The community of Trout River recently experienced damaging flooding.  In 2008 Daniel’s Harbour suffered a devastating landslide.  In 2005 a section of embankment buried a section of Riverside Drive in Corner Brook.  Such events threaten property and human safety.  Weather impacts us all.

Are we seeing more frequent extreme weather events in western Newfoundland?  Could changes to construction practices minimize potential destruction?  How can community planning be improved to prevent possible impacts and losses? What is the insurance industry doing to address global changes in weather related losses?

These questions and others will be discussed at a workshop being co-hosted by ACAP Humber Arm and the Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Municipal councillors and employees, those involved in the construction industry, environmental organizations, industry, academia and students, and the interested public will all benefit from this workshop. On hand to share their expertise during this workshop will be:

• Trevor Bell, Geography Dept, Memorial University
• Martin Batterson, NL Dept of Natural Resources
• Glenn McGillivray, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction

This workshop is open to the public and free of charge.  The workshop will be held:

10am – 3pm
Monday, March 28^th
RecPlex Building, University Drive, Corner Brook

As lunch will be provided you are asked to rsvp to speddle@acaphumberarm.com no later then Friday, March 18^th.

March meeting of the Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador

Come to our AGM on Thursday, March 17, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. at the MUN
Botanical Garden (306 Mt. Scio Road). Our program includes the  following:

1. Our Annual General Meeting and election of the new Board of Directors.
Please contact any member of the Board if you are interested
in joining our board. The other major item on the agenda will be the
previously announced proposal to change the name of the Society to “Nature
Newfoundland and Labrador”.

2. “Members’ Slide Show and Story Telling Time”. Bring a handful of your
favorite photos or stories to share. Both a slide projector and a computer
projector will be available. To minimize technological glitches, try to
bring your digital photos in a powerpoint presentation on a flash drive.
Please contact me rita@play.psych.mun.ca or 864-8771), if you have any
questions.

Hope to see you!!!

Climate Change Presentation

College of the North Atlantic is proud to present Newfoundland and Labrador’s own Gwynne Dyer, award winning columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs, as he leads a provocative talk on Climate Change and the Fate of Newfoundland. Join us for this presentation!

On Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m., Dyer brings his presentation to Corner Brook’s Pepsi Centre.

Read more: http://www.cna.nl.ca/news/gwynne-dyer.asp#ixzz1G1FJzvwT

For further information feel free to get in touch,

David O. Decker, BA

Student Development Officer

Western Region

College of the North Atlantic

(709) 637-8604

(709) 660-1646 (C)

(709) 634-2126 (F)

REGISTER NOW

The Canadian Innovation Conversation

Are you a small or medium size business? Do you have an innovative product or service that you are interested in selling to government? If yes, the Office of Small & Medium Enterprises (OSME) invites you to attend The Canadian Innovation Conversation being hosted on Wednesday, March 23rd 2011 in St. John’s , NL.

The Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP) is a new, $40 million procurement program, launched as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to promote Canada ’s economic growth as announced in Budget 2010. These events will provide the opportunity for companies to showcase their innovative goods and services to federal departments, as well as allow federal departments to share information on their operations and priorities, and any challenges or needs they are experiencing in program delivery.

The CICP targets innovations in four priority areas:

§ Environment                             
§ Health
§ Enabling technologies              
§ Safety and security

The CICP is managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada(PWGSC),and implemented by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME). To help small and medium sized businesses take advantage of the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program, the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises is organizing a regional event as per the below schedule:

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Holiday Inn St. John’s
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Meeting Room: Salon BCD (Main Level)

This event will provide the opportunity for companies to showcase their innovative goods and services to federal departments, as well as allow federal departments to share information on their operations and priorities, and any challenges or needs they are experiencing in program delivery.

