Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1

Inquiring minds want to know — why

would a fifty-four year old guy with a

wonky knee and a few extra pounds want

to pedal his bicycle from Vancouver to Whis-

tler with over four thousand people, all of

whom seemed to be very fit?

I have absolutely no idea! It was one of those

things that just seemed like a good idea at the

time. Someone who shall remain nameless,

but who may write for and edit Currents, who

may be a renowned fly fisherman in some cir-

cles and with the initials P.R., may have said

he wasn’t sure I could do it.

But when I think about it, I guess I did have

a couple of very good reasons for doing this ride.

First, it was my personal way of thanking

the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) for their envi-

ronmental leadership in creating the RBC Blue

Water Project™, a 10-year, $50 million philan-

thropic commitment to supporting organiza-

tions that protect watersheds, ensuring access

to clean drinking water in Canada and abroad.

Since 2007, RBC has committed more than

$25 million in single and multi-year grants to

292 organizations. That is a lot of money, even

for a bank!

Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) has been

busy protecting Canadian watersheds since

1972. Our mission, “To conserve, protect and

restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and

their coldwater resources for current and fu-

ture generations” aligns perfectly with the

goals of the RBC Blue Water Project™.

So far, $75,000 from the RBC Blue Water

Project™ has been contributed towards Trout

Unlimited Canada’s Flagship Project in the

Qualicum Bay region of Vancouver Island.

This particular Flagship Project was devel-

oped in partnership between Trout Unlimited

Canada, Vancouver Island University (VIU)

and the Nile Creek Enhancement Society

(NCES), led by the respected Canadian and

world renowned painter Ken Kirkby. Informa-

tion about the Nile Creek-Qualicum Bay Proj-

ect can be seen on the TUC website at www.

tucanada.org under “Conservation Projects”.

Second, like everyone at TUC, I believe that

we should all do something challenging once

in a while. We should push our limits. This

ride was hard, but it was nothing compared

to challenges faced by our small group of

dedicated professional staff and our amazing

volunteers over the years. This ride was my

own personal way of thanking our past and

present volunteers and staff for the way they

constantly stretch their limits while working

to fulfill TUC’s mission and to protect water-

sheds across Canada.

“GranFondo” means “big ride” in Italian.

The RBC Granfondo was big in every way! We

lined up in the starting chutes in downtown

Vancouver shortly after 6 a.m. If you have nev-

er been in a crowd of over 4000 people on bi-

Volume 16, No. 4 Fall 2010

RBC GranFondo:Maybe fish really do need bicycles by Jeff Surtees

Phot

o co

urt

esy

Jeff

Su

rtee

s.

Currents: Volume 16, No. 4 • Fall 20102

FISH & BICYCLES: RBC GRANFONDO

The day was capped off by being presented

with a cheque for $25,000.00 by Canadian

Olympic rowing champion Scott Frandsen on

behalf of the RBC Blue Water Project™ fund. I

received the cheque on behalf of all of the non-

profit organisations who were finalists in the

RBC GranFondo website voting competition.

Thanks to all of our members and volunteers,

Trout Unlimited Canada received over half of

the total votes and will receive $5,000.00 of

the proceeds. Thank you for voting online and

supporting TUC!

I hope to see you at the starting

line next year!

Doug Peck of Sparwood, B.C. is the

latest winner of our Currents Trivia

Contest. TUC wishes to extend our

congratulations to Doug. He is the winner of

a coveted TUC baseball hat along with an un-

framed print, Moment of Reflection, from TUC’s

2009 Artist of the Year, Diane Michelin.:

1. What unique hybrid was discovered during the

recent electrofishing activity on Bill Griffiths

Creek? Bull/Brook Trout Hybrid.

2. Who, on behalf of TUC, will be participating

in the RBC Granfondo Whistler cycling event?

TUC’s CEO Jeff Surtees.

3. The Orangeville Coldwater Conservation Chal-

lenge is better known as what? Orangeville C3.

4. What was the primary aim of the recent Yellow

Fish Road™ day? To bring awareness on

how storm water pollution affects the Red

Deer River.

5. Who loaned TUC staff an underwater

video camera? Department of Fisheries and

Oceans (DFO) Canada.

