[GREN-Exec] Draft Minutes GREN Exec re Greenbelt March 5, 2021

[Mr. Kevin R. Thomason]

Hi Susan,

Good minutes - captures most of the key points.

Some updates from my late Friday OGA call and the dozens of e-mails that poured in over the weekend as groups across the province try to figure out how best to deal with Doug Ford and all that lies before us:

1) OGA grant of $10,000 for GREN - is being increased to $18,000 and has evolved to include some local webinars to help engage local groups, elected officials, staff, and others in better protection and stewardship of protected areas.   The materials will be developed by Environmental Defence and Ontario Nature.  It will include collaboration with David Crombie’s new Citizen Forum group as well.  Our role similar to Environment Hamilton, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, and Oak Ridges Moraine Groups will be to participate on the OGA Steering Committee, run the webinars in Waterloo to local influencers and groups, and nuture relationships with local groups promoting the Greenbelt.

This is basic environmental and protected area education and ensuring that municipal planning reinforces environmental protection.  These are all pretty much things we are doing already and don’t present any significant challenges for GREN.  Also Franz Hartman, chair of the OGA will be available to assist GREN with any deliverables that we may need assistance with.

The application is due on Monday, March 8th.  The OGA will draft and submit it with GREN as one of the six primary participants similar to last year’s grants.  At this point we don’t need to do anything until we all hear back from the Greenbelt Foundation in the weeks ahead.


2) Greenbelt Foundation grant of $25,000 - building upon the awareness/education in 1) above, this would be groups across the province leading tours and first-hand nature experiences to increase firsthand relationships with the Greenbelt and the environment.  This is really a provincial rollout of the Moraine 101 tours Deb, Greg, myself and others have already been doing for years.

This is a grant that we would need to apply to the Greenbelt Foundation for directly as GREN, first with a basic Letter of Intent (LOI) due Wednesday, March 10th.  The Guelph Protect the Moraine Group and many other regional groups will also be applying for this grant for their areas as well.  Again, Franz Hartman is available to assist in any places that GREN does not have the capacity.

Two issues - 1) It appears that in order to apply directly to the Greenbelt Foundation for funding (rather than through the OGA and other groups like we have in the past) GREN will either need to be a registered Canadian charity or an incorporated not-for-profit organization with audited financial statements.  I don’t think that we are either of these currently those Susan did recently say that it is relatively easy to register.
	
	2) We need to draft and submit this Letter of Intent by Wednesday March 10th.  Although it is a rushed timeline, I can lead the process and make sure that we get something submitted if we are interested.  


I realize that we are all busy and none of us are looking for anything additional to do these days.  However, Waterloo Region has perhaps the most to lose from Doug Ford’s actions, we have the best local protections and this is a time that we need to be rising to the occasion and helping to lead things across the province, rather than stepping away from things.  The key that I am counting on here is the OGA along with Franz really being able to jump in and assist us as needed and in reality there not being a lot required that we aren’t already doing and have done for years.

I will work on getting a meeting set-up with Michelle Sergi at the Region of Waterloo as noted in Susan’s minutes as well.

I’ll keep you posted as things continue to unfold.

Cheers,
Kevin.




-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com

-----------------------------------------

> On Mar 7, 2021, at 12:56 PM, Susan Koswan <susankoswan at execulink.com> wrote:
> 
> H GRENX,
> 
> Attached are draft minutes from our Friday meeting.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Susan K
> 
> 
> <GREN Exec minutes March 5, 2021.docx>_______________________________________________
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> Executive at gren.ca
> http://gren.ca/mailman/listinfo/executive_gren.ca

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