Friends of the Tay Watershed Announce Environmental Awards for 2018

Apr 17, 2019

The Friends of the Tay Watershed Association has announced the recipients of their 2018 Environmental Awards, recognising three individuals and organisations that have made a significant contribution to the protection and care of the Tay watershed and the environment in general.

Noelle Reeves, Tay Valley Township Planner, received the association’s award for Contribution to the Tay Watershed. As the municipal planner for a rural municipality with 26 lakes and several rivers, Noelle has taken to heart her very important responsibility for guiding the sustainability of those tremendous assets for the public benefit of the residents of Tay Valley Township and the natural environment which forms such an integral part of what makes the Township so special.

For ‘Contribution to Water Resources at the provincial, national or international level’ the recipient was Ontario Nature. Ontario Nature was one of the leaders in the province-wide movement that resulted in the removal of Schedule 10 from Bill 66. Schedule 10 of the “Open-for-Business” Act would have permitted development to bypass the legislative protection in several provincial acts, for water, natural heritage and farmland in municipalities across Ontario, undermining safeguards to our environment and the health of our communities.

Graham Beck, Little Stream Bakery, was the recipient of the award for ‘Contribution to the General Environment’. For many years, Little Stream Bakery has quietly provided grants to area organisations as a member of the international organisation known as “1% for the Planet”, a volunteer community of businesses dedicated to increasing charitable assistance to the environment, with the donation of 1% of their revenue.

These 2018 award recipients were voted the best in their categories from a list of 10 dedicated candidate individuals and organisations. The Friends of the Tay Watershed thank the recipients for their significant contributions to the stewardship of our natural environment.

The Friends of the Tay Watershed is a non-profit charitable association founded in 2001 to deliver programs and activities, and cooperate with other organizations with complementary interests, to ensure the health of the water and related natural resources of the Tay Watershed for present and future generations.