And now for this issue’s contest! Find

the answers to the following ques-

tions in this issue, then e-mail your entry

to Kimberly Davidson (kdavidson@tucanada.

org). Readers submitting correctly answered

questions will be placed in a draw to win a

coveted TUC baseball hat and an unframed

print, Moment of Reflection, from TUC’s 2009

Artist of the Year, Diane Michelin. This issue’s

contest closes Dec. 23, 2010.

1. Through what fund did the Loweville

Park Restoration project recently receive

$90,000?

2. What are TUC biologists assisting in the

restoration of on the Crowsnest River lo-

cated in south western Alberta?

3. What does a ‘barrier tray’ prevent?

4. What device are TUC biologists using to

track the movements of individual fish on

Ontario’s Humber River?

5. RBC’s Blue Water Project™ funding is be-

ing used on what seven streams within the

Bowser region of Vancouver Island?

IT’S NOT TRIVIAL TO US!

Read and win!

Jeff Surtees flanked by Olymic rowing champion Scott Frandsen and Jennifer Muir, Regional Vice President, RBC, Vancouver East Burnaby, accepting RBC’s Blue Water Project funding on behalf of the five project finalists. Photo courtesy Darlene Klippenstein.

cycles, all in a hurry, you should give it a try!

There were men and women in their mid-70s,

some of whom beat me handily. There was

a very nice fellow I stood beside at the start

line who lost a leg to cancer in 1978. He beat

me by about an hour. With one leg! That’s

a guy who likes a challenge. It tells me that

we can do anything we set our minds to.

The start went smoothly and by the time

we reached the Lion’s Gate Bridge we were

well spread out. We had a dedicated bike

lane from start to finish and traffic was

controlled along the entire route. The

event was extremely well run, supported

by an army of volunteers.

A lot of people who cycle seriously can eas-

ily ride 120 kilometres. The difference with

this ride was the hills. There were some steep

downhill stretches (my top speed was almost

70 kph), but the uphill stretches at times

seemed endless. We climbed 2,600 vertical

metres in total, some at over an 8% grade.

That’s easy in a car. Not so easy on a bike.

But I made it to the top! It took me a little

over six hours, almost double the time of the

winner of the event. It was one of the hardest

rides I have ever been on. But it was one of the

most satisfying accomplishments of my life.

We should all do something challenging

once in a while.

TUC’s Jeff Surtees crossing the GranFondo finish line. Jeff may have been in the middle of the pack, but the fish of the Nile Creek/Qualicum Bay project came out in first place. Photo courtesy Darlene Klippenstein.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 3

CONSERVATION IN ACTION

An RBC Blue Water Project:

Nile Creek/Qualicum Bay – Year Oneby Frank Dalziel

O n September 20, 2009, RBC award-

ed $75,000 from its RBC Blue Water

Project™ fund to a group including

Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC), Vancouver Is-

land University (VIU), and the Nile Creek En-

hancement Society (NCES) in support of TUC’s

Nile Creek-Qualicum Bay Flagship Project.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s Cold Water Conser-

vation Fund, the NCES, local British Columbia

Wildlife Federation clubs, and local fly clubs

stepped up to provide an additional $25,000 to

support the project’s goals.

The Blue Water Project™ is a part of RBC’s

longstanding commitment to the environment,

and recognizes water as fundamental to the

sustainability of all life. The first phase of the

project is a grant program of $50 million over

10 years to support charitable initiatives that

aim to strengthen water stewardship through a

combination of community education and ‘on

the ground, hands on’ work. The Bowser area of

Vancouver Island, rich in small stream ecosys-

tems, was picked as an ideal area to put theory

and goodwill into practice.

TUC’s mission is to conserve, protect and re-

store Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their

cold water resources for current and future gen-

erations. Partners involved with this Flagship

Project share similar goals, making the Nile

Creek-Qualicum Bay Enhancement Project a

perfect fit for Blue Water Project™ funding.

Habitat enhancement is a tricky business, re-

quiring a blend of science, engineering, and a

and Thames Creeks were chosen for targeted

intensive effort during ‘Year One’ of the proj-

ect. Thames Creek had a few suspected culvert

fish-passage issues, information on Nash Creek

needed to be organized and updated, and the

intertidal areas of all streams were examined for

smolt and adult fish passage issues.