Agenda*:

8:30 – 9:00am             Registration

9:00 – 9:30am            Welcome & Introduction to Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program

9:30 – 12:00pm The Innovation Conversation

List of Presentations:

 Environment Canada
Canadian Coast Guard (Search & Rescue) 
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Aquaculture) 
National Research Council (NRC) – Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) 
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

12:00 – 1:00pm           Break (Lunch on your own)

1:00 – 4:00pm             Network Meetings**

1:30 – 2:30pm             Bidding Session (Office of Small and Medium Enterprises)

* Agenda may be subject to change.

**Network meetings will be pre-scheduled for 15 minutes in duration.  eSource Event Registration Ltd. will contact you the week prior to determine your interest and availability in meeting with a government representative.

There is no cost to attend this event but registration is mandatory.To register, please go to:www.eSourceEvent.com/CICPeventNL Should you require accommodation, please contact eSource Event Registration Ltd. for more details.

The official source for information on the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program is www.buyandsell.gc.ca/innovation. 

Please forward to all contacts you feel this may be of interest.

Calling all Farmers!

The Regional Economic Development Boards on the Avalon, in partnership with the Rural Research Centre of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC), are hosting a one-day conference, the Avalon Agriculture Advantage: Growing Opportunities. Based on our ongoing work in agriculture, this conference brings together speakers from across Eastern Canada to address key issues in the sector, and unveil a new farm marketing tool, ‘Buy Local! Buy Fresh’! for the Avalon Region.

Please join us March 24^th at The Wilds, Salmonier Line. With a focus on new trends, emerging issues, and the business of farming, there is opportunity to share innovative ideas, connect with key players, and build the profile of agriculture in our area. Please find attached a full agenda and registration form for your interest.

Thank you so much for your time and attention. Seating is limited, and we look forward to your response no later than noon, March 18^th. Please contact Sarah Crocker at the Northeast Avalon Regional Economic Development Board for more information.

Email: Sarahc@nearedb.ca

Telephone: (709) 753-5554

Fax: (709) 772-6090

Website: www.northeastavalonredb.ca

ST. JOHN’S, March 8, 2011 – Parks Canada advises the public that a total of 10 charges have been laid against 4 individuals for offences occurring in Terra Nova National Park on February 6, 2011.

Six charges were laid under the Canada National Parks Act: three for damaging and destroying flora in a park and three for operating an over-snow vehicle in a park without a permit.  Four additional charges have been laid under the Criminal Code for obstructing a person making a legal seizure in a park.

The investigation continues for offences related to the events of February 13, 2011 and the illegal cutting of a trail in Terra Nova National Park in late 2010 and charges may be laid where warranted.

Parks Canada wishes to remind Canadians that illegal snowmobile and ATV use in a national park are serious offences that are addressed through the court system. Convictions may result in maximum fines of $25,000 and the forfeiture of vehicles or other equipment used in the commission of an offense. Individuals and recreational groups are urged to respect the regulations governing the use of national parks.

Parks Canada is committed to applying the Canada National Parks Act and associated regulations to ensure the protection of Canada’s natural heritage for the enjoyment and benefit of this and future generations of Canadians.

-30-

Information: 

To the Grenfell Community/other interested persons:

The Environmental Policy Institute is developing a local environmental program focusing on families in Corner Brook and their children.

We would like to invite the broader Grenfell community (faculty, staff, students, etc.) from all disciplines and any other interested persons to participate in this collaborative program.

Friday, March 18, 2011, 3:30 – 5:00pm (FC2014)

A number of issues need to be explored, including but not limited to:

– Program goals, inputs and outcomes

– Timetables and key activities

– Program educational activities to raise public awareness about environmental issues

The goal is to develop the program and to create a permanent committee to plan and review the program activities. We invite interested individuals from all fields to work with us in this process.  Please contact me for further details (neldessouky@swgc.mun.ca).    

