Wellington Water Watchers » cassiebarker

WWW is hiring!

cassiebarker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:28:53 +0000

We’re hiring an Executive Director and a Schools Coordinator for our Message in a Bottle campaign.

If you know any amazing folks that fit the bill, we welcome their resumes!

Executive Director

Purpose of Position:
The Wellington Water Watchers is a Not for Profit Organization with over 800 members. We are dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Guelph and Wellington County. Until recently we have been a 100% volunteer organization but are now in need of full and part time staff. The main purpose of the position of Executive Director is to take on… Read the rest

Waterworks Open House, June 13th

cassiebarker — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:30:58 +0000

Come out and celebrate 130 years of municipal water in Guelph!

At the Guelph Waterworks this Saturday, June 13th from 10 am to 2pm, you can chat with staff and check out the interactive displays while enjoying a free BBQ, door prizes and fun for the kids – you can even pick up a rain barrel.

The Waterworks is at 29 Waterworks Place, off of York Road.

Headwaters 100 Mile Challenge

cassiebarker — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:56:37 +0000

10 Days of Eating Locally

Official Launch: Monday May 11th, 2009
Location: Guelph Youth Music Centre 75 Cardigan St
Time: 10:00-11:00am

Please join the Headwaters Environmental Leadership Program of the Upper Grand District School Board as they officially launch their 100-Mile Diet Challenge. For ten days, June 2 to 11, 2009, the students will be eating only locally grown and produced food from a hundred mile radius of Guelph.

For three weeks prior to the challenge, they will be interviewing citizens who have connections with local food, and will researching recipes and sourcing food items… Read the rest

GREN Comes to Guelph, April 16th

cassiebarker — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:57:33 +0000

April 16th, 7:15-9:15pm at 10 Carden St.

Members from Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Brantford and Guelph have been meeting for a year to network on similar environmental issues.
Come and meet the neighbours!

Agenda:
1. Description of GREN and its projects.

2. Guelph response to Places to Grow growth as seen through development practices.
-Low Impact Development ppt by GUFF (Guelph Urban Forest Friends)
.
3. Moraine Protection -problems and possibilities
-The Waterloo Experience
-The Guelph-Wellington experience

more info at www.gren.ca

FCM asks bottled water to get out of town

cassiebarker — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:43:37 +0000

See this CBC article discussing the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ decision to encourage tap water and phase out bottled water sales in their municipalities.

This is another encouraging step in protecting our local water resources, reducing plastic waste and educating Canadians about the impact of bottled water.

Together for Clean Water – March 13th

cassiebarker — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:32:17 +0000

Come out tomorrow night to enjoy some great music, art and food for a great cause.

On March 13th at the Ed Video Media Arts Center gallery, there will be a fundraiser to improve the dismal drinking water situation on the Tyendinaga First Nations reserve. According to event organizers, currently half the homes in Tyendianga do not have clean drinking water flowing from their taps and a quarter of the home cannot ever shower in the water due to the bacteria.

The evening will consist of a discussion about the current water situation, drinks, live music by… Read the rest

Bottled water taking a beating

cassiebarker — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:04:12 +0000

Advocating for smart, sustainable water use and promoting our municipal tap water here in Wellington County may seem like a very small step toward social change and environmental protection, but as part of a larger movement we are like a drop that contributes to a ripple that helps people to make better decisions for our communities and for our planet.

We pay too little and use too much

cassiebarker — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:46:04 +0000

In Wave of the Future: The Case for Smarter Water Policy, C.D. Howe Institute author and Brock University professor Steven Renzetti states that reforms are required in the pricing of water that include the expanded use of water meters and seasonal surcharges that better reflect costs.

Given Guelph’s cost-recovery and infrastructure-investing water pricing, emphasis on conservation and resistance to additional reserviors to meet seasonal demands, it would appear we are ahead of the curve.

BBC/World Economic Forum discuss water shortages

cassiebarker — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:56:07 +0000

We like this article from the BBC and the World Economic Forum discussing world water shortages and food production. You can also check out the interactive map, quiz and linking water to health.

Wastewater and Trees – this Tuesday

cassiebarker — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:51:44 +0000

Another important meeting needing citizens’ input.
Tuesday, Feb 10th , Guelph’s Wastewater Treatment Plan is having a Public Information Centre from 5-8pm at the Holiday Inn on Scottsdale Dr.

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.”Read the rest