Two students from VIU’s Fisheries and

Aquaculture Department, Mark Racicot and

Kayla Mohns, were hired to assist with the

project during the summer of 2010. Mark and

Kayla spent many days in the field in the Qua-

licum Bay area, and were particularly excited

about the chance to work with Marc Gaboury.

Their participation provided Mark and Kayla

with invaluable career experience. Through-

out the summer Mark and Kayla appeared at

many venues to publicize and promote the

project.

diversity of experience in

the design and construc-

tion of habitat structures.

The project partners

agreed that in order to

run a successful proj-

ect, we would need a

project head who was

good with people and

communities, pos-

sessed a strong sci-

ence and engineering

background and a

tremendous amount

of practical on-the-ground experience. Mel

Sheng, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Resource Restoration Biologist and an advi-

sor to the groups running the project, recom-

mended Marc Gaboury from L.G.L. Consul-

tants for the position. A registered professional

biologist in British Columbia, Marc has years

of experience running projects from planning

to completion. The partnership had the leader

it was looking for. Marc looked forward to the

challenge of working with students, volunteers

and a community on a watershed-based resto-

ration project.

Marc gathered background information on

the target streams in the area which included

Nile, Nash, Ridgewell, Annie and Thames

creeks, Black Brook and Westglade Brook. Af-

ter consultation with partners including local

the Nile Creek Enhancement Society, Nash

Left to right: Kayla Mohns (VIU), Allison Morgan (RBC Qualicum branch manager),

Diane Sampson (NCES) and Frank Dalziel at Qualicum branch’s RBC’s Blue Water

Day celebration. Photo courtesy of Frank Dalziel.

Continued on Page 5

Phot

o co

urt

esy

Ken

Kir

by.

Currents: Volume 16, No. 4 • Fall 20104

How long have you been

a member of Trout Unlimited

Canada?

I have been a member of Trout Unlimited

Canada (TUC) since 2004, six years, when

the Prince County PEI chapter became part

of TUC.

What inspired you to become a member?

I have been involved with watershed and

environmental work for nearly twenty years

now and that combined with a love of fly

fishing makes the work of TUC something

which appeals to me greatly.

What appeals to you the most

with regards to the work that TUC

does?

Any work to improve the recreational fish-

ery and the environment at the same time is

a win-win scenario to me.

What projects are your chapter

currently working on?

The group is currently working on sev-

eral projects. By summer’s end we will have

planted over 1000 trees, cleared debris and

brush matted approximately seven kilome-

ters of stream, as well as have had many pro-

motional and educational endeavours.

You can find out more about our history

and activities at www.troutunlimitedprince-

countychapter.com.

TUC’s FEATURED MEMBER: DALE CAMERON, PRINCE COUNTY CHAPTER, PEI

TroutUnlimitedCanadaOUR MISSION: To conserve, protect and re-store Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their cold water resources for current and future generation.

OUR GOALS:• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwa-

ter fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and productive state;

• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conser-vation solutions in the field;

• to inform the public about coldwater con-servation issues and educate communities about their watersheds;

• to build and sustain a healthy organiza-tion.

Help us help the trout! Visit tucanada.org

Can you picture yourself here?

Join Trout Unlimited Canada today! Dale Cameron is a pretty important person to the fish and coldwater re-

sources in Prince County, PEI. Trout Unlimited Canada has over 3000

members like Dale — member volunteers right across the country who are just as committed to the

conservation, protection and restoration of their coldwater resources now and for the future. If you can

picture yourself here, we’d love to hear from you. Become a TUC member and make a

difference today. Join online or get more information at tucanada.org.

Photo courtesy Dale Cameron.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 5

C love oil, fish and microchips, these

items are not a dinner special at your

local restaurant, but a listing of some

of the tools Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) bi-

ologists use in their ongoing research.

The key to the research is the microchips

implanted in fish before they are released back

into rivers, lakes or streams. The microchips

are properly referred to as ‘PIT tags’—Passive

Integrated Transponders. These tiny tools pro-

vide important clues to fish migration, lifespan,

habitat use and other information critical to

fisheries research. The key is that each tag pro-

vides information about individual fish, allow-

ing biologists to accurately track movement of

any fish implanted with a PIT tag.

