FRANCAIS

August 29, 2002

Over 3,000 young Manitobans are helping their communities this summer through their participation in Environmental Youth Corps projects throughout Manitoba, Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin announced today.

Funding of $141,560 is being provided to 56 projects encouraging voluntary participation in activities that will help improve and protect Manitoba’s environment.

"Young people are aware that our activities and actions today can have a profound impact on the environment in which they will be living tomorrow," said Lathlin. "The program stresses the importance of local action for sustaining the environment."

Project sponsors apply for financial support to create and carry out environment related projects in their communities. Projects must relate to environmental protection, enhancement, rehabilitation, conservation and resource management.

Examples of eligible projects include community cleanups, water quality improvements, tree planting, enhancement of flora and fauna, rehabilitation of the natural environment and habitat preservation. Approved projects are eligible for up to $5,000 in financial assistance to cover project costs such as supplies, equipment rental and transportation.

Applications are accepted from charitable and voluntary organizations, environmental organizations, service clubs, schools, and local government organizations including municipalities, band councils and Aboriginal organizations.

"Projects approved under the Environmental Youth Corps offer the opportunity for practical environmental challenge experience," Lathlin said, adding that he is pleased at the level of participation by Aboriginal youth who are involved in more than half the projects.

The next deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 6. Application forms are available through local Manitoba Conservation offices. More information is available at http://www.susdev.mb.ca.

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Dufferin School Parent Council - $2,283 to involve 16 to 19 youth in a community garden project planting trees and watering and weeding a community garden in an area of Dufferin School’s playground.

Ecole Lagimodière - $5,000 to involve a number of youth in the school’s beautification project called Projet d’Embellisement de la Cours d’Ecole planting trees, flowers and small shrubs, and participating in the long-term maintenance of the site by helping with weeding and watering.

Fort Whyte Centre - $5,000 to involve 200 youth in a habitat enhancement project by planting trees and building birdhouses to enhance the area around Lake Cargill at the Fort Whyte site.

George McDowell School - $2,237 to involve up to 30 young people in a schoolyard beautification project participating in the care and ongoing development of the school’s planters and front entrance landscaping.

Glenlawn Collegiate - $2,915 to involve 10 to 15 youth in a schoolyard beautification project including schoolyard cleanup and planting new garden beds--offering the opportunity to learn about landscape design, arboriculture and horticulture from community experts.

H.C. Avery Middle School - $1,000 to involve 75 youth in a schoolyard beautification and enhancement project, studying what plants, trees and shrubs are best suited to the schoolyard area and creating and planting flower-beds.

Indian Springs School - $3,650 to involve up to 70 youth in a schoolyard beautification project planting trees around the play area and baseball diamond, and helping to create a small park--giving every child in the school the opportunity to plant a tree to call their own.

John W. Gunn Middle School - $1,630 to involve 40 youth in the school’s Environmental Team, participating in organizing the school’s recyclables and vermicomposting organic waste.

Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre & the Burrows Central Residents Council - $2,100 to involve 18 youth in a community garden project, getting an introduction to natural species of trees, grasses and flowers and learning about returning the land to its natural state.

Pembina Valley Conservation District - $4,060 to involve eight youth in the construction of two 3D watershed models of the Pembina River Basin, creating a model to scale of the river basin with labelling of roads, identifying waterways and showing how the land elevations vary--for use for educational purposes in local schools.

Spence Neighbourhood Association - $4,510 to involve 29 youth in the development of a wheelchair accessible community garden and green space on a vacant inner city lot, helping to plant garden beds and construct bird feeders.

Winnipeg Metis Association Inc. - $800 to involve 10 youth in the "It’s My Community Too" project, including activities such as recycling, gardening, and a community cleanup.

Woodhaven Park Community Centre - $1,775 for youth to participate in a neighbourhood beautification project that includes river-bank/stream cleanup and trail enhancement activities.

