Canadians Go Wild This Summer As 21 Grants Awarded

TORONTO, Ontario July 18, 2016 Canada NewsWire - Canadians across the country are about to go wild this summer through 21 newly awarded Go Wild Community Grants presented by TELUS.

The national program, now in its third-round of recipients, helps thousands of Canadians connect to nature with grants of $1,000 to $7,000. By investing in projects that protect, restore and celebrate nature, Go Wild is empowering communities to keep nature top of mind and take a leadership role in conserving the natural environment around them.

WWF-Canada received more than 255 innovative and inspiring proposals from community groups, individuals, schools and nonprofits from coast to coast to coast. The high level of interest in the grants demonstrates an eagerness on the part of Canadians to bring to life our connection to nature and make our actions count.

Some of the exciting ideas chosen include:

• Restoring a protected coastline trail in Gabarus, N.S.
• Monitoring the spring and fall movements of dragonflies and damselflies in Niagara Falls, Ont.
• Helping in-need individuals in Toronto rebuild skills and confidence through gardening and time spent in nature.
• Teaching schools and community groups about wildlife through geocaches in Medicine Hat, Alta.
• Creating boxes for cavity nesting birds in an area where historical habitat had been devastated by forest fire, causing birds to nest in weakened telephone and hydro-electric poles in Lumsden, Nfld.
• Constructing habitat for bees and butterflies in backyards and natural spaces in Stratford, P.E.I.
• Monitoring water quality and identifying ways to support aquatic life during dry months in Chilliwack, B.C.

For more details on the projects selected visit wwf.ca/gowild, and visit our blog to learn more about past Go Wild projects.

Projects will be implemented this summer and run until the fall, with the fourth round of grants opening in August, 2016. The Go Wild grants support a project's program including staff, equipment, materials, field and supplies costs, documentation and communications costs.

Quote from Sarah Winterton, director of nature-connected communities at WWF-Canada

"Too often we miss the signs that nature needs our help, and as a result we forget that solutions are within our grasp. That's why WWF-Canada is proud to support the 21 recipients of the Go Wild Community Grants for their leadership in turning ideas into meaningful action for the environment. Projects will help thousands of Canadians nurture an understanding of how our actions impact wildlife and ensure nature thrives in their own communities."

About Go Wild Community Grants presented by TELUSIn partnership with TELUS, WWF-Canada's Go Wild Community Grants support creative ideas from Canadians on how to protect, restore, monitor, educate and celebrate nature. For more information, visit wwf.ca/gowild

About World Wildlife Fund CanadaWWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca

About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada's fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $12.3 billion of annual revenue and 13.9 million customer connections, including 8.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.1 million wireline network access lines, 1.5 million high-speed Internet subscribers and 954,000 TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada's largest healthcare IT provider.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $396 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered and more than 6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by President and CEO Darren Entwistle, TELUS' 11 Canadian community boards and 4 International boards have led the Company's support of grassroots charities and will have contributed more than $54 million in support of over 4,800 local charitable projects by the end of 2015, enriching the lives of more than 2.1 million children and youth. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

SOURCE WWF-Canada   www.wwf.ca

Join The Food Day Canada Party on Saturday July 30th!

FOOD DAY CANADA CELEBRATES CANADA'S 149TH YEAR

 WITH 149 WAYS TO SHOP LIKE A CANADIANTruly Canadian Grocery List Available for Free at FoodDayCanada.ca

GUELPH, Ontario, July 18, 2016 /Canada NewsWire - On Saturday July 30th, it's Food Day Canada -a chance for all Canadians to join in one massive celebration in praise of our farmers and fishers; our chefs and researchers, and, above all, our home cooks. In celebration of Canada's 149th Year, Food Day Canada is launching Shop Like a Canadian – a free online grocery list with 149 ingredients that we produce in Canada.

Seeing a growing gap in knowledge about what foods are actually cultivated and processed in Canada, and confusing "Made in" versus "Product of" labels, inspired Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada Founder and Food Laureate of the University of Guelph, to curate a list of 149 truly "Product of Canada" foods. It's a fun and personal shout out to Canada's producers.

"For years I've cajoled and coached people to Cook Like a Canadian, now it's time toShop Like a Canadian," said Anita Stewart. "This list is a start to knowing where your food comes from and  how to find it so you can celebrate every last tasty morsel grown in Canada. After all, Canada IS food and the world is richer for it!"

Making the list, some well-known foods like flour (of all sorts) and tons of dairy products. But there are also dozens of local contributions like Montreal-made couscous, Taber-refined sugar, and cider vinegar produced in the owners' orchards. There's VQA wine and craft beers from coast to coast and award winning cheeses from small fromageries all across the nation. 

Stewart adds, 

"Because the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, the list has an array of pulse crops from beans and lentils to chickpeas and peas.  They're extremely healthy, good for the planet, and guess what…Canada's the largest producer of lentils and peas on earth." She quips, "Eating them is culinary nationalism at its best."

To further honour Canadian foods, Food Day Canada has partnered with more than 250 restaurants.