The 23 mm tags are inserted into anes-

thetized fish through a small incision be-

low the pectoral fin. The incision is closed

with a rapid wound sealant and the fish is

placed in a holding tank while it recovers.

After the fish is released the tag transmits

an individual code when the fish passes

within range of a tag reader. Because the

tags do not have batteries (information

is transmitted via a radio frequency sent

from the tag reader) they can easily last as long

as the lifespan of any fish.

Each tag costs approximately $2.50, though

costs can vary depending on the size of tag.

TUC uses three types of tag readers, a hand

held model, a backpack unit and a ‘multiplexer’

reader. The cost of the hand-held reader is ap-

prox. $300, the backpack unit is $800 and the

multiplexer unit is approx. $8,000.

Up to 300 fish can be tagged per study. The

actual number is highly variable and is depen-

dent upon the purpose of the study. TUC’s most

recent ongoing study is the Palgrave Fishway

study on Ontario’s Humber River where ap-

proximately 1,000 fish will be tagged

during the project’s five-year study.

QUALICUM BAY PROJECT THE TOOLS OF TUC: FISH AND CHIPS

FROM PAGE 3

For the first time, RBC sponsored ‘Blue Wa-

ter Week’ celebrating their commitment to the

environment. Project partners, including Kayla

Mohns from VIU, Diane Sampson from NCES,

and myself (VIU and TUC), supported this

event by attending Qualicum Branch of RBC

in support of ‘Blue Water Day’. RBC customers

had lots of questions regarding the important

work taking place on the project streams.

In June over 90 local residents attended an

informational town hall meeting. Jack Imhof,

TUC National Biologist, spoke regarding TUC’s

role in the project. Allison Morgan, RBC Qua-

licum Branch Manager, and Mark Lovick, RBC

Regional Vice President, provided perspective

on the Blue Water Project™. Marc Gaboury and

Ken Kirkby were on hand to provide

the local perspective, and VIU students

Mark and Kayla were also in atten-

dance. The information provided was

well received by local residents, who

were in strong support of the project.

By the end of the summer, a number

of conclusions were drawn on Thames

and Nash Creeks. The good news is that

above Highway 19A, with the excep-

tion of small disturbances, the streams

are in good environmental health. Be-

low the highway, however, the streams

and their estuaries have been seriously

impacted and there is much work to be

done. Urbanization, channelling, low

summer water flows and stream mouth

blockages during the spring smolt

migrations are problems common to

all project streams, except Nile Creek

where extensive work has already been carried

out. Lack of year-round flow and temperature

data is also common to all area streams. Data-

logging stations were installed on Nash and

Thames Creeks and will be monitored by VIU

over the next 12 months.

Valuable information has been gathered on

the fish, water and habitat within the Nile Creek-

Qualicum Bay area. The project has produced

positive results, providing an excellent training

ground for fisheries students and community

volunteers. Local project awareness has provid-

ed positive publicity for RBC and other key fund-

ing partners. We look forward to continuing

work on the other Qualicum Bay area

streams during Phase Two of the project.

Tiny PIT transponders (above and inset) al-low for the tracking of individual fish and are invaluable as fisheries research tools. At left, TUC’s Sylvia D’Amelio recording PIT-tagged fish with a backpack unit during TUC’s Pal-grave Fishway Study. TUC photos.

Currents: Volume 16, No. 4 • Fall 20106

Good bye and thank you, Lorne!

T UC Chief Finan-

cial Officer Lorne

Hutchison has de-

cided to go back to school

this time as a teacher.

Lorne is retiring after six

years with Trout Unlim-

ited Canada (TUC) fol-

lowing a long career in

finance with various organizations.

‘Retirement’ does not accurately describe

Lorne’s new life as he will teach various col-

lege business courses, spend a few days each

month working as an accountant, and spend

a lot more time finding and enjoying Alber-

ta’s best hiking trails and fishing hotspots.

Lorne announced his retirement in Sep-

tember but agreed to help TUC through its

2010 budget process and

during a transition pe-

riod for our new CFO,

Garson Chan.

