Watershed Gathering on the Oak Ridges Moraine

Toronto The Second Annual Clean Waters Summit on Saturday, November 20 at the Hotel Radisson Toronto-Markham will provide an important forum to discuss issues and approaches to protecting the natural functions of the Oak Ridges Moraine while managing urban growth.

Hosted by the Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan (RAP), this event will bring together citizens, agency staff, elected officials, and private interests, to discuss priority actions for the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Spanning 160 km from the Niagara Escarpment in the west to the Trent River in the east, the Oak Ridges Moraine is a glacial feature encompassing the headwaters of some 65 rivers and streams, many feeding the Lake Ontario waterfront, including the Humber, Don, and Rouge Rivers in the Toronto area.

David Crombie, head of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, will chair the first part of the day. "The Oak Ridges Moraine is the northern boundary of the Toronto bioregion, providing for habitat and recreation, and sustaining our urban rivers and creeks. A healthy downtown and Lake Ontario waterfront are directly related to a healthy Moraine. This is an opportunity to discuss our common interests and identify collaborative ways to protect this feature", he says.

Craig Mather, General Manager and CAO of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, stresses the importance of this event in bringing together various jurisdictions. He notes, "Participants from over twenty municipalities, three Ontario Ministries, four Conservation Authorities, and dozens of groups, including development interests and environmental interests, will attend. We are building alliances to overcome jurisdictional gaps."

Ontario Environment Minister Tony Clement, Markham Mayor Don Counsens, and a representative of Environment Canada Minister David Anderson, will provide opening remarks, followed by a panel including groundwater expert Dr. Ken Howard, Gary Wilkins of Toront Region Conservation, Tony Usher, Planning Consultant, David Burnett of the Region of Peel, Ron Reid of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, Debbe Crandall of Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition, James Parkin of the Aggregate Producers Association of Ontairo, and a representative of the Urban Development Institute.

"The Clean Waters Summit is an excellent vehicle to carry forward the dialogue on ways to manage the Oak Ridges Moraine", says David Crombie, encouraging all stakeholders to participate. The afternoon will provide an opportunity for detailed round-table discussions about priority actions and immediate next steps.

The Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan (RAP) process is working towards cleaning up the waterfront and rivers, habitats, and waters of the Toronto Region. The Waterfront Regeneration Trust and Toronto Region Conservation have taken on the local coordination of the Toronto RAP, on behalf of En nvironment Canada and the Ministry of Environment (MOE), who have responsibilities for implementation of the Remedial Action Plan under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Canada-Ontario Agreement. The Clean Waters Summit is jointly funded by Environment Canada and the MOE.

The 1999 RAP Awards of Excellence will be presented at 3:15 pm to schools, community groups, businesses, and agencies, that have demonstrated outstanding commitments to making our rivers and waterfront fishable and swimmable. The ceremony, chaired by City of Toronto Councillor Bill Saundercook with the assistance of local MP Bryon Wilfert, will recognize:

Chief Dan George Public School, Scarborough
Ossington/Old Orchard Public School, Toronto
Glen Shields Public School, Vaughan
Terraview/Willowfield School Community Council, Scarborough
Friends of the Rouge Watershed, for plantings and education
Black Creek Conservation Project, for outreach and education
Pasteur Merieux Connaught Canada, for "Living up to the Don Accord"
City of Toronto, Works Department for the Etobicoke Exfiltration Systems
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, for the Rouge Marshes Rehabilitation Project
Region of Peel, Planning Department, for the Childrens' Groundwater Festival

Advance registration for the Clean Waters Summit is required. Space is limited. There is no charge for this event

For interviews:

David Crombie's office
Waterfront Regeneration Trust
(416) 943-8080 ext 229

Craig Mather's office
Toronto Region Conservation
(416)l661-6600 ext 5264

For more information contact:

Suzanne Barrett
Waterfront Regeneration Trust
Tel: (416) 943-8080 ext. 226

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