"Our Food Day Canada chefs understand that local ingredients are fundamental to our dynamic food culture. They are Canada's real brand advocates. On Saturday, July 30th, they will be creating their own hyper-local menus, with ingredients often so specific to their region that they cannot be replicated even a few dozen miles away," said Stewart.

On July 30th, the Call to Action is aimed at all Canadians with an invitation to join the party, share their local foods stories and show each other what's on the menu all across the land.

"The harvest is in and the abundance of the Canadian culinary landscape is evident everywhere," added Stewart.

HOW TO DO IT?Join the FOOD DAY CANADA Twitter PartyOn July 26th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT, join the FoodDayCanada Twitter Party to tell us what Canadian–grown foods you love and what ingredients we missed. Follow us at @FoodDayCanada  using the official Hashtags #FoodDayCanada #CanadaISfood.

Join FOOD DAY CANADA on July 30th!  On July 30th, Food Day Canada invites everyone to share their food story on Social Media.  Food Day Canada has created a special page on its website, FoodDayCanada.ca. Tag your food images on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FoodDayCanada or #CanadaISfood and it will appear on the FDC web site.  

About Food Day CanadaFounded by Anita Stewart in 2003, Food Day Canada has become known as a special day mid-summer for Canadians to share their food and their stories with each other while leading other nations in cultural diversity, food ethics, magnificent flavours … and fun!  The first Food Day Canada launched the World's Longest Barbecue in response to the BSE crisis that devastated Canada's cattle industry.

This Food Day Canada, Anita Stewart will travel from St. John's, Newfoundland toTofino, BC, to present the first two Food Day Canada/All-Clad Canada Awards to chefs in those communities.

Special thanks to Food Day Canada partners – the University of Guelph, Pulse Canada, All-Clad Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada, KitchenAid Canada, Taste and Travel Magazine, and, the chef community of Canada. For more information, visit  FoodDayCanada.ca facebook.com/foodday and @fooddaycanada.

Food Day Canada Recipe:

Spicy Black Bean Burgers By Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada Founder

This year the world is celebrating pulses…those amazing, protein-packed, easy to cook legumes that are so at home in Canada.  Here's a recipe that you can use at any time of the year.

The 'burger' mixture can be prepared a day ahead of time and cooked either for full size burger buns but we love them as sliders.  Top them with lentil sprouts (to carry on the same colour theme, we sprout beluga lentils), a bit of good locally made mustard (Canada grows the finest mustard seed on earth), some green salsa and a pungent garlic mayonnaise (aioli) Or, if you get ambitious, make your own ketchup (see recipe below).

• 1 ½ cups cooked black turtle beans or 19 oz (540 mL) tin black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 egg
• 2 large green onions, coarsely chopped or one chopped, medium-sized red onion
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ancho chili powder
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) smoked sweet paprika
• 1 small dried chili, crushed or ½ tsp chili flakes
• ½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) finely crushed lentil or tortilla chips
• 2 tbsps (30mL) whole wheat flour
• Canola or olive oil, as needed for frying
• Whole wheat burger buns, as needed
• Sprouted beluga lentils, as needed

Dry the cooked beans on a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to remove the excess moisture.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.
Combine the egg, green onion, garlic, spices and salt in a food processor.  Pulse until coarsely chopped. Measure in crushed lentil chips. Pulse a few more times till the lentil chips look as though they are dissolving into the mixture.  Measure in the black beans and flour.  Pulse, scrapping down the sides from time to time, till the mixture is coarsely chopped.  With a spatula, transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes or till firm.  
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and swirl in enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.  Saute the mixture 2 tbsps (30 mL) at a time till golden brown on both sides.  Keep warm till serving. 
Makes about 6 – 8 burgers.

NOTE: To cook black turtle beans, cover them deeply with cold water and salt lightly.  Let stand overnight at room temperature.  Drain and transfer to saucepan.  Cover well with water (no salt this time), bring to a boil and simmer 25 – 30 minutes or until tender.  If you need to add water during this cooking process, use hot or boiling water and it will maintain the colour of the beans.  

Homemade KetchupOne of the mother sauces, ketchup has roots in many cultures and it was always home made.  I've streamlined this by draining and pureeing canned tomatoes.  You'll need 2 – 28oz/796 mL tins of whole canned tomatoes.   Break them apart with your hands, removing seeds if you wish. Transfer them to a colander, let drain over a bowl; reserve the juice for another use and puree the tomatoes. 

• 3 cups (750 mL) tomato puree
• ½ cup (75 mL) cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) pickling spice
• 1 star anise
• 3 – 4 whole allspice
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into chunks
• 1 tsp (5 mL) red pepper flakes
• ½ cup (125 mL) well packed brown sugar
• Salt, to taste

In a heavy saucepan combine the puree and cider vinegar.  Tie all the spices together in cheesecloth to make a small spice bag.  Add to the mixture.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered for 10 – 12 minutes or till beginning to really thicken.  Add the sugar, return to a simmer and continue to cook till thick.  Remove spice bag; taste and add salt as needed, stirring well.
Transfer into clean glass jars.  Refrigerate till serving. 
Makes about 3 cups (750 mL).