Lorne cited the estab-

lishment of the Coldwa-

ter Conservation Fund

and the emphasis on

improving TUC’s busi-

ness practices as the

two most significant achievements during

his time at TUC, but, learning to fly fish will

be his favorite memory. And, while he won’t

be attending as many TUC functions, Lorne

plans on volunteering with TUC and attend-

ing an occasional fundraising dinner.

Lorne believes TUC has the potential to be

one of Canada’s leading freshwater conserva-

tion organizations. “Moving forward there is a

lot of opportunity for the organization,” Lorne

said, “TUC is the right organization for the

right time and has the foundation needed to

grow in the in the future.”

A New look for TUC!

N ew eye-catching Trout Unlimited

Canada (TUC) show banners were

unveiled at the Toronto Sports-

man’s Show in March of this year. Roy De-

Giusti, a member of the Greg Clark chapter,

approached TUC last fall volunteering his ser-

vices as a freelance graphic artist to help devel-

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

op new banners showcasing Trout Unlimited

Canada. Roy and his wife Lori created a se-

ries of banner panels using a variety of im-

ages and graphics that portray the legacy of

work undertaken by TUC.

A total of four panels, each

with a different theme have

been developed. Themes

include: General Trout

Unlimited Canada Activi-

ties, Coldwater Ecosystems,

Fishing and the Bronte Creek

Watershed Renewal Program.

These panels can stand alone

or be used in a variety of

combinations depending on

the function.

TUC staff is excited about

the banners—they will go a

long way towards increasing TUC’s exposure

and brand as a leading conservation organi-

zation! TUC would like to extend a big thank

you to Roy and Lori for their hard work and

vision.

Crowsnest River Reactiva-tion Feasibility Study— Returning one of Alberta’s Blue Ribbon Streams to Her Old Ways

S everal decades ago a portion of Al-

berta’s Crowsnest River between Cole-

man and Blairmore was channelized

and bermed in response to potential flood

concerns within the local communities. Trout

Unlimited Canada (TUC) and its

partners are exploring the fea-

sibility of reactivating a portion

of the historic channel. As part

of their role in the reactivation

process Brian Meagher and Les-

ley Peterson of Trout Unlimited

Canada began work on a feasi-

bility study on the Crowsnest

River. If feasible, reactivating

the historic channel would

provide additional length as

well as critical fish habitat for

the area.

Fieldwork took place on

August 12 and 13, 2010 and

included electrofishing, water quality and soil

sampling. Project partner Golder Associates

will complete a report in the coming months

summarizing the results of the sampling as

well as recommendations for the project.

Other project partners include Alberta Con-

servation Association, Alberta Environment,

and Alberta Sustainable Resource Develop-

ment. Volunteers from the Crowsnest Con-

servation Society and TUC were also there to

lend a helping hand over the two days with

the fieldwork.

TUC received $75,000 towards this project

through a process called creative sentencing

in which the federal Department of Fisheries

and Oceans designated TUC as a recipient

of funds paid as a result of a court fine for an

environmental offence. TUC received addi-

tional funding for this project from the Grant

Eligible Conservation fund though the Alberta

Conservation Association.

TUC’s popular new banner displays, courtesy of Roy and Lori DeGuisti. TUC photo.

A fisheries assessment on Alberta’s Crowsnest River between Blairmore and

Coleman. Photo courtesy Terry Hrudey.

Lorne Hutchinson.

Garson Chan.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 7

Trout Unlimited Receives Conservation Funds from Bass Pro Shops

T rout Unlimited Canada (TUC) was the

recent recipient of a $10,000 conserva-

tion donation from Bass Pro Shops. The

donation was a result of Bass Pro’s ‘Evening for

Conservation’ held at their newest Canadian

location in Rocky View, Alberta. Bass Pro do-

nated $0.50 of every dollar spent to a number

of conservation organizations including Trout

Unlimited Canada.

Bass Pro Shop’s Rocky View ‘Evening for

Conservation’ was the most successful in the

company’s history. Rocky View store manager

Miles Fisher stated, “Conservation and educa-

tion about the great outdoors is a big part of our

business.”

