser will remind us all that sometimes civic engagement is about having fun in the city you love.
Drop your parkas, toques and winter boots at the door and come dance the night away to a sexy set list of your favourite timeless cover tunes, played by some of Guelph’s hottest rockers.
Also, meet our award winners for:
- Community Business of the Year
- Citizen Group of the Year – Guelph Urban Forest Friends!!!!
- Citizen of the Year
Where: Mitchell Hall, Downtown Guelph
When: Saturday, February 14 – 8:00pm
Tickets: $20.00 at 10 Carden, the Bookshelf or at the door.
FEATURING: Molly Kurvink, Harri Palm, Jude Vadala, John Charlton, Geordie Gordon, James Gordon, Rob Kerr, Vish Khanna, Rich Langedijk, Tannis Maynard-Langedijk, Jane Lewis, Sam Turton, Jesse Turton, Bob MacLean, Ian Reid, Keith Thompson , Bob Woodburn, Stu Peterson, Monique Vischschraper – and more!
Beer, wine, and fire extinguishers will be available. Consider bringing your own mug to help cut down on waste.
February 9, 2009
Another important meeting needing citizens’ input.
Guelph’s Wastewater Treatment Plan is having a Public Information Centre on Tuesday, February 10 from 5-8 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Scottsdale Dr.
http://guelph.ca/uploads/PDF/City%20News/2009/CN_01.23.09.pdf
A study in Charlottesville, Virginia showed that when tree cover dropped 8% between 1976 and 2000, the amount of runoff increased by 19%.
“Cities spend a lot of money installing stormwater management facilities and managing flood control systems. Trees can offset these costs by intercepting rainwater and reducing the amount of runoff that must be managed in the urban area and by stormwater management facilities.”
-GRCA Watershed report ‘Investing in Trees’ by Virginia Gauley, GRCA Forester.
We are expected to have more and heavier storms in our future. But the trees ‘sponge and filter’ effects can maintain a more stable volume after hard short rains.
This will be very important for Guelph since the downstream water is needed in stable, regular quantity for the dilution at the wastewater plant.
Heavy flow after hard rains is followed by a wave effect of a lower than normal volume of river water.
Therefore it is very important for a city to have an Urban Forestry Department working with the Water Department and a qualified forester supervising the maintenance and protection of our urban forest.
Currently Guelph does not have an Urban Forestry Department or forester. We must deal with these critical issues without further delay .
February 3, 2009
Concerned about water resources and trees?
Please consider attending the final Public Information Centre for the proposed Update of Guelph’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy on February 4 from 6.30 – 8.00 p.m. in Cooperators Hall at the River Run Centre, Woolwich Street, Downtown Guelph.
Your input is vital to making the changes we need for our sustainable future in Guelph.
The last public information session in December 2008 did not include any reference to our urban forest. The information on new toilets, rainbarrels, etc. was well presented but the maintenance and enhancement of mature urban forest canopy is very important to water resources.
In creating the update, city staff were asked to consider setting a fixed target for the annual amount of water taken by the city. The proposed target would be the 2008 amount and would be fixed for 15 years. Any new requirements for water would be met by added efficiency and conservation measures by current users.
Having the city adopt such a fixed-amount target would be an enormous step forward toward a sustainability approach to all resource use by the city and would be highly complementary to the community energy plan since water treatment, distribution and wastewater treatment are the largest energy use by the city.
For 11 yrs (1997-2007), with increasing education and awareness, Guelph citizens have decreased their water taking. We have very good prospects of increasing our conservation and efficiencies through continuing educational awareness. Many people in Guelph understand the need to take this major step toward sustainability. However, there is some concern that city staff will not recommend this approach to council.
A missing component of the water conservation strategy is the urgent need for a protective tree by-law. Everything is connected. Water, energy demand and trees.
“The sustainability of the water resources are linked inextricably with watershed forests, whether they are urban or in the landscape surrounding the urban area” (GRCA Watershed Forest Plan. Chapter 3.2 Urban Forests.)
Please take a few minutes to attend and register your support for the fixed target approach and protection and maintenance of our urban forest canopy.
When: 6.30 p.m., February 4, 2009
Where: Cooperators Hall, River Run Centre, Woolwich St., Downtown Guelph
More information about this is on the City website, www.guelph.ca under the ‘quick links’ to ‘water conservation’ .
Visit us at www.guffguelph.ca.
