ARTICLE

September Column
Walkerton Herald Times

BROCKTON MAKES THE CONNECTION!
Well we are heading into fall and I thought I would take this opportunity to bring everyone up to speed on the initiatives underway, the progress made to date and the direction we are heading.

Let's start with "Water, Water Everywhere, a water protection program for rural residents. This initiative was started by the Green Communities Association of Ontario and funded by The Ministry of the Environment's EcoAction program. The mandate was to perform 100 safe water visits for Brockton residents. Our first water visit took place on June 21, 2002 and to date we have completed 50 visits, with a numerous others booked and awaiting completion.

I would like to say congratulations to all residents who have called the Walkerton Healthy Community Initiative to have Jim Mitchell, water advisor extraordinaire perform their rural water visit, as well as those residents who have taken the time to fill out a "Safe Water Checklist". You have "made the connection" between what is going on in your own backyards and quality and safety of your drinking water. The program will continue until we have filled the remaining allotted spaces or until the snow is too deep to see your well! A special thank you to The Green Communities Association of Ontario and EcoAction for making this program possible. Thank you as well to our other partners, he Municipality of Brockton, the Public Health Unit, Human Resources Development Canada and Walkerton Graphics.

October 7, 2002 will mark the official opening of the new office for the Bruce-Grey Environmental Resource Centre. This centre is located at suite #4, 111 Jackson Street in Walkerton (Victoria Jubilee Hall). The resource centre will be an information centre for all those looking to promote a healthy community through environmental change. Environmental and healthy community information will be available in the both hard copy and on line formats for the general public to access. The information available will range from solutions to climate change, organic gardening and naturalized lawns to books which show us how to rework our successes attaining sustainability without compromising accountability.
The centre is staffed in order that your questions can be answered and help can be provided in finding the solutions you are looking for.

One of the most important functions of the Bruce-Grey Environmental Centre will be to serve as the base of operation for the Walkerton Healthy Community Initiative. The Walkerton Water Stories Project, the Rural Water Protection Program and organic lawn care are only a sample of the environmental commitment to which we are focused. Future endeavors may include reduced CO2 emissions and alternative energy sources. This resource centre would not have been possible without a grant provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and through funding made available by Human Resources Development Canada. Thank you.

One of the things that make a community a healthy one is communication. The Bruce-Grey Environmental Resource Centre is "exchange of ideas" space. A place to share ideas, values and knowledge with the rest of the community.

We encourage you to share the initiatives that matter to you. Anyone interested in booking a rural water visit, completing a safe water checklist, become a member of the WHCI, volunteering at the resource centre or to just to ask questions is invited to contact us at: 881-1795 or whci@on.aibn.com