Annual General Meeting Marks 60 Year Milestone

February 4, 2011 – Newmarket, ON – The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) celebrated its 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Friday, January 28, with a standing-room-only crowd at the Holiday Inn Express in Newmarket.

The LSRCA Board of Directors holds an AGM in order to close out business from the year prior, elect the Chair and Vice Chair positions and open business for the new year. This year’s annual meeting was a particularly significant one because it marks 60 years of watershed management for LSRCA and saw nearly 50 percent of the membership of the Board change due to the recent municipal election. However, leadership on the Board remains strong as Chair, East Gwillimbury Mayor, Virginia Hackson and Vice Chair, Township of Scugog Regional Councillor, Bobbie Drew were both re-elected to their seats for another year.

"Our 2007 – 2011 Board of Directors was an incredibly dedicated group of individuals that were passionate and supportive of the work the conservation authority does," said Virginia Hackson, Chair of the LSRCA Board of Directors. "I want to thank our Board members for their tireless efforts, their time and willingness to get involved as well as their desire to educate and advocate – they are a big part of the reason LSRCA has achieved so much over the last four years."

Celebrating its 60-year legacy, with a focus on the future, LSRCA hosted guest speaker Professor Gary Jones Chairman of the International RiverFoundation, the organization that awarded the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority its prestigious Thiess International Riverprize in 2009.

Professor Jones, a global authority on water management, spoke very highly of Ontario's watershed-based conservation authority system and its reliance on science and research to guide its strategic direction. Professor Jones congratulated LSRCA on the success of its integrated watershed management approach and for being able to build and sustain community and government support for the common goal of protecting and restoring the health of the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Finally, the meeting ended on a high note with the unveiling of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority's 60th anniversary celebration logo.

"Marking our 60th year in watershed management is an incredible milestone," said Gayle Wood, LSRCA's Chief Administrative Officer. "Our partnerships on all levels have been invaluable to our success and with the influx of new members to the Board I’m looking forward to their new energy and ideas as we advance the conservation authority’s efforts. We're very proud of our past 60 years and I am confident that the next 60 will be even more productive."

Read the electronic copy of the 2010 LSRCA Annual Report

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority’s mission is to provide leadership
in the restoration and protection of the environmental health and quality of Lake Simcoe and its watershed.
In its 60th year, the LSRCA has worked to protect natural resources in the Lake Simcoe watershed
in collaboration with community, municipal, and other government partners.

Media contact:
Kristen Yemm
Manager, Corporate Communication
Phone: 905-895-1281 ext. 315    Email: k.yemm@lsrca.on.ca
120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 4X1
Toll Free: 1-800-465-0437