2019 Annual Report
Conservation Matters

CVC forestry crew taking an inventory of trees

who we are

Credit Valley Conservation’s job is to protect, restore and manage the water, land and natural habitats of the Credit River Watershed. A watershed is the area of land that drains (“sheds”) rain or snow melt into a stream or river that flows to a bigger body of water – in our case, the Credit River and ultimately, Lake Ontario.

Watersheds matter because the land and water are so fundamentally connected. Healthy lands lead to better water quality when runoff from rainfall filters and cleans as it crosses the land. Better water quality means cleaner drinking water, and healthy aquatic plants and wildlife.

Healthy lands and forests reduce effects from climate change, and support diverse wildlife and their habitats. On the lands and in forests of our watersheds, people find solace and connect with nature.

A message from the Chair

Karen Ras
Chair, Credit Valley Conservation

As I write this, the COVID-19 pandemic offers clear proof of the close connections in our world. This is something we know well at CVC.

It’s because of these connections that collaboration with our partners and neighbours is vital to protecting, restoring and enhancing natural resources in the Credit River Watershed.

In 2019, we dealt with historic ice jams and spring floods. We battled the effects of invasive species like the emerald ash borer. We finished management plans for areas needing careful attention, like the Black Creek subwatershed around Acton, and we connected people and nature. All in a day’s work!

Our work continued while awaiting regulations under a new Conservation Authorities Act.

The new act includes three main mandatory programs: protecting against natural hazards, protecting drinking water through source protection and managing conservation authority-owned lands. We’ve also asked the province to include watershed management into our mandatory programs under the new act.

Together, we’ll strengthen our driving force – the rallying call that defines who we are, what we do and why – conservation matters.

From the CAO

Deborah Martin-Downs
CAO, Credit Valley Conservation

There’s nothing like immersing yourself in nature to feel a connection to the earth.

We often refer to ourselves as the “boots on the ground, fingers in the soil and hands in the water.” That means you’ll find us growing native plants, helping businesses manage stormwater naturally on their properties and monitoring our environment.

We provide seedlings during special planting events and run workshops that inspire a love of nature. We encourage people to explore our green spaces and to join with partners on projects of great importance, such as the Credit Valley Trail, launched in 2019.

Monitoring and science underpin our work. We collect data that show trends and emerging issues. In 2019 we updated floodplain maps and started new risk maps to help municipalities protect neighbourhoods from flooding.

Partnering with more than 4,000 students, residents and corporate employees continued to be a major part of our success. These volunteers help us magnify the impact from investments made by our municipal partners.

This report highlights just some of the ways that conservation matters to our watershed communities and our province.

what we monitor

Credit River

conservation areas

stream sites

wetland sites

1,500+

kilometres of streams, creeks and rivers

forest sites

100

km of trails

2,855

Conservation matters…to our partners

The Credit River is almost 90 km long. It winds southeast from its headwaters in Orangeville, Erin and Mono, through nine municipalities. Eventually, it drains into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. For these municipalities, we offer technical and environmental planning expertise to keep people and properties safe, ensuring new development and changes to existing development stay away from flood-prone and hazardous areas.

In 2019…

we reviewed

405

planning and environmental applications

we reviewed

300

permit applications

we received

93%

“good overall” customer satisfaction rating

we met

90%

of defined permit timelines

Man viewing a flipchart at a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan event

We’re partnering with residents and municipalities to build more sustainable, climate-resilient communities

Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plans (SNAP for short) are now in Brampton’s Fletchers Creek and beginning in Georgetown’s Hungry Hollow.

SNAPs encourage neighbours to connect with nature and take action to restore and protect their local environments. They help improve neighbourhood health and make communities more resilient to climate change.

Conservation matters… to our safety

Arming ourselves with data is more important than ever. Climate change can lead to cold winters with a lot of river ice build-up. It also means a higher likelihood of mid-winter rain, which can cause water levels to rise, breaking the ice and resulting in ice jams and localized flooding.

We had significant ice jams in three locations in 2019: Ferndale in Caledon, Glen Williams in Georgetown and Meadowvale in Mississauga. The ice jams lasted for 6 weeks – unheard of in recent memory. For the first time in 40 years, dynamite blasting was needed to clear the jam in Glen Williams.

