Bayfield man award finalist

Bayfield’s Ray Letheren finalist in Hometown Heroes Awards

Award finalist thanks all those who have worked with him for past 20 years

The Earth Day Canada Hometown Heroes Award Program named Bayfield’s Ray Letheren as a finalist in the Individual category. The national award program recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders who foster meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. “I am humbled and honoured to have been recognized as a finalist in the Hometown Heroes Award Program,” said Letheren. He said being named as a finalist for the award is really a recognition of the many people with whom he has worked over the past 20 years. The award finalist said he is proud of the work the Bayfield and area community has done to increase awareness of the need to protect “our most valuable resource, water.” He thanked his fellow community members for their commitment to water protection. He also thanked his wife Paula for “enduring” throughout his efforts and supporting his “other passion” – water quality.

The finalist recognition honours Letheren for his environmental leadership and for his work to help create a sustainable future in the local community. He is to receive a certificate of recognition in honour of his achievement. As a finalist, he is to be recognized in Earth Day Canada news releases, profiled on the Hometown Heroes Award Program website, and featured in public service announcements sent to print media across Canada.

Letheren is a past recipient (Regional Recipient, Ontario, 1995) of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. As a Bayfield resident with an interest in protection of water quality, he has continued to educate by writing on ways to reduce environmental impacts, and organizing annual symposia featuring internationally acclaimed presenters. His community work has helped to show how actions to protect Lake Huron fit into the global picture. In 2004, he was recognized as Conservationist of the Year in Ausable Bayfield watersheds. In 2005, Letheren was a recipient of the Glen Hodgins Memorial Award for Volunteer Contributions to Environmental Stewardship for Perth and Huron counties. 

 The Hometown Heroes Award Program finalist is founder and long-time Chair of the Friends of the Bayfield River. The Friends of the Bayfield River began water quality monitoring in 1999 as part of their work to protect and improve Lake Huron. He has led the community group in an education and remediation program that has been called “ambitious” and that has “engaged all community stakeholders.” The award finalist has organized Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup events since 2003. In 2003, fundraising and tree planting by the Friends of the Bayfield River led to projects in the headwaters of the Bayfield River. In 2004, Letheren led the work to publish and distribute a 16-page newspaper insert about the Bayfield River. In 2006, he helped to develop the Lakeshore Resident’s Stewardship Manual. This homeowner’s environmental evaluation guide was modeled after the Environmental Farm Plan. The homeowner’s guide idea has been embraced by Lake Simcoe and Parry Sound cottage and seasonal resident groups that are delivering a similar guide. Letheren has written an environmental column, since 2008, which has appeared in local newspapers, most recently in The Paper. In 2014, he founded the Bayfield Blue Community Project with 30 groups committed to reducing plastic consumption. 

The Friends of the Bayfield River chairman led the project to create health benefits and water quality education at Bannockburn Conservation Area through the Bannockburn Walk a Mile Project. The community group received funding from a number of partners including the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The project included a new, professionally-narrated audio tour of the area, nature interpretation signs, pedometers to track trail use, and more. The group has improved trails and restored streams in the Bayfield River. Letheren and the Friends of the Bayfield River have also partnered with the Bayfield River Valley Trails Association on projects to plant trees, educate about water quality, and expand community access to trails with interpretive signage. The award finalist is Past Chair of the Green Committee at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich. He is also a past board member of the TD Canada Trust Environmental Fund. 

The award finalist said the national recognition from Earth Day Canada can help to encourage other Canadian communities “to join us in speaking for protection of our water.” He hopes it will also help to inspire local community leaders to consider the concept of sustainability in each decision they make.

The Hometown Heroes Award Program, established in 2004 by Earth Day Canada, recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders, groups and small businesses which foster meaningful, long–term community awareness and action. The Hometown Heroes Award Program is made possible through a partnership with Mill Street Brewery and the RBC Foundation. For information on this award visit https://www.earthday.ca/hometown/ Earth Day Hometown Heroes National Winner was John Barker, a resident of West Vancouver for 48 years, who has dedicated much of his life to environmental stewardship, community awareness and education. Also a finalist was Larry Pomerantz, of Hamilton, founder of Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington, a volunteer-driven non-profit organization committed to improving the environment. Earth Day Canada (EDC), a national environmental charity founded in 1990, provides Canadians with the practical knowledge and tools they need to lessen their impact on the environment. EDC educates, empowers and inspires Canadians to achieve local solutions to improve the state of the environment. EDC educational and recognition programs engage children, students, teachers, families and everyday Canadians.