The Friends of One Mile Creek (FOMC) annual activity report and financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2022, were approved by the directors and by a vote of Stewards on May 24, 2022.
Summary
Despite the disruption of the global pandemic that prevented any indoor meetings in 2020 and 2021, Friends of One Mile Creek (FOMC) continued to raise awareness about our natural heritage and to engage volunteers
We have planted and continue to maintain public plantings in two Niagara on the Lake public parks – the pollinator garden (planted in 2012) at the William Street Park and the pollinator garden (planted in 2016) and the riparian trees and shrubs (planted in 2020) at King & John. We thank all the volunteers who turned out to help with the weeding and mulching of these gardens in 2021.
After two successful public meetings in 2019, we have been disappointed to not be able to meet in person in 2020 or 2021. At this point, we expect that it may be possible to convene a meeting later in 2022.
We continue to approach new homeowners who take over property adjacent to One Mile Creek to share with them copies of the Stewardship Guide and the Native Plants Guide as well as wild flower seeds – with the intention of encouraging good riparian planting along the creek. If you know of new homeowners on the creek, we would be happy to provide them with these materials.
Responding to requests from residents, we arranged for NPCA staff to engage with residents on Landsdowne Avenue about a future riparian restoration project on Landsdowne Pond.
Also, following complaints by residents on John Street about the clear-cutting of One Mile Creek along John Street, we engaged with Town staff to encourage a new protocol for mowing the creek that preserves wildflowers while maintaining road safety.
Background
Friends of One Mile Creek is a volunteer group formed in 2003 by landowners abutting One Mile Creek and other interested individuals in Niagara on the Lake because of concerns regarding the condition of the creek and associated Lansdowne Pond. Our purpose is to collaborate with the community and relevant agencies to work efficiently toward restoring and revitalizing the water, wildlife and natural environment of the One Mile Creek watershed. FOMC incorporated as a federally registered not-for-profit corporation in April 2019 with three directors: Michael Fox, Klara Young-Chin and Gerry Beneteau. There are two classes of membership:
— Friends: People register online at no cost and agree to receive email updates. Count: 123 in March 2022 (96 in 2021; 85 in 2020; 49 in 2019).
– Stewards: Appointed by the board and eligible to vote. The three directors are the current three stewards.
Financial position
March 31 is the annual reporting yearend. As of March 31, 2022, net current assets of $1,112.03 were in bank accounts at Meridian Credit Union.
We welcome contributions to help cover expenses for public meetings and other activities. Donations may be sent by e-transfer to [email protected], paid by PayPal at paypal.me/OneMileCreek or by cheque payable to Friends of One Mile Creek, PO Box 808, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0. We cannot issue tax receipts.
Community Engagement
Regular public meetings with informative speakers are important to help advocate FOMC objectives and share information with the community.
In the absence of public meetings, the FOMC website provides an accessible resource. According to Google Analytics, in the 12-month period to March 31, 2021, there were 1,422 users in 1,832 sessions and 3,967 page views. The website was reconfigured to make it easier to download the Native Plant Guide and other publications.
Advocacy
We supported efforts to ensure the new Niagara Region Official Plan includes key components to protect natural heritage.
We made submissions regarding the potential impact to the creek of the proposed Rand Subdivision that is on the headwaters of the creek.