Data-driven

With data, we can predict future floods, warn the public and work with municipal partners to be prepared. Every day, our staff watch for flooding and we collect 15,000 points from real-time environmental stations measuring:

Rainfall

13 stations

Streamflow

31 stations

Climate

5 stations

Water Quality

11 stations

Monitoring in real time helps us better understand, predict and warn about flooding, threats to water quality and low water levels.

Mapping a safe path forward

Updated floodplain maps, new risk maps and flood alerts help municipalities and first responders prepare and respond. Which roads should be closed and when? Are there hospitals, schools, long-term care facilities or other vulnerable populations in high risk zones? How can we safeguard people, property and communities?

Save it for a rainy day

With heavy rain, water runoff from hard surfaces rushes into storm drains. Every time this happens, this water carries contaminants, like dirt, oils, tire residue, fertilizers and dog waste from our yards, streets and parking lots into a nearby creek or the Credit River, changing its quality.

The extra load can cause rivers to overflow and areas to flood, resulting in damage to homes and businesses. We work with partners and neighbours to slow down, soak up, cool and filter stormwater to improve water quality and reduce localized flooding.

One tactic is a rain garden filled with special gravel, soil, shrubs, flowers and grasses. In 2019, we created Canada’s largest school rain garden at Glendale Public School in Brampton. We partnered with Peel District School Board, the City of Brampton and 345 student, neighbourhood and corporate volunteers.

Rendering of native garden outdoors at a corporation

Greening Corporate Grounds

We’re proud of our Greening Corporate Grounds program, which helps businesses build green landscapes and manage stormwater naturally on their properties. In 2019, we worked with 12 businesses helping them complete five conservation projects. Another eight projects are in progress.

Want to become a member of Greening Corporate Grounds? Connect with us to learn more.

Two women and a dog picnicking at a Conservation Area

Conservation matters…to our visitors

800,000+

people visited our nine main conservation areas

104,000+

people visited the Cheltenham Badlands

2,000+

people signed out Conservation Parks passes at libraries

Connecting people with nature

Group of diverse seniors visiting Terra Cotta Conservation Area to learn about health and wellness.

Welcoming outdoor spaces encourage people to spend time in nature. We work with the public health sector to offer health and wellness programs that bring community groups to Terra Cotta Conservation Area. For instance, more than 500 seniors from diverse cultures joined us to explore nature firsthand, many for the very first time.

Learn more about ways you can connect with land and water

Find our conservation areas

Connecting communities along the Credit

We’re bringing our vision of a 100-kilometre Credit Valley Trail to life. In 2019 we celebrated the brand launch and laid the groundwork for the first segment to open in 2020.

We also celebrated the inaugural land acquisition for the trail – a spectacular 44-acre property in the heart of Caledon, along the upper reaches of the Credit River, affectionately referred to as our “capstone”. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle, enabling future public access to Charles Sauriol Conservation Area.

Partially forested with the Credit River meandering through, the property includes stunning cedar forests and rich biodiversity, secured through generous donations to CVC Foundation.

Connecting kids with fun

We worked on a unique natural playground at Island Lake Conservation Area in Mono, with support from Friends of Island Lake, Orangeville Lions Club and Rotary Club of Orangeville. Opening in 2020, it will offer kids of all ages outdoor musical instruments, climbing trees, a play structure and accessible trail.

Rendering of an environmental playground at Island Lake Conservation Area

Young woman doing a planting for CVC's Conservation Youth Corps Program

Conservation matters…to our green space

Trees and shrubs really do a lot. Planting more increases the tree canopy. It reduces heat stress related to climate change, fills the gaps between forests and increases biodiversity. It provides essential habitat for wildlife, cools streams and strengthens our natural heritage system. It also removes carbon dioxide from the air and reduces runoff that contributes to flooding.

In 2019 we planted 48,000+ trees and shrubs

Over 10 years, we planted more than 946,400
trees and shrubs

In 2019, those 946,400 trees and shrubs captured approximately 1,547 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, which equals a year’s worth of emissions from 334 cars

In 2019, those 946,400 trees and shrubs had the capacity to retain more than 10 million litres of runoff, which equals roughly 55,000 standard bathtubs-full of water

New space for vital work

After years of planning and building, we were excited to cut the ribbon on our facilities – the Warwick Conservation Centre in Caledon. It provides a better home for our nursery operations and a base for teams managing invasive plants and engaging in rural landowner outreach.