TUC’s CEO Jeff Surtees recently visited the

Rocky View location to thank them in person

for their contribution towards coldwater con-

servation.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit

Bass Pro Shop’s Rocky View location, located

between Calgary and Airdrie be sure to look

for the large Trout Unlimited Canada sign dis-

played proudly on their wall.

The TUC Store: Open For Business!

I t’s as close as few finger taps on the near-

est computer and has one-of-a-kind items,

all with the Trout Unlimited Canada

(TUC) logo, and not available anywhere else.

It’s the official TUC store and it’s now open to

TUC members and friends.

The TUC on-line store offers a number

of clothing and apparel items for men and

women via the In-

ternet. The store is a

partnership with First

Impressions Sports-

wear and Cresting

of Calgary. Although

the number of items

is limited, TUC will

add more clothing and

possibly other items as

the store’s popularity

increases. To get your

shopping started each

customer will receive a TUC logo key chain

with every order, while supplies last.

For TUC chapters the

TUC-First Impressions

partnerships means there

is one source for most

TUC logo items. First Im-

pressions has an extensive

inventory, from clothing

and recognition awards

to coffee mugs, calendars,

cameras, and tool kits.

For questions about

what First Impressions of-

fers or questions about the

TUC on-line store please

contact Tammy Cook

or Dave Wilcox at First

Impressions, 1-888-987-3634, tammycook@

firstimpressions.ca; davewilcox@firstimpres-

sions.ca. To shop at the TUC store, visit www.

promoplace.com/27341/stores/troutunlimited

Starbucks and Evergreen Remove Noxious Weeds along West Nose Creek

C offee and conservation came to-

gether in Calgary on July 24th as 40

Starbucks employees spent a hot day

improving a section of West Nose Creek’s ri-

parian area.

Trout Unlimited staff members Erin Mc-

Mahon, Lesley Peterson, and Cliona Curran

helped the baristas bag 75 extra large garbage

bags of Yellow Clematis (Clematis tangutica) a

noxious, invasive weed known for displacing

native plants and degrading the natural envi-

ronment. Yellow Clematis is native to China

and India, but in the right conditions it grows

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

rapidly and can smother trees and shrubs,

eventually choking out native vegetation. Re-

moving these invasive weeds from riparian

areas (the zones between a water body and

the upland areas) gives native shrubs a sec-

ond chance at survival, adding to the species

diversity and functionality of riparian areas.

Healthy riparian areas mean healthy streams

and happy fish!

Starbucks is a supporter of Evergreen Cana-

da, a national non-profit that helps Canadians

take a hands-on approach to improving their

urban environments. Evergreen has been a

supporter of the Nose Creek Rehabilitation

Project in previous years.

Jarett Black, Bass Pro Shops’ Group Sales Manager (GSM) Fishing, Al Pew, Assis-tant General Manager Merchandise, Jeff Surtees, CEO TUC and Kevin Irvine, Op-eration Manager. TUC photo.

Volker Stevin Takes a Leadership Role to Protect the Bow River

V olker Stevin is a Netherlands based

contracting company whose Alberta

operations in Calgary and Lethbridge

have grown to be one of the largest contracting

companies in western Canada.

Rex Davidson, a superintendant with Volker

Stevin based in Calgary and a Trout Unlimited

Canada member, was concerned about con-

struction debris falling into and potentially con-

taminating the Bow River during the six span

bridge construction project on the Highway

22X bridge crossing.

A long time wood worker, Rex designed the

Barrier Debris Trays to eliminate sediment and

debris falling into the river. Beginning with a

concept and a blue print, Rex designed and

built the first barrier trays within a few days,

just prior to the start of bridge construction.

Lesley Peterson helping haul bags of weeds in West Nose Creek. TUC photo.

