EDMONTON, Alt. -- November
4, 2010 -- Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament
for Edmonton East, on behalf of Canada's
Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, today
announced funding from the EcoAction Community
Funding Program for a new environmental
project in Edmonton, Alberta. $21,320 in
federal funding will support local action
to reduce pollution, improve air and water
quality, and protect wildlife and natural
habitat.
"As part of the
International Year of Biodiversity, Canada
has demonstrated great leadership,"
said MP Goldring. "In Edmonton East,
our government, in partnership with the
Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
(EMCN) and the City of Edmonton, is making
a significant contribution to biodiversity
by empowering new Canadians with the skills
to become better stewards of our environment."
"This government
is committed to addressing the environmental
priorities of Canadians," said Minister
Prentice. "We are proud to support
community groups across the country willing
to take concrete action through on-the-ground
environmental projects that will achieve
a more sustainable Canada. Your actions,
large or small, will help to protect the
abundance and variety of life that is part
of our natural heritage."
This project will see
the development of an educational resource
called the Edmonton Biokit. Community members
of many different ages and language groups
will be offered the Edmonton Biokit, an
educational resource emphasizing the value
of the city's natural areas and biodiversity.
Two planned events will focus on stewarding
and restoring natural areas through tree
planting, clean-up and naturalization work.
"The Edmonton Mennonite
Centre for Newcomers provides a variety
of programming to support the full integration
of newcomers," said Suzanne Gross,
director of immigration and settlement with
the EMCN. "In recent years, we have
created opportunities for camping and exploration
of provincial parks. The BioKit project
is a natural extension of this effort."
"Our hope is that,
in creating the Edmonton BioKit, we can
help people to explore and learn about the
incredible biodiversity right here at home
and its true value in our city," said
Angela Hobson, ecological planner with the
City of Edmonton's Office of Natural Areas.
"The BioKit will help newcomers and
other community members discover natural
areas within the City of Edmonton, deeply
understand and appreciate them, and learn
how they can help to steward them."
The EcoAction Community
Funding Program is a Government of Canada
initiative that supports projects that rehabilitate,
protect or enhance the natural environment,
and builds the capacity of communities and
individuals in support of a more sustainable
Canada. The project announced today will
assist locally-based, non-profit organizations
in initiating actions that result in cleaner
air, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,
cleaner water, and the protection of nature
at the local community level.
More information about
the EcoAction Community Funding Program
is available on Environment Canada's website
at http://www.ec.gc.ca/ecoaction.
Pascale Boulay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Three Individuals Receive
Heavy Fines and Hunting Suspensions for
Violations under the Migratory Birds Convention
Act, 1994
GANDER, N.L. -- November
4, 2010 -- A two-year investigation by Environment
Canada's Enforcement Branch into the excessive
harvest and illegal selling of migratory
birds in the Twillingate and New World Island
areas has resulted in convictions and heavy
fines for three local hunters.
Gary Leyte, age 55 of
Virgin Arm, pleaded guilty on September
16th in Provincial Court in Gander, Newfoundland
and Labrador to charges under the Migratory
Birds Convention Act, 1994. Lionel Leyte,
age 33 of Virgin Arm, also pleaded guilty
on September 16th, and Neil Barrett, age
65 of Twillingate, pleaded guilty on October
19th, all in relation to the same investigation.
Gary Leyte was fined
$3,1000 for the illegal selling of murres
and eider ducks and exceeding the possession
limit of eider ducks. He was also fined
$250 for hunting migratory birds with a
shotgun capable of holding more than three
rounds of ammunition. In addition, Gary
Leyte was ordered to surrender a firearm,
a number of duck decoys, and other hunting
items to the Crown. He is also prohibited
for five years from hunting or being in
the company of anyone hunting migratory
birds.
Lionel Leyte was fined
$1,000 for the illegal selling of murres
and is prohibited from hunting migratory
birds for one year.
Neil Barrett was fined
$1,000 for the illegal selling of murres
and is prohibited from hunting migratory
birds for one year.
Murres, locally known
as turrs, and eider ducks are protected
under the Migratory Birds Convention Act,
1994. It is illegal to sell, offer for sale,
buy or trade any migratory bird. Environment
Canada's wildlife officers enforce federal
wildlife legislation which protects plant
and animal species throughout Canada. This
is done in collaboration with other federal
departments, provincial and territorial
governments as well as international agencies
and organizations.
Media Relations
Environment Canada
