The Town of Collingwood and NVCA invite residents to learn about the history and health of Collingwood’s streams

August 4, 2022

In October 2019, Council passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency to deepen our commitment to protecting our economy, our community, and our ecosystems from the climate crisis. During that resolution, Council acknowledged that municipalities bear much of the financial burden associated with climate change and that climate solutions not only reduce carbon output but may also offer multiple benefits. Climate-based solutions can lead to improved health and air quality, greater community resilience, economic development, and reduced costs.

Council’s commitment to support these solutions comes through the Town’s Community Based Strategic Plan (2020-2023), under the Goal: enhance community well-being and sustainability. The objective of this goal is to “preserve the town’s environment and take action on climate change”, which identifies that the Town should work to “baseline and improve Town’s environmental performance measures” within one (1) to three (3) years. Ongoing stream health monitoring has already begun with the objective of identifying ways which the Town can begin to improve our natural environment.

By developing a better understanding of the status of Collingwood’s urban streams, the Town can work to enhance stream health through projects to ensure the stream remains a viable habitat for native species.

Over the next 4 years, Collingwood in collaboration with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA), is undertaking an enhanced stream health analysis project to better understand and discover the health our urban streams.

The goal of the project is to better understand and characterize the health of Pretty River and Black Ash Creek. By sampling water chemistry, aquatic insects, and fish the Town can compare the results from NVCA’s 2018 Watershed Health Checks to monitor changes and implement improvement projects.

• Why are the Pretty River and Black Ash Creek so great?
• Recreation for local residents
• Provides wildlife habitat
• Green infrastructure (stormwater, effluent dilution, flood protection)
• Important history (indigenous & post contact)
• Healthy rivers keep the Collingwood harbour clean
• Aesthetic and health benefits of living near nature
• Property value benefits of living near nature
• Helps local economies and improves tourism

Rivers reflect the communities through which they flow. Good river stewardship upstream benefits those living downstream. But also, bad practices are reflected in downstream conditions.

When you measure water quality at one point on a river, it’s a summary of the impacts of the river upstream. Both Pretty River and Black Ash Creek originate from the Niagara Escarpment and pass through the Town of the Blue Mountains and Clearview before passing through Collingwood.

Learn More
Join the Town’s own Climate Action Specialist Nicole Yardy and NVCA staff at the Sidelaunch Days Festival. The information booth will be in the vendor area on the Promenade (sidelaunchdays.ca). By visiting our booth, you can enter for your chance to win a Sunset Cruise for 2, courtesy of Collingwood Charters.

To learn more about the project please visit: www.collingwood.ca/streams

For more information, contact:

Christa Carter
Manager, Public Relations
& Communications
Town of Collingwood
705-445-1030 Ext. 3274
ccarter@collingwood.ca

Nicole Yardy
Climate Change Specialist
Town of Collingwood
T. 704-445-1030 Ext. 4221
nyardy@collingwood.ca

Maria Leung
Communications Coordinator
Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA)
T. 705-424-1479 Ext. 254
mleung@nvca.on.ca

NT5