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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCraig Mather's Remarks for 50th Annual Meeting I Remarks to the 50th Annual Meeting of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority February 24, 2006 Craig Mather IT IS AN HONOUR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM FOR THIS, YOUR 50TH ANNUAL MEETING. IT IS ALSO A GREAT THRILL TO BE SHARING THE STAGE WITH KEN HIGGS AND BILL MCLEAN. FOR ME, THE AUTHORITY'S LONGEVITY IS BASED ON THREE THINGS: 1. THE STRENGTH OF THE CONCEPT OF, WATERSHED BASED PLANNING; 2. THE WISDOM, LEADERSHIP AND THE PASSION FOR THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITY MOVEMENT THAT KEN AND BILL BROUGHT TO THIS ORGANIZATION; 3. AND FINALLY, THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO CHANGE AND EVOLVE WITH THE POLITICAL AND WATERSHED ISSUES OF THE DAY, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE LEADERSHIP ON THE ISSUES OF TOMORROW. IT IS THIS COMPONENT OF THE AUTHORITY'S SUCCESS THAT I WANT TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES ON TODAY. THE TEST FOR ANY ORGANIZATION, IS HOW WELL IT DEALS WITH THE FLEETING MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY AND PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW WELL IT TURNS MOMENTS OF APPARENT SETBACK, INTO MOMENTS OF GROWTH AND RENEWAL. IT WAS THESE INSTANCES OF MAKING THE MOST OF ITS OPPORTUNITIES, OR TURNING ADVERSITY INTO OPPORTUNITY THAT STAND OUT MOST FOR ME WHEN LOOKING BACK AT MY THIRTY ODD YEARS WITH THE AUTHORITY. 2 THESE WERE INSTANCES WHICH FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE AUTHORITY'S DIRECTION, OR HAD A SUBSTANTIVE INFLUENCE ON WHY AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. THERE IS A CAR AD CURRENTLY RUNNING ON TELEVISION THAT TALKS ABOUT THE " KINDS OF DIFFERENT MOMENTS" ONE CAN EXPERIENCE. WHETHER THIS HAS HELPED SELL THEIR CARS OR NOT, I DO NOT KNOW, BUT I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMPELLING APPROACH FOR DESCRIBING BOTH MY PERSONAL "MOMENTS" WITH THE AUTHORITY AND THOSE OF THIS ORGANIZATION. FOR ME , MY TIME WITH THE AUTHORITY INCLUDED MANY HAPPY MOMENTS, MANY MOMENTS OF PRIDE IN WHAT WE AS A TEAM HAD ACCOMPLISHED, MOMENTS OF WATCHING DEMOCRACY INACTION, AND AS THEY SAY IN THE CAR AD, SOME MOMENTS WHICH TOOK TOO LONG. LIKE ME, THE ORGANIZATION HAS HAD ITS MOMENTS BOTH BIG AND SMALL AND SOME THAT HAVE LASTED TOO LONG, BUT I THINK IT USEFUL TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO LOOK AT WHAT I CALL ITS "DEFINING MOMENTS". THESE MOMENTS WERE FUNDAMENTAL (AT LEAST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW) TO OUR CONTINUED SUCCESS AND GROWTH DURING THE LAST THIRTY ODD YEARS. THE FIRST "DEFINING MOMENT" ON MY LIST WAS THE PREPARATION OF THE 1980 WATERSHED PLAN. THIS MOMENT SPANNED A 4 OR 5 YEAR PERIOD IN TERMS OF THE THINKING, STUDIES AND DATA COLLECTION THAT WENT INTO THE WRITING OF THE ACUTAL DOCUMENT, BUT ITS ADOPTION AND SUBSEQUENT IMPLEMTATION, SET A WHOLE NEW COURSE FOR THE AUTHORITY. IT CARVED OUT NEW ROLES AND MOVED US CLOSER TO FULFILLING OUR MANDATE OF WATERSHED MANAGER. THE 1980 WATERHSED PLAN WAS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WE WOULD NOW CALL AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. HOW DID WE EVOLVE FROM THIS DEFINING MOMENT? 