Aghaming Community - $1,020 for six youth to participate in a community cleanup project by cleaning debris from the shore of Wanipigon River and clearing a historical portage from the first set of rapids to English Brook Camp-grounds.

Bissett Community Council - $1,760 to create roadside flower-beds with the help of 12 youth planting annuals and perennials in flower-beds constructed at two different sites in Bissett.

Hollow Water First Nation - $3,015 to involve 20 youth in a community garden project designed to teach respect for the environment and demonstrate the important role it plays in our physical and mental health.

Kiiwetino Ma’’iingan - $2,500 to have 22 youth participate in its First Nation Junior Rangers Program, planting trees and conducting pre-harvest site assessments, presenting an opportunity for 16 to 18-year-olds to work and learn in an outdoor environment about the natural environment and the application of traditional and scientific methods for sustainable resource management.

Little Black River First Nation - $5,000 to involve five to 20 youth in their walleye/sauger-spawning project, participating in the design and implementation of several walleye spawning beds within the First Nation community and surrounding lands.

Pauingassi School - $3,000 to support 104 youth, working in teams spanning all grade levels, to enhance bird habitat--each team cleaning an area in the community and creating a birdhouse and small flower garden to attract local wildlife.

Poplar River First Nation - $3,306 to involve 12 youth in their river-bank cleanup and restoration project, including removal of garbage from the banks of the Poplar River and Franklin River that flow through the community.

The School District of Whiteshell - $3,500 to involve up to 10 youth in creating xeriscape garden areas around the schools--preparing the ground, planting and maintaining shrubs and flowers.

Seymourville Community Council - $2,010 to involve 10 youth in a community vegetable garden project, with the youth helping in the preparation, planting and ongoing care of the garden.

The Village of Powerview - $1,000 to involve 25 youth in creating a park along the Winnipeg River with the Senior 4 graduating class laying sod at the site.

The Brokenhead Education Authority - $1,000 to involve 90 youth in a community recycling project by placing and emptying collection containers in the school, band office and other community locations.

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Health Centre - $2,450 to involve youth and their families in the planting and maintaining of a community vegetable garden providing educational opportunities throughout the gardening season.

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation - $700 to involve 98 youth in a one-day community cleanup, with an emphasis on the importance of taking care of the community and the environment.

Mallard Community Council - $2,910 to involve youth in a community beautification and enhancement project focusing on the cleanup of a tornado-damaged area.

Meadow Portage Community Council - $2,300 to involve three youth in a community beautification and enhancement project, assisting in beautifying and enhancing the community park and surrounding area with recycling activities, creating disposal area signs and planting vegetation.

Peguis First Nation Training & Employment - $1,400 to involve 240 youth in Environmental Awareness Week, participating in community cleanup and recycling activities.

Prime Meridian Trail Association - $2,100 to involve up to 100 youth in the planting of natural vegetation such as wild flowers and tall grass prairie along the Prime Meridian Trail--a 116-km long, non-motorized multi-use conservation, recreation and heritage trail on an abandoned rail line.

Rural Municipality of St. Andrews - $1,150 for a community beautification project involving up to 20 youth assisting in planting trees to create a shelter-belt and participating in general cleanup activities throughout the community.

Barren Lands First Nation - $3,350 to involve 40 to 80 youth in the Awasisak Recycling Initiative intended to target the issue of garbage disposal through informational workshops and the creation of recycling collection containers.

God’s Lake First Nation - $1,820 to involve 20 youth in a community enhancement and beautification project by participating in a community cleanup project.

Pikwitonei Community Council - $3,916 to restore the Pikwitonei Rapids area to its original beauty through a community cleanup project involving 20 youth in general cleanup, underbrush clearing and grass cutting as well as creating flower-beds.

Wabowden Community Council - $2,787 to involve five to 20 youth in the Bowden Lake Shoreline Cleanup project. helping to rehabilitate and enhance the shoreline through the removal of debris and deadfall.

