Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall
Weather forecast for Thursday, September 7, 2017
Today – Increasing cloudiness. 40 percent chance of showers late this morning and this afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Wind becoming west 20 km/h near noon. High 18. UV index 4 or moderate.
Tonight – Showers with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind west 20 km/h becoming light this evening. Low 10.
Union Gas donates towards SCRCA wetland project
Union Gas has donated $12,000 to the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) to fund a wetland restoration project.
The site of the newly rehabilitated wetland is on an SCRCA property adjacent to Black Creek in Wilkesport.
“Environment Canada states that we have lost 68% of our wetlands in Southern Ontario,” stated Jessica Van Zwol, healthy watershed specialist for the SCRCA, in a press release.
“Beyond providing habitat for native plants and animals, wetlands reduce flooding and improve water quality. By taking on these wetland restoration projects we are able to take another step towards our goal of improving the health of our watershed.”
Steven Jelich, Union Gas district manager for London/Sarnia, said Union Gas and the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority have a strong shared history together
“This new initiative builds on this further,” Jelich said in a press release.
“Working together in restoring these wetlands, we will help reduce flooding, improve water filtration, and provide habitat for multiple species of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.”
Steve Arnold, chair of the SCRCA, said they are very pleased to partner with Union Gas.
“They are dedicated to giving back to the community,” he said.
“Not only has Union Gas funded this wetland restoration project, they also provide generous support for our conservation education programs that are delivered to children throughout our watershed.”
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is located in southwestern Ontario and includes the Sydenham River watershed and smaller watersheds draining directly into southern Lake Huron, the St. Clair River and northeastern Lake St. Clair.
The Conservation Authority implements programs to reduce the risk to life and property from flooding and erosion; water and land stewardship; forestry; wildlife habitat creation; conservation education; and outdoor recreation.
For more information, visit their website at scrca.on.ca
Union Gas Limited is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with over 100 years of experience and service to customers.
The distribution business serves about 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across Ontario. Union Gas is one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2017, and has assets of $8.2 billion and approximately 2,300 employees.
For more information, visit uniongas.com.
United Sirens of C-K in Wallaceburg and Dresden
Chatham-Kent Police Service, Chatham-Kent OPP, Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services, EMS and United Way have come together and formed a committee named the “United Sirens of C-K.”
Today, Thursday, September 7, 2017 the ‘United Sirens of C-K’ have teamed up for ‘First Responders Day’ where they will attend grocery stores throughout Chatham-Kent to bag and carry out customer’s groceries. The schedule is as follows:
– Wallaceburg No Frills: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
– Dresden Foodland: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
– Blenheim Food Basics: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
– Tilbury No Frills: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Donations of canned goods will be collected, at each location, and then delivered to the town’s food bank or the Salvation Army.
Wallaceburg Concert Band looking for more members
The Wallaceburg Concert Band is inviting interested musicians to their ‘New Members Night’, being held Monday September 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the WDSS Music Room.
No experience is necessary and you can check out any instrument of your choice, even if you have never played a musical instrument before.
Musical Director Dave Babbitt will provide an overview of the program and everything is entirely free, including the musical instruction and an instrument.
Experienced musicians are always welcomed and the group encourages them to register for the 2017-2018 concert season.
Anyone coming to the ‘New Members Night’ are being asked to head to the rear parking lot entrance.
Give their page a ‘Like’ on Facebook, by clicking here.
Province updating curriculum, new report cards coming
To build on Ontario’s educational progress and make schools even better at unleashing every student’s full potential, government officials say they are taking immediate steps to give students and parents better information about a child’s progress and launching an ambitious multi-year initiative to modernize curriculums and assessment tools from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, were at Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute to announce the opening of public consultations for this new initiative and detail the new report cards, which will be introduced in schools for the 2018-19 academic year.
“I have always believed that our work to build a fairer, more innovative Ontario starts in our publicly funded education system,” Wynne said in a press release.
“We have great schools, but we always need to look for ways to make our children’s schools even better. We need to give kids the variety of skills they’ll need in a fast-changing world. This curriculum refresh will build on all the progress we’ve made and ensure we’re giving students the skills, supports and opportunities to make their mark in their careers, their communities and the world.”
Ontario’s updated school curriculum will be developed through the public consultations with the goal of improving student achievement in core skills such as math and increasing emphasis on transferable life skills that can help students of all ages meet the changing demands of today and tomorrow. Communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity and global citizenship are skills that will help Ontario students thrive as they grow up in a changing, interconnected world. Beginning next school year, new report cards will better track a young person’s development of these essential and transferable life skills.
“In order for Ontario to continue to support student well-being and promote equity in our publicly funded education system, we must be positioned to meet the growing and ever-changing needs of all students today and in the future,” Hunter stated.
“We will work with all of our partners to ensure students have access to the most current and up-to-date curriculum possible, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.”
Government officials say by consulting with students, parents, teachers and other partners, the province also aims to:
– Help students take full advantage of their education experience with a new curriculum that better engages every aspect of a young person’s interests and potential
– Place an increased emphasis on equity and well-being, including the effects that physical activity, bullying and mental health can have on student success in and out of the classroom
– Update provincial assessment and reporting practices, including EQAO, to make sure they are culturally relevant, measure a wider range of learning, and better reflect student well-being and equity
– Enhance parents’ access to information about how their children are doing in school.
More details:
– Ontario will invest $49 million over three years to integrate student well-being into all provincial education practices and policies.
– The province’s renewed vision for education will help ensure that all students develop the knowledge, skills and characteristics to become personally successful, economically productive and actively engaged citizens.
– Over 86 per cent of Ontario students are graduating from high school — more than ever before.
– In 2016, 68 per cent of adults (ages 25-64) in Ontario had a postsecondary credential, up from 56 per cent in 2002 — higher than the rate for any country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
– Since 2013, the government has invested $9.3 billion in capital funding for school boards to support more than 120 new schools and more than 140 additions and renovations.
– This public consultation on student assessment will be conducted by the Premier and Minister of Education’s six education advisors led by Dr. Carol Campbell.
Photo of the day
Dawne Mudford captured this beautiful photograph of a double rainbow reflecting off the Sydenham River on Wednesday. She says it was taken right out front of her farm in Tupperville. Awesome shot, Dawne!
World news
Hurricane Irma leaves at least 10 people dead in the Caribbean
Jose, Katia upgrade into hurricanes in the Atlantic basin
Antigua and Barbuda PM blames climate change for hurricane
Go inside Hurricane Irma with a team of pilots and scientists
Island of Barbuda first to suffer Hurricane Irma, now ‘barely habitable’
Michael Bennett says Vegas police used excessive force with him
AP: Charles Manson disciple Leslie Van Houten granted parole
Sun unleashes largest solar flare since 2008
If you have a suggestion, story idea, column idea, or if you want to say hello… drop me an e-mail at aaron@sydenhamcurrent.ca.
