Councillor seats now contested, Geertsma files

Recent trends in extensive forest-cover loss aren’t going unnoticed by local residents who are calling attention to the issue in newspapers. 

According to South Nation Conservation, if left unchecked, this downturn in forest cover will directly impact the natural benefits that the watershed depends on.

Eastern Ontario’s forests help filter the air we breathe; protect the water we drink; provide habitat for abundant wildlife; and supply us with valuable wood products. 

“Our forests are being cut with an intensity that is permanently changing the countryside,” says SNC Chair, Bill Smirle. 

“If we don’t take urgent action to save what’s left, the opportunity will be lost.”

With this in mind, the South Nation Conservation Board of Directors has set aside funds in the 2014 budget to preserve local forests. 

“The board of directors decided to set aside a $250,000 special levy, earmarked for land purchases,” said Jim Hendry, SNC team lead for property management. 

SNC has a long history of acquiring land and to date, owns 11,000 acres of mostly forest cover. 

These properties provide nearby and natural areas for people and wildlife, including opportunities to hunt, hike, and picnic.

In most cases, SNC is able to double funds for forest acquisition through their partners in conservation, such as the Ontario Land Trust. 

SNC currently receives about 200 acres every year through land donations from families who want their forests protected beyond their lifetime.

“I am pleased to announce that SNC will be launching a legacy trust program in 2014,” says Smirle. “This will make it easier for ecological lands to be permanently protected.”

Acquiring priority forest tracts is one more tool SNC uses to create a legacy of healthy forests.

Each year, SNC plants 100,000 trees and visits over 50 woodlot owners to provide management advice. A multi-stakeholder Forestry Committee oversees forest programs and provides valuable feedback from rural landowners and the forestry sector.

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“If Jane Ewing had one flaw, it was this. No one ever taught her to say no. And for that we should all be very, very grateful,” said Corry Martens, at the May 25 dedication of a plaque commemorating the life, and dedication to this community, of the late Jane Ewing.

Family, friends and dignitaries gathered by the Morrisburg Plaza town clock to unveil a plaque, made by Merrickville’s The Village Tinsmith, which honours the years of quiet leadership and hard work Jane devoted to the Morrisburg Business Improvement Area. The plaque read in part that she “greatly enhanced our community.”

Welcomed by Shelley Cumberland, several speakers shared their memories of Jane and the incredible job she had done as co-ordinator of the BIA.

“It is a pleasure to be here and to honour Jane, ensuring that her memory and her legacy continue,” said mayor Steven Byvelds. “She always dedicated herself to the job at hand.”

James Grant, retired fire chief of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal, a lay person with the United Church, and a friend of the Ewings for 35 years, said “We are here to honour Jane for her tireless hours of service. She shared her time with the BIA and the community, always putting her everything into the projects she took on. Her peers have chosen to honour her with this memorial, which will remain forever a reminder of the dedication Jane brought to her community and its people.”

Corry Martens, who, in February, first proposed the idea of a memorial for Jane to the executive of the MBIA, worked alongside her for 10 years.

“I saw what it takes to do a job like this,” she said. “Jane was a real force in the BIA. In fact, she was the BIA. Yet she always seemed happiest working behind the scenes and in the background. She really didn’t like the lime light, but she did so much for us all. Jane Ewing was a great lady. I am glad we have the opportunity here to honour her memory.”

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For the second consecutive year, students at Seaway District High School will be satisfying their sweet tooth all the while helping an animal in need. Coming up on Monday, February 29, under the kind and […]