Currents: Volume 16, No. 4 • Fall 20108

Jeff Surtees Chief Executive Officer jsurtees@tucanada.org

Kimberly Davidson Membership Coordinator membership@tucanada.org

Garson Chan Director, Finance and Administration gchan@tucanada.org

Jack Imhof National Biologist jimhof@tucanada.org

Roger Kelley Director, Conservation Education rkelley@tucanada.org

Don Pike Director, Special Events dpike@tucanada.org

Phil Rowley Marketing & Communications prowley@tucanada.org

Brian Meagher Alberta Provincial Biologist bmeagher@tucanada.org

Len Yust Executive Director, Ontario lyust@tucanada.org

Silvia D’Amelio Ontario Biologist sdamelio@tucanada.org

Lesley Peterson Project Biologist lpeterson@tucanada.org

Sheila McKnight Yellow Fish Road Manager Ontario/Quebec smcknight@tucanada.org

Erin McMahon Nose Creek Project Coordinator erin.at.ncwp@gmail.com

Cliona Curran Calgary/Western Canada Yellow Fish Road™ Assistant yellowfish@yellowfishroad.org

Mary Finch Bronte Creek Watershed Stewardship Specialist mfinch@tucanada.org

National Office: Ste. 160, 6712 Fisher St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 2A7 Tel: 403-221-8360 Fax: 403-221-8368 1-800-909-6040

Ontario Office: Rm. 273, Axelrod Building, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56588 Fax: 519-780-1696

tuc@tucanada.org tucanada.org

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

Help us help the trout — join today! Visit us at tucanada.org

The trays hang over the bridge lip catch-

ing any debris or sediment that falls their way.

The barrier trays proved so successful that

they have come part of Volker Stevin’s envi-

ronmental plans for their ongoing construc-

tion projects.

Volker Stevin’s actions are an example of

Alberta construction com-

panies following provin-

cial regulations ensuring

debris and sediment does

not enter Alberta’s riv-

ers. Rex Davidson’s bar-

rier trays are proof of how

TUC members can take

the initiative to implement

changes in their profes-

sional lives that will have

positive results in their

homewaters. These issues

would potentially take long hours, effort and

lobbying to get addressed by TUC through the

construction company, but can be integrated

easily with positive changes from within.

Rex Davidson is the father of TUC Member-

ship Coordinator Kimberly Davidson.

Lowville Park Restoration Receives $90,000 fromEnvironment Canada!

T rout Unlimited

Canada’s (TUC)

Bronte Creek Wa-

tershed Renewal Program,

one of TUC’s Flagship

Conservation Programs

has been awarded $90,000

through Environment Can-

ada’s EcoAction Commu-

nity Funding Program. TUC

will use the grant funds for

the rehabilitation of a one

kilometre stretch of Bronte

Creek through Lowville Park.

Work scheduled to begin this fall.

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of La-

bour and Member of Parliament for Halton

announced the funding in Lowville Park, Burl-

ington on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010. Minister

Raitt was joined by Jack Imhof, Trout Unlimit-

ed Canada National Biologist, Counsellor John

Taylor, City of Burlington and Brian Penman,

Chair of Conservation Halton. Each spoke

about the benefits of a healthier Bronte Creek in

Lowville Park and how this significant award

will help us achieve our goal.

R epre s en t a -

tives from

our program

partners —

City of Burl-

ington, Con-

s e r v a t i o n

Halton, Ham-

ilton-Halton

W a t e r s h e d

Stewardship

Program and

the Ted Knott

Chapter — were also on hand for this excit-

ing announcement.

Work in Lowville Park is focused upon in-

creasing the diversity of aquatic and streamside

habitat, providing healthier habitat, improving

water quality, increased coldwater ecosystem

biodiversity, reducing water temperatures and

creating more stable streamside zones. This reha-

bilitation project is a major component of TUC’s

Bronte Creek

Watershed

R e n e w a l

P r o g r a m

and will

be used as

a demon-

stration of

h e a l t h y

c r e e k

s e c t i o n

with the

intent of

e d u c a t -

ing local landowners on the components of a

healthy aquatic ecosystem.

Other project funding comes from On-

tario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Nation-

al Sportsmen’s Show, TD Friends of the

Environment and the City of Burlington.

TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA

Currents layout: David Soltess Design dsdesign@telus.net

A barrier tray in use at Volker Stevin’s Highway 22X bridge worksite. Photo courtesy Rex Davidson.

Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour and MP Halton (centre), present-

ing TUC’s Jack Imhof with federal grant funds for Lowville

Park/Bronte Creek rehabilitation. TUC photo.