We look forward to your participation,

Dr. Naglaa Fathy El Dessouky (the project lead)

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Environmental Policy Institute
Grenfell Campus-Memorial University of Newfoundland
1 University Drive, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 6P9

Office: FC2016
Phone: (709) 637-6200, Ext. 6363
Email: neldessouky@swgc.mun.ca

Friday March 11, 12:00-4:00 pm

Memorial University, Science Building, Summers Room (SN 2000)

Program:

Keynote presentation
Professor Gabriela Sabau, Economics/Environmental Studies, Grenfell Campus, MUN
“Whose fish is it anyway? Iceland’s saga with its cod fishery rights”

12.50-13.00 Refreshment

13.00-13.30 Dr. Raquel Modino, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of La Laguna, Spain
“Tourism and conservation: benefits, exclusions and decision-making process”

13.30-14.00 Mahmud Islam, PhD visiting student, University of Bremen, Germany
“Negotiating risks in shock-ridden fishing communities in Bangladesh”

14.00-14.30 Ian Ivany, MSc. student, Environmental Science, MUN
“Eastport Marine Protected Area: complexity, sustainability, and stewardship”

14.30-14.50 Emma Poslums, Bobbi Smith and Jenn Broadbridge, Geog 6250 class
“MUN’s waste initiative: a blueprint for a smaller footprint”

14.50-15.00 Break (move to Room SN 2018)

15.00-15.30 Ian Murphy, MA student, Geography, MUN (Blue Box seminar series)
“Investigating the values of coastal landscapes on the Burin Peninsula, NL”

15.30-16.00 Kim Olson, MA student, Geography, MUN (Blue Box seminar series)
“Bottom-up conservation: fish harvester initiatives in the Bay of Islands snow crab fishery”

*** The symposium is supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canada Research Chairs Program. The event is opened to everyone. No need to register. Please come and join us! ***

 Tuesday, March 8, 2011
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Where: Your desktop

Please join the Sustainability Network and Capacity Builders of the Ontario Community Support Association for this special FREE webinar designed specifically for environmental charities.

Charity lawyer Mark Blumberg will focus on the “dos and don’ts” of charitable receipting. Did you know that 89% of registered charities were found to be improperly issuing official donation receipts when audited by Canada Revenue Agency? This is an interactive session, so you will have lots of opportunities to ask questions. Among the receipting topics Mark will cover:

– When is your charity allowed to issue official donation receipts and for how much?
– What is a gift?
– How do you determine “fair market value” for gifts-in-kind?
– What is split receipting and how does it affect your special events and other fundraisers?
– What are the top receipting mistakes and abuses and how do you avoid them?
– Can computer and email generated receipts be used?
– What are CRA’s top receipting concerns?
– What are the issues, problems, and consequences that can arise from improper receipting?

As a special feature, Mark will also discuss the top legal compliance issues registered charities need to understand to protect their charitable status.

This session is designed for executive directors, directors, staff, and volunteers of Canadian registered charities that are involved with either fundraising, issuing donation receipts or governance.

This session is sponsored by The Charity Law Information Program (CLIP), a project of Capacity Builders funded by the Canada Revenue Agency. You can learn more about the CLIP project, and all our other products and services, at http://www.capacitybuilders.ca/clip

To sign up for the webinar, visit: https://ocsa.webex.com/ocsa/k2/j.php?ED=142775162&UID=958851912&RT=NCMxMQ%3D%3D&FM=1

As part of Memorial University’s Sustainability Week, the Regional Public Transportation Committee will be holding a forum at the Loft in the University Centre in UC-3013 at 12:30-1:30 on Wednesday, March the 9th. Speakers will include MUN’s Sustainability Coordinator Toby Rowe, and the Sierra Club’s Conservation Chair Dr. Fred Winsor. Help us create our public transportation wish list, come sign a petition, and join in on the discussion calling for regional public transportation in the Northeast Avalon region. Lunch will be provided. Everyone is welcome! Please contact Nicole at nicoler@sierraclub.ca for more details