Cormorant Council - $2,770 to involve 10 youth in a community beautification project including the construction of a flower-bed at the park and cleaning roads, ditches and community areas.

Pukatawagon Drop-in Centre - $1,275 to involve 12 youth in a community beautification project, participating in a cleanup of about five miles of shoreline.

Baldur School - $4,000 to have 100 youth beautify the school grounds and the community by planting trees and flowers and constructing raised flower boxes, park benches and recycling bins for use in the community.

Barrows Community Council - $2,340 to involve 28 youth in a community beautification project helping to plant trees and flowers in designated community flower-beds and participating in activities such as weeding and community cleanup.

Brandon Family YMCA - $3,780 to involve 1,000 youth in a Summer Day Camp Environmental Awareness Program participating in cleanup activities, tree planting and educational activities to learn about animals, nature, air pollution and the cycle of life.

Camperville Community Council - $2,135 to involve 12 to 14 youth in a community beautification and enhancement project helping to clean up community ditches, PTH 20 ditches extending south for eight km and about a kilometre of the Lake Winnipegosis shore line.

The City of Brandon Community Services "Kids in Bloom" program - $2,700 to involve 60 to 100 youth in an outdoor camp that focuses on educational projects such as recycling, composting, green space awareness, community cleanup, planting and tree identification.

Crane River Recreation Committee - $2,400 in support of the "Fun in the Sun" program involving eight to 10 youth in the enhancement and rehabilitation of two parks and beachfront area, assisting with watering trees, creating a park-like setting with the construction of park benches and promoting the area.

Hamiota Conservation Authority - $4,295 to involve five to 10 youth in the Hamiota Rails to Trails project helping to expand the existing trail system, identifying and solving environmental issues in the community and participating in reviewing the plan for the Hamiota Municipal Park.

Margaret Bruce Camp-ground Inc. - $2,848 to involve 12 youth in a tree-planting project along the camp-ground river-bank to help prevent erosion.

Nature Valley School - $1,240 to involve 16 youth in a habitat enhancement project, researching bird habitats and planning to construct birdhouses and feeders to attract birds, as well as creating a flower garden using recycled materials from the environment such as old tree logs and species of plants that were researched in science class.

Pierson Environmental Group - $5,000 to involve 40 youth in eight different projects entitled Tree Propagation, Clean Stream, 10-Year Blitz, Green Spot Development, Maintenance, Tree Nursery, Promotion and Millennium.

Pine Creek First Nation School - $850 to involve 10 to 20 youth in a community beautification project helping to plant trees and flowers.

Red Deer Lake Community Council - $2,990 to involve 10 youth in a tree and flower planting and community cleanup project.

River Heights School - $100 to involve 20 to 30 youth in a community enhancement project, "River Heights’ Cleanup Crew", a weekly hour-long effort cleaning and picking up garbage around the River Heights area of Brandon.

Sapotaweyak Education Authority - $1,405 to involve youth in a cleanup project in and around the community.

The Shoal Lake Garden Club - $2,700 for a community beautification project involving 86 youth in cleaning up the river-bank, building bird houses and water hanging baskets, planting trees and participating in a town cleanup.

Spence Lake Recreation Committee - $2,400 to assist six youth in a community beautification project planting and watering flowers, and building birdhouses.

Town of Reston - $3,632 to involve 30 youth in their Community Conservation Development Program by helping to develop a town orchard, clean the town shelter-belt and create additional green space in the community.

Wawanesa Lions Club - $2,500 to involve 10 youth in building the second phase of a local riverside trail along the Souris River assisting in constructing a new trail, creating signage and issuing bulletins highlighting progress, as well as participating in projects associated with the Lions Club Camp-ground and Lions Park including creating recycling spaces and containers.

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation - $1,250 to involve five to 28 in a cleanup project for Kettle Hills and The Point, popular vacation spots used by Wuskwi Sipihk community members and many neighbouring communities.

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