PARCS UPDATE #150 - May 31, 2021
#1 - MAKING NEWLETTERS AVAILABLE

Background:
As stated in the last issue, for 11 years (from 2009 to 2019). PARCS UPDATES went out to Resort Village and RM offices, plus to Organized Hamlet boards as attachments to regular emails. For the last 2 years, they have gone out as Constant Contact documents. ALSE - WE ARE NOW ABLE TO DISPLAY THESE CINSTANT CONTACT NEWSLETTERS in the NEWSLETTER OF OUR WEBSITE! This is expecially important because some councils and boards do not forward PARCS newsletters to their residents!

The next issue is:
If the local board, council or staff do not forward the newsletters, how can PARCS help to keep residents in cottage communities informed about provincial issues?

Here's an example of a provincial story that is currently unfolding:

  • On Dec. 1, 2020, the Government of Canada launched consultaation on a new Canada Water Agency.

  • On March 11, 2021, public consultation closed on the establishemt of the Agency.

  • Oh March 26, 2021, SARM announced that it was worried about the proposal to create a federal water agency.

  • On March 22 the City of Regina and the File Hills Tribal Council stated that they wanted Regina to be the new home of the western office of the Canada Water Agency.

  • On April 21, PARCS UPDATE #144.1 reported that: "PARCS has recently received a 5-page letter from the newly established CANADA WATER AGENCY, stating that: "Waters across the country are under threat. We applaud the federal government for establishing this Agency."

PLEASE CONSIDER FORWARDING OUR NEWSLETTERS ABOUT PROVINCIAL ISSUES TO YOUR RESIDENTS.
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. . . .MORE
. . . . . . NEWS ABOUT
. . . . . . . . . .UNFOLDING STORIES
#2 - LAKES WATER WEBINARS

Advance Registration:
Prior to Wednesday, May 26, dozens of participants went to the WHAT'S NEW SECTION on the PARCS website and clicked for the session with Peter Leavitt. Here's what the attendees had to say about Peter's webinar:

Attendees Feedback:
114 people attended the webinar and 50 completed the following evaluation

1. Overall how satisfied were you with this webinar?
Very Satisfied (32 out of 50 = 64%)
Satisfied (18 out of 50 = 36%)
Dissatisfied (none)

2. How informative did you find our webinar?
Very informative (46 out of 50 = 92%)
Moderately informative (3 of 50 = 6%)
Not very informative (1 out of 50 = 2%)
(wanted more information)
3. How was the subject matter?
Too simple (0 out of 50 = 0%)
Just right (48 out of 50 = 96%)
A little too complex (2 out of 50= 4%)

4. How did you hear about the webinar?
Email (32 out of 50 = 64%)
Facebook (7 out of 50 = 14%)
Poster (1 out of 50 = 2%)
Other (0%)

5. Are you a member of a resort community?
Yes (37 out of 50 = 74%)
No (13 out of 50 = 26%)

6. Are you concerned about nutrient loading affecting the water quality in Saskatchewan?
Yes (50 out of 50 = 100%)

7. Are you concerned that Saskatchewan does not have a wetland conservation policy?
Yes (50 out of 50 = 100%)
#2 - continued

8. Are there any topics you'd like to see covered in future webinars?

  • How urbanization is affecting our waterways and environment.
  • More presentations on water quality.
  • Impacts of deforestation and draining prairies.
  • Cottage owners' responsibilities and related opportunities. (ex. Love Your Lake program).
  • How can resort villages inform residents of the ways that they can be good stewards
of the water and the need for them to be good stewards?
  • I would like to hear Water Securities take on how we are to protect our wetlands in the future.
  • Importance of wetlands / wetland conservation.
  • Specifically a summary of rehabilitation projects that have been implemented at other lakes...where was the work done...who initiated it...what is the intent...how is the success being measured and how are the results being disseminated? Humboldt Lake has been deteriorating for 40+ years and with a winter kill in the spring of 2020 that has been deemed 'total' by the WSA, the implications are far-reaching as the lake environment is still too poor to even consider repopulating the fish species.
 
9. Do you have any other feedback?

  • Very informative and well presented.. I enjoyed all the slides, charts, photos and comparisons going back nearly 100 years. Also the mistruths we have been given and what has been the actual causes of our pollutions. Well researched and a lot of work went into this presentation.
  • Dr. Leavitt was terrific.
  • Excellent presentation! Thank you so much!
  • I enjoyed the factors that influence water quality. i hope progress can be made. there are too many examples of man destroying the future.
  • Peter's talk was excellent, it was really interesting to see how the discussed water quality objectives were influenced by different parameters as well as the big picture discussion of nutrient sources to lakes in the prairies over time.
  • Thanks to Peter and the organizing committee for the excellent presentation.
  • The webinar was excellent. It was unfortunate that the sound quality was "fractured".
  • These webinars are so very important to each and all of us to be informed of strategies to help create a sustainable future for the coming generations based on scientific evidence.
  • Tonight's webinar just underlined what we learned last week that nature has rights and we need to lobby to give the lakes rights....stewardship is not always enough. 

#3 - WHAT'S NEXT? Delegates are reminded to go to the What's New Section of the PARCS Website and register for the 3rd Lake Water Wednesday Webinar scheduled for this WeD., June 2, at 7:00. THESE PARCS WEBINARS ARE FREE.
TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE CLICK ON THE PARCS LOGO AT THE TOP OF THE NEWSLETTER