Ribbon cutting for the opening of Warwick Conservation Centre in Caledon

CVC staff consulting with a landowner on their farm

Conservation matters…to our farmers

More than 70 farmers and rural landowners took action in 2019 to protect their local environment. They attended a tour or workshop, got advice or delayed hay harvest to provide safe breeding and nesting ground for grassland birds. That resulted in bobolink and eastern meadowlark fledglings leaving at least 36 nests. By using agricultural best practices, these farmers also help reduce drinking water threats and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve water quality and soil health.

Farmers doing their part

Meet Barry Wright, born and raised on his family’s dairy farm in Erin. Today, he and his wife Tina enjoy hiking, walking their dog and watching birds on their own farm, not far from where Barry grew up. They produce hay on 35 acres of their own land and other acreage rented from neighbors. In 2014, Barry and Tina enrolled part of their land in CVC’s Bird-Friendly Certified Hay Program.

Find out how you can help grassland birds

“The flexibility of enrolling only a portion of my farmland allows me to balance my desire to grow higher-protein early-cut hay with my desire to leave a little space for the birds.”
– Barry Wright, Erin

Landowner Barry Wright standing beside a hay bale

Conservation matters…and individuals can help

Create healthy spaces for birds and butterflies by growing a pollinator garden
Install a rain barrel and use the water you capture to water your garden
Plant native trees and shrubs or a whole forest
Reduce use of de-icing salt and fertilizers
Recycle motor oil and antifreeze rather than dumping them
Leash your dog on our trails, and stoop and scoop

Learn more at a workshop or event

Find programs for teachers, students, parents, kids and other groups

Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson, Region of Peel Chair Nando Iannicca, Caledon Councillor and CVC Foundation Trustee Johanna Downey, CVC CAO Deborah Martin-Downs, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley President Chris Humeniuk, CVCF Vice-Chair Ed Arundell holding a $265,000 donation cheque from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the securement of the Capstone property

Conservation matters…to our supporters

The municipalities we serve provide 95% of our operating expenses. Other sources include park fees and programs, provincial funding, grants and donations to the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation. The Foundation provides a stable funding source that supports our vital programs. Generous supporters raised more than $1.8 million for the Foundation in 2019. This helped the Foundation meet its five-year, $5-million target a full year earlier than planned.

Engaging donors

Some of CVC Foundation’s donors, like Canon and UPS, join us for workdays and team-building activities as part of their support. In 2019, 2,125 corporate and community volunteers connected with us through 39 events. Together, they planted 7,372 native trees and shrubs, and restored 37,821 m² of land by removing invasive plants, enhancing trails and more.

UPS employees taking part in a volunteer tree planting with CVC

CVC Foundation is generously supported by

directors

corporate partners

717

individuals & families

community organizations

government partners

137

in-kind donors

963

event guests

$1,840,498

raised

$1,606,518

contributed to CVC

Thank you!

2019 Financial Highlights

Total contributions from municipal levy

BUDGET: $25,507,633

ACTUAL: $24,767,047

Total raised through other sources (grants, etc.)

BUDGET: $2,383,756

ACTUAL: $2,556,250

Total revenue generated by CVC (parks, planning fees, etc.)

BUDGET: $3,840,378

ACTUAL: $4,298,261

Total budget to actual

BUDGET: $31,731,767

ACTUAL: $31,621,588*

*Actuals recognized based on the accrual method of accounting.
For more information please see our Audited Financial Statements.

Thank you to our member municipalities for your support and valued partnerships!

The Credit River Watershed is the area of land that drains runoff from rain and snow into the tributaries of the Credit River. In addition, smaller adjacent watersheds that drain directly into Lake Ontario and a section of the Lake Ontario shoreline make up CVC’s jurisdiction. From north to south this area includes sections of Amaranth, Mono, Orangeville, East Garafraxa, Caledon, Erin, Halton Hills, Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville.

Honouring the land and water

As we work to further our mission we are reminded of the rich history and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples as stewards of the land and water of the Credit River Watershed.

Credit Valley Conservation acknowledges that the Credit River Watershed is part of the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The Credit River Watershed is also the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Métis and, most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

As citizens, we continue to be party to the treaties made with Indigenous peoples. We affirm that this land and water are our common source of life and we must all share in their stewardship and prosperity, now and for future generations.