<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi GREN Executive.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As you have seen firsthand it has been a crazy couple of months on both the Regional Official Plan issues and the Greenbelt expansion front with the ROP/MZO issues exploding locally and the Greenbelt Vision Map being unveiled just before Christmas in-conjunction with the Guelph Greenbelt West Alliance.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thankfully, we had the foresight to apply for Greenbelt Foundation funding back last June to help to provide some financial resources to allow us to adequately tackle these issues. So far, this has consisted primarily of helping to cover my time and expenses along with Dr. Franz Hartman who has been integral to helping to engage citizens and groups across our region. We have also been able to provide some small cash grants to area organizations such as the Nith Valley Ecoboosters and 50x30WR for their assistance with webinars, etc. Additionally, there is funding to help pay for our website update and other operating expenses we may have.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">You may remember that another significant component of GREN participating in this regional funding for our part of Ontario is that this is part of a larger umbrella funding package to provincial groups - providing much needed funding and resources to Environmental Defence, EcoSpark, Ontario Nature, and others to keep providing the essential materials, expertise, and leadership on so many environmental issues across the province that we all depend on.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Since we are half-way through our grant period, it’s time for an interim report to the Greenbelt Foundation which I am attaching a copy of below.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Greg - Since Franz and I have yet to submit any invoices for November or December and the time spent on both the ROP, MZO and Greenbelt launch has been significant you’ll see the budget update simply has estimates. I will work on getting you invoices soon.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">You’ll see that we are in good financial shape, our spending is below the anticipated levels of the grant and hopefully not too far below budget to cause any issues with the Greenbelt Foundation as they want to ensure money is being spent as expected. I think that while we are behind in some project aspects like getting our new GREN website running, other things like the broad level of community engagement on the Regional Official Plan and the tremendous media coverage of the Greenbelt vision map launch far exceed expectations.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The time that I have had to put into things has also far exceeded expectations and I have greatly underreported and discounted my time to stay within our very modest budget ranges. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please let me know any questions or ideas and hopefully we will see great results for the ROP, Greenbelt, and overall environment over the year ahead.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thanks,</div><div class="">Kevin.<br class=""><div class="">
<meta charset="UTF-8" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><br class="">-------------------------------------<br class=""><br class="">Kevin Thomason<br class=""><br class="">1115 Cedar Grove Road<br class="">Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4<br class=""><br class="">Phone: (519) 888-0519<br class="">Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648<br class="">Twitter: @kthomason<br class=""><a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div></div></div>
</div>
<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Kevin Thomason <<a href="mailto:kevinthomason@me.com" class="">kevinthomason@me.com</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">GREN Interim Report</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">January 10, 2022 at 3:40:45 PM EST<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">"Ms. Shelley Petrie" <<a href="mailto:spetrie@greenbelt.ca" class="">spetrie@greenbelt.ca</a>>, Bizhan Roshan <<a href="mailto:broshan@greenbelt.ca" class="">broshan@greenbelt.ca</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Cc: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Franz Hartmann <<a href="mailto:franzgreenbeltalliance@gmail.com" class="">franzgreenbeltalliance@gmail.com</a>><br class=""></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi Bizhan and Shelley,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have uploaded our interim report to the Fluxx website. Hopefully everything has come through okay. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Just in case please find attached the GREN Interim Report for “Building Support for Greenbelt Friendly Local Planning and Greenbelt Expansion in the Grand River Watershed" three separate PDF files:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1) GREN Interim Report Document PDF</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2) Schedule A - GREN Interim Work Plan Update PDF</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3) GREN Interim Budget Update PDF</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Hopefully these will meet our interim reporting requirements. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We have been extremely pleased with the success to date and tremendous community engagement on both the MCR/Official Plans as well as the potential Greenbelt expansion to SouthWestern Ontario. While overwhelming at times it has been fantastic to see so many groups and citizens across our region become increasingly involved in these issues and the directions that things seem to be heading.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">Please let us know any questions or suggestions.</div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cheers,</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">------------------------------------</div><div class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div class=""><div class=""><b class="">1) GREN Interim Report Document PDF</b></div><div class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div class=""></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>