3 WE MOVED FROM A FLOOD CONTROL PLAN THAT RELIED ON BIG DAMS TO SITE SPECIFIC FLOOD PROTECTION WORKS. THE 1980 PLAN RECOGNIZED URBAN GROWTH AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON FLOODING AND EROSION AND NATURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION, RESULTING IN US TAKING OUR INITIAL STEPS IN THE NEWLY DEVELOPING SCIENCE OF STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. FROM THESE INITIAL STEPS, WE ARE NOW DOING SOME LEADING EDGE WORK WITH MANY PARTNERS ON GREEN ROOF TECHNOLOGIES AND INFILTRATION. WE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN CHANGING THE THINKING FROM DRAIN THE CITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO KEEPING OUR STORM WATER WHERE IT FALLS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE 1980 WATERSHED PLAN ADOPTED A MUCH STRONGER POLICY APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE PROTECTION OF OUR NATURAL SYSTEMS. OUR VALLEY AND STREAM POLICIES, THE CONCEPTS OF SET BACKS AND THE WHOLE NOTION THAT VALLEY AND STREAM CORRIDORS WERE IMPORTANT IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND NOT JUST FLOOD FLOW CONVEYANCES, GREW FROM THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OAK RIDGES MORAINE AND THE NIAGARA ESCARPMENT WAS REITERATED AND WE RE-ENERGIZED OUR ACQUISITION PROGRAMS. I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT OUR LEADING EDGE WORK BEING DONE TODAY ON NATURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL CORRIDORS, EVOLVED FROM THIS EARLY WORK. THE 1980 WATERSHED PLAN, RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING MANY DISPARATE FUNCTIONS, THAT WHEN APPLIED ON A WATERSHED BASIS, RESULTED IN MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL FLOOD CONTROL, RECREATION, EDUCATION AND HERITAGE PROGRAMS, BUT REPRESENTED A COMMON VISION FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE WATERSHED AS A WHOLE. THE VERY EARLY SEEDS OF OUR LIVING CITY VISION WERE PLANTED HERE. 4 MY NEXT DEFINING MOMENT I HAVE CALLED THE "CRISIS IN CONFIDENCE" MOMENT WHICH WAS THE TITLE OF A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT WRITTEN BY BILL MCLEAN IN THE LATE 1980'S. THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN AT A TIME WHEN THE VERY HEART AND SOUL OF THE AUTHORITY WAS BEING QUESTIONED BY VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS. EVEN THE HONOURABLE DAVID CROMBIE, IN HIS ROLE AS COMMISSIONER OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF THE TORONTO WATERFRONT NOTED IN ONE OF HIS MANY REPORTS: " THE AUTHORITY WAS LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPING REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES ON OUR LANDS, RATHER THAN PROTECTING AND MANAGING THEM AS PART OF A LARGER NATURAL RESOURCE SYSTEM." THIS WAS A HUGE WAKE UP CALL FOR THE AUTHORITY WHICH HAD ALWAYS SEEN ITSELF AS A PROTECTOR AND ADVOCATE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. THE AUTHORITY COULD HAVE TRIED TO RIDE THIS OUT, BUT IT WISELY TOOK THESE CRITICISMS SERIOUSLY AND TOOK STEPS TO CHANGE ITS COURSE ONCE AGAIN. IN BILL MCLEAN'S WORDS " THE REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION DID NOT SEND THE AUTHORITY INTO A FUNK OF DISCOURAGEMENT- IT DEEPENED THE RESOLVE TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES OF RE-INTRODUCING THE WATERSHED AS A BASIS FOR CONSERVATIOIN PLANNING AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP IN CO-OPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM PLANNING." OUT OF THIS "CRISIS IN CONFIDENCE" MOMENT, DEVELOPED A WHOLE NEW WAY OF PLANNING AND ANEW APPROACH TO PUBLIC CONSULTATION. IT REDEFINED OUR ROLE IN RECREATION AND INSTILLED IN THE AUTHORITY A RENEWED ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC. OUT OF THIS MOMENT, BEGAN THE LONG PROCESS OF REBUILDING PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP TRUST WHICH I BELIEVE WE ENJOY TODAY. THE LESSONS LEARNED HERE MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN! 5 MY NEXT DEFINING MOMENT I CALL THE "BACK TO OUR ROOTS" MOMENT. THIS MOMENT ACTUALLY BEGAN ON THE DON VALLEY PARKWAY ON THE WAY BACK TO THE OFFICE WHEN BRIAN DENNEY AND I WERE EXPRESSING A NEED TO REDEFINE THE AUTHORITY'S APPROACH TO WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. WE WERE CONCERNED WE WERE LOSING TOUCH WITH OUR GRASS ROOTS SUPPORT AND WE WERE MANAGING OUR NINE WATERSHEDS AS ONE, RATHER THAN RECOGNIZING THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH WATERSHED IN TERMS OF ITS NATURAL FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS AND IN THE PERSONALITY IT REFLECTED, BASED ON THE ISSUES AND INTERESTS OF ITS RESIDENTS. OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION, GREW THE CREATION OF THE VARIOUS WATERSHED TASK FORCES AND COUNCILS STARTING WITH THE DON. THIS RE-CONNECTION WITH THE WATERSHED RESIDENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANY DIVERSE VISIONS AND ACTION PLANS BEGAN THE RENEWAL OF OUR PUBLIC AND POLITICAL SUPPORT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WHICH WOULD PROVE INVALUABLE IN MY NEXT DEFINING MOMENT. THE WORK DONE BY THESE WATERSHED GROUPS , BROUGHT MANY NEW IDEAS, NEW APPROACHES AND GENERATED A WATERSHED DIALOGUE SO IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAINING RELEVANCY AND GRASS ROOTS SUPPORT. THIS "BACK TO OUR ROOTS" DEFINING MOMENT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN FURTHERING THE AUTHORITY'S ROLE AND INFLUENCE IN ADDRESSING THE MANY ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR WATERSHED HEALTH TODAY. MY FINAL DEFINING MOMENT I CALL THE "COMING OF AGE" MOMENT. THIS MOMENT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT NOT ONLY SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING ITS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES, BUT IT ALSO VIRTUALLY WITHDREW FROM A VERY SUCCESSFUL 50 YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES. THIS WAS A DEVASTATING TIME FOR ALL AUTHORITIES. 6 THE REDUCTION IN FUNDING WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY CHANGES TO THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES ACT WHICH SAW THE ELIMINATION OF PROVINCIAL MEMBERSHIP ON THE AUTHORITY BOARDS AND PROVIDED US WITH THE ABILITY TO ELECT OUR OWN CHAIR. (CHAIR O'BRIEN OWNS THE DISTINCTION (AMONG OTHER THINGS) OF BEING THE AUTHORITY'S FIRST ELECTED CHAIR) OUT OF THIS DIFFICULT MOMENT HOWEVER, AROSE A MUCH STRONGER ORGANIZATION, WITH INCREASED MUNICIPAL SUPPORT, STRONGER BUSINESS CASES AND IMPROVED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY. WE, AS THE TRCA, HAD "COME OF AGE" FOR WE COULD NOW ELECT OUR OWN CHAIR, WE HAD THE FREEDOM TO GROW IN DIRECTIONS WHICH WERE ONLY LIMITED BY OUR IMAGINATION AND A GOOD BUSINESS PLAN. THE SUPPORT OF THE STAFF, THE BOARD AND OUR FOUNDATION WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS "COMING OF AGE", WHERE WE TOOK OUR FUTURE INTO OUR OWN HANDS AND WE HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. THE CONCEPT OF THE LIVING CITY WAS BORN IN THESE TIMES AND THE AUTHORITY IS CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY AND HAS ONCE AGAIN REINVENTED ITSELF AS A LEADER IN THIS NEW ARENA WHERE URBAN GROWTH (AN ALMOST TRIPLING OF THE POPULATION IN THE WATERSHEDS SINCE OUR FIRST ANNUAL MEETING) CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY ISSUES AND SO ON, ARE THE NEW STRESSORS ON THE WATERSHED. THIS DIFFICULT TIME ALSO SAW THE RE-INVENTION AND STRENGTHENING OF WHAT IS NOW CALLED CONSERVATION ONTARIO. THE AUTHORITIES CAME TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT WAS NEVER POSSIBLE BEFORE AND OUT OF THIS HAVE GROWN INITIATIVES LIKE THE CONSERVATION AUTHORITY MORAINE COALITION AND PARTNERING FOR THE DELIVERY OF SOURCE PROTECTION PLANS. 7 1 DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE NEXT DEFINING MOMENT MIGHT BE, BUT, I DO KNOW, GIVEN HOW THE ORGANIZATION HAS USED THESE MOMENTS IN THE PAST TO REDEFINE ITSELF, TO STRENGTHEN ITS RESOLVE AND TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN DEALING WITH ISSUES THAT INFLUENCE THE HEALTH OF OUR WATERSHEDS, WE NEED NOT FEAR IT, AND THE AUTHORITY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT 50 YEARS WITH CONFIDENCE.