MINUTES
TORBAY ENVIRONMENT & TRAILS COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, April 30, 2003, 7:30pm, Kinsmen Centre
Present: Shirley Thorne Peggy Manning
Madeleine Florent Mike Byrne
Harvey Best Ross Traverse
Michelle DuRand Sandy Sandeman
Kay Codner Mark Allcock
John Cooper
The agenda was approved with some additions under Other Business
The minutes were approved.
Madeleine reported that the project was winding down but there was a lot of activity under way. About 80 people attended the Open House on April 13 which featured many more displays than last year including a popular fly-tying demonstration. The Torbay Volunteer Fire Department participated and has some ideas for making the event even bigger next year. Twenty people participated in the April 26 clean-up which produced 54 bags of garbage and an assortment of trash. It also yielded a functioning Timex watch which we are assuming spent the winter under water. Madeleine will make contact with the Timex Company in the hope they might use this in some publicity and maybe make a donation to the project.
The artwork for the road sign has been completed and the sign should be ready in a week or two. We will make plans for an unveiling which could coincide with a signing ceremony for the landowners. We will want to make sure we get some students to attend. Mike will speak to Council about this to see what might be a good time for this. Harvey will investigate an alternative to pressure-treated wood such as Larch/Juniper which is available from a lumber yard in Jamestown.
The web site is well under way but not yet launched. We will be applying for a domain name.
Michelle has added a couple of features to our web site. First is a hit counter which shows 440 hits in only 2 months! A guest book is also on the site and everyone who visits is encouraged to sign. Anyone who has ideas on other features we might want to add to our site should contact Michelle. Madeleine will email photos of the clean-up to Michelle.
A newsletter sub-committee, which includes Shirley, Peggy, Madeleine, Marion and Michelle, was struck to prepare the next issue. We are aiming for release by June 20. The sub-committee will meet on June 12. In the meantime, contributions are invited for the newsletter and should be forwarded to any member of the sub-committee. So far, possible items include: the Gully sign unveiling, the Western Island Pond brochure, the Property Beautification Awards, our booth at the Hillside Festival, ATVs, Dr. David Suzuki's visit, the Trail Mapping project and an article from Ross.
A sub-committee was struck made up of Peggy, Marian and Kay. Peggy will contact Joan Joy and Susan Boulos to see if they would be willing to sit on the sub-committee.
This year, we will try to arrange a tour of previous winning properties, ideally in July when gardens are at their best.
The reception organized by the town on April 29 to recognize all its volunteers was well-attended and well-received. The town has asked all its volunteer groups for statistics on the number of volunteer hours spent on the town. We have good statistics already for the Gully project but not for the committee as a whole.
The Gully project has prepared thank you cards with buttons which will be distributed to all those who helped out during the past year.
8. Community Hikes
Our next hike is tentatively planned for June 1, at 1pm, on the Father Troy Trail. Details will be emailed to members and posted on the web site as soon as they are firmed up. We will try to have an interpreter (naturalist or birdwatcher) to accompany us on the hike.
The ECTA is planning a hike from Pouch Cove to Cape St. Francis on May 11 starting at 11am. For information on other ECTA hikes, visit their web site.
Harvey, Shirley and Madeleine attended a capacity-building workshop hosted by the Capital Coast Tourism Association on April 12. Representatives from the Heritage Committee also attended as well as representatives from other Northeast Avalon communities.
10.1 Water & Sewer on Patrick's Path
Plans for installing services on Patrick's Path will proceed in May as 80% of residents are in favour of the work. For the record, the Committee hopes that the town will pursue the construction of a sewage treatment plant as soon as the necessary funds are put at their disposal.
10.2 David Suzuki Seminar, May 12
The Committee agreed that Shirley and Madeleine attend the brunch in the morning as representatives of the Committee with the funds to be provided from the TETC's budget. Ken's ticket will be payed for by the Gully Project.
In the evening, Dr. Suzuki will be giving a talk about the Nature Challenge at Holy Heart Auditorium at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 and some are still available. Anyone interested should contact Ruth French at the Protected Areas Association.
10.3 ECTA Newsletter and Membership
The Spring issue of the ECTA newsletter contains an article and photograph on the Gully project and the Trail Mapping project.
The TETC membership has expired. It was agreed that we would renew. Madeleine will complete the application and give it to Rodney for payment.
10.4 Hillside Festival
Preparations for the festival are well under way and the festival committee is looking for suggestions on opportunities to promote the event. The theme song for the event is 'West Country Lady'. A T-shirt is being developed. Entertainers have been booked.
Ross has already purchased the fish for the fish & brewis. In addition to our outdoor tent, we will be participating in the indoor displays being set up in the Kinsmen Centre to highlight our town. We will need to arrange a schedule of volunteers to man this display and answer questions from the public. The Women's Institute will again dress in their period costume and it was suggested we should look at some kind of identifying 'uniform' (eg white T-shirt) for TETC volunteers. Madeleine will be checking with Newfoundland Power about the rental of their tent.
10.5 Stewardship Association of Municipalities Meeting, Springdale, June 6-7
The Committee is allowed two representatives to this meeting in addition to Shirley who attends as the secretary of the association. Anyone interested should let Shirley know. Harvey is considering going.
10.6 Newfoundland & Labrador Environmental Award
We are nominating the town again this year and will be sending updated information.
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 28, at 7:30pm at the Kinsmen Centre.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40pm.