A message from Our President (continued from page 4)
forum is a great platform to share information and ask questions). Also, we can reach out to our local politicians to keep them accountable and make sure they are doing their part to protect community interests. For more detailed information on Bill 23 and its impacts I encourage you to read the article in this edition of the Green Sward submitted by: Mr. Niall Lobley, Director of Community Services at the Township of Georgian Bluffs. On behalf of OPA, thank you Niall for taking the time to write and share such a comprehensive article on Bill 23. We appreciate your insight. In other news… we are extremely pleased to report that our new course offerings are shaping up to be a huge success! The Horticulture Practitioner course is up and running online and we are working on a practical in person component to be offered in the future. Thank you to our facilitator Donna Zarudny for her efforts and expertise in helping develop and roll out this program. We have also partnered with the Smart About Salt Council to offer a course educating participants on the best practices for salt usage, safe handling and environmental considerations. Thank you to the Smart About Salt Council for their partnership. Our Parks Encampment course is also going full steam ahead with tremendous response and participation. A big thank you to Esther Afriat and Grant Drygas for the incredible work they do in the field, in the office and in the classroom. Kudos! Looking ahead - We have also partnered with the folks at the Greenhouse Academy in Thorndale Ontario and are working towards some exciting education opportunities geared towards our youth along with some other possible surprises. We look forward to working with them so please stay tuned to our website and social media pages for more information.
working with the folks at the City of Belleville to host a 2-day event in late September or early October that will showcase some of the city’s highlights and premier parks as well as holding our vendor trade show and educational speakers. Please keep an eye out for more information and an official announcement for our 66th Annual Parks Education Forum! Just in case you missed our staff announcement earlier this month, our Training Coordinator Jonathon MacAlpine has decided to advance his career and accept the position of Events Coordinator at the University of Waterloo. We wish Jonathon all the best in his new role and thank him for his exceptional efforts with OPA. While we thank Jonathon and wish him well, we also welcome our new Training Coordinator Joshua Goetz to the OPA team. Please join us in welcoming Joshua. Wishing you all a safe winter, happy holidays and new year!
Darryl Gairns, OPA Board President Supervisor of Harbours, Town of Oakville
rickw@ure-techsurfaces.com www.ure-techsurfaces.com
Save the date – We have big plans in the works for our Annual Parks Education Forum. We are
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Ontario Parks Association
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