Honey-Tarragon Salad Dressing for Fresh Greens

This is my go-to dressing for summery greens.  Use your imagination and add fresh summer fruit like blueberries or sliced strawberries, petals from a few favourite edible flowers…we love tulips, nasturtiums and begonia blossoms! 

• 1/3 cup (75 mL) cider vinegar
• 2 tsps (10 mL) grainy mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• A handful of chives
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey, preferably local
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped, fresh tarragon
• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) canola or sunflower oil.

Whisk all the ingredients together or combine in a food processor adding oil at the last minute in a constant stream.
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL) dressing.

SOURCE Food Day Canada

Canadian National Exhibition - The Farm

The 138th Canadian National Exhibition happens this year from August 19th to September 5th in Toronto     

The CNE's Farm features interactive exhibits showcasing trends in urban agriculture while at the same tune providing an opportunity to meet approximately 140 farm yard animals ranging from piglets to cows, sheep, goats & more!

Guests can be a farmer for a day, picking apples off a tree, digging for potatoes, milking a cow and collecting eggs from the chickens. 

There will also be daily demonstrations of sheep sheering (1 & 3 pm) and cow milking (12 & 4:30 pm). 

During the fair, elements of the CNE's interactive horse program, HorseCapades, will move into the Farm. 

What To Do If You Find A Sick Or Injured Animal

If you see what you think may be a sick, injured or abandoned animal, don’t remove it from its natural habitat. It may not need assistance and you could do more harm trying to help.

Determining if Wildlife is abandoned

Some species leave their offspring alone temporarily, especially during the day. For example, deer and cottontail rabbits spend much of the day away from their well-camouflaged offspring to minimize the chance of predators finding them. 

To determine if a young animal has been abandoned, check it periodically for 24 to 48 hours to see if it is still around. Keep your distance. Keep cats and dogs away from the area. The adult animal may not return if it is noisy or if predators or people are close by.

Figuring out what to do

Contact your local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry office to learn more about what you can do to help:

• Visit ontario.ca/mnrfoffices to contact your local district office
• Call the Natural Resources Information Centre at 1-800-667-1940 from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• View the rescue a sick, injured or abandoned wild animal webpage
• View a list of wildlife rehabilitators who have agreed to have their contact information included on the ministry’s website.

Signs of Injury or Illness

• Blood, wounds or swelling on the body     
• Body covered in fleas
• Unusual or uneven loss of fur or feathers
• Substantial hair loss or with visible winter ticks
• Difficult or raspy breathing or sneezing
• A dangling leg or wing
• Closed eyes and head tucked under wing

Care Necessary to Help the Animal

• You cannot keep wildlife in captivity without approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. However, a person may temporarily possess a wild animal for up to 24 hours to transport it to a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian.
• Contact a wildlife rehabilitator who can help you assess the situation and provide advice on what to do. 
• In rare circumstances, immediate and specialized care is necessary to help an animal. If specialized care is needed for a wild animal, take it to a wildlife rehabilitator or a veterinarian within 24 hours.
• Take care in handling any wild animal. If you must handle the animal, follow the instructions provided by the wildlife rehabilitator on how to minimize risk of injury to yourself and to the animal. 
• Wear protective clothing and equipment, such as leather gloves, to avoid bites or scratches, and wash hands after handling the animal.

It is important to recognize that many volunteer-operated wildlife rehabilitation organizations have limited capacity to accept animals, especially in the spring.

Diseased or Dead Wildlife 

To report dead animals, including birds or bats, contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/ by email at on-nu@cwhc-rcsf.ca or by calling 1-866-673-4781.

If you suspect there is a public health risk from a sick wild animal, such as rabies, or you or your pet had contact with a suspected rabid animal, contact your local Public Health Unit immediately. 

For more information, call Service Ontario toll-free at 1-866-532-3161.

If left untreated, rabies is fatal for humans and animals.

Symptoms of rabies and several other diseases in animals can include tremors, aggressive behaviour, partial paralysis, convulsions, and loss of fear of humans.

For information on wildlife in captivity, click here 

For more information on wildlife, click here 

NEWS RELEASE

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND FORESTS

Canada Celebrates The Inscription Of A New UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mistaken Point named Canada's 18th World Heritage Site 

OTTAWA, Ontario July 17, 2016 /Canada NewsWire/ - Mistaken Point in Newfoundland and Labrador has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, took the opportunity to welcome this heritage treasure into Canada's list of 18 World Heritage Sites that represent some of humanity's most outstanding achievements and nature's most inspiring creations.

The Government of Canada congratulates those involved in the nomination of Mistaken Point – a provincial ecological reserve and globally important fossil site located on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. The Government of Newfoundland andLabrador worked tirelessly with local communities and academic experts on the nomination of this site, which illustrates the earliest stages in the emergence of biological complexity on our planet.

World Heritage Sites are exceptional places around the world that are considered to have Outstanding Universal Value. The World Heritage Committee's decision to inscribe Mistaken Point on the prestigious World Heritage List will ensure that it is protected for the benefit of all humanity. The decision was made at the World Heritage Committee annual meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

As we near the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Government ofCanada invites visitors to experience and learn more about Canada's natural and cultural heritage, including the country's 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