FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Although the winter months are quiet for the Land Trust, it gives us time to prepare for the busy summer months ahead where both volunteers and staff put in many long hours.

Speaking of volunteers, a BIG thank you goes out to those volunteers and staff that helped decorate and clean the mansion, before and after, our successful Christmas season. This is a monumental job that takes many hours of planning and preparing to take the mansion back to various time periods throughout the history of the Thompson family at Christmas. Thank you to the volunteer interpreters for helping with tours during this time.

Recently I attended a Membership Committee meeting where I gained insight into the many events where the Land Trust and Ruthven will be promoted. These events are held outside and within our community, and prove to be very worthwhile since they bring in new visitors to the site.

A most interesting and informative workshop was held in the Coach House in January for the Board of Directors of the Land Trust. The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA), of which we are a member, produced the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practice for Land Trusts in Ontario.

President Gail Collins and Walter Peace conferring with Dave Walker, Manager of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance at the board workshop held on 28 January, 2006 in the Coach House at Ruthven.

I felt it necessary for our Board to learn more about these guidelines so I made arrangements with Dave Walker, who is Programme Manager of OLTA, to visit Ruthven. During the morning session Dave, accompanied by his wife Sharon, enlightened us with his presentation.

We learned that there are now some 30 land trusts or conservancies in the Province of Ontario whose mandate is to protect and conserve lands for future generations. Lands are acquired through donation, landowner/land trust easement agreements and land trust acquisitions. We also learned the importance of having a well-developed plan and follow-up criteria.

Following lunch Garry Stroud, Treasurer, and one of the founders of the Land Trust, reviewed the process that he and others conducted in order to obtain the lands known as Ruthven Park, and he also reviewed the Ontario Heritage Foundation Easements that came along with the gift from the late Marion Hartney.

This day proved to be very educational for us, and the Board expresses their sincere thanks to Dave, Sharon and Garry for taking the time to share their knowledge.

In our previous newsletter I mentioned our Board of Directors for the 2005-2006 year but we didn’t have a photo. Well, now we do! Missing from the photo is Rick Ludkin and Ron Gowland.

Board members of The Lower Grand River Land Trust Inc. (2005- 2006) are left to right: (seated) Karen Walton, Lee Merritt, Gail Collins, Walter Peace, (standing) Jim Smith, Garry Stroud, Janet de Vos and John Shoveller. (absent Rick Ludkin, Ron Gowland).

By the time you receive this edition of Riversong spring shouldn’t be too far off. We look forward to seeing you at our events, using the trails or just listening to the birds at Ruthven Park.

Gail Collins,
President