75th Anniversary
Ausable Bayfield Conservation invites community to celebrate 75 years of local watershed management in 2021
Public invited to celebrate 75 years of conservation success as Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) recognizes 75th anniversary
The year 2021 is to be a momentous year in local watershed conservation. Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) invites the public to help celebrate 75 years of conservation in this watershed community. This is to take place during the organization’s 75th anniversary year, in 2021.
The former Ausable River Conservation Authority was Ontario’s first conservation authority, created on July 30, 1946. The Bayfield River watershed and smaller streams were added in 1971.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff members, working with the public, plan to host a number of activities in 2021 to celebrate the watershed community’s past conservation successes and also to leave a legacy for the future with new conservation initiatives.
“Local municipal leaders showed great vision when they called for the creation of this conservation authority back in 1946,” said Doug Cook, Chair of the ABCA Board of Directors. “We have completed important projects over the past 75 years to protect life and property, preserve watershed resources, and to improve water quality, soil health, forest and wetland conditions, and habitat for all living things,” he said. “This success has been possible thanks to the vision of local municipal leaders, the support of our local ratepayers, and an engaged community of donors and volunteers, along with many other community partners.”
An anniversary committee expects to announce, early in 2021, some of the plans for this commemoration year.
The 75th anniversary committee will adapt activities to ensure they reflect public health direction to help keep people safe during the current pandemic.
Residents in the watershed may choose to make donations to projects such as tree planting, turtle monitoring and protection, wetland creation, pollinator habitat, conservation education, or other conservation projects in honour of this special year.
To learn more visit:
To receive announcements of anniversary plans in the new year, visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation website at abca.ca and subscribe to the electronic newsletter here:
Visit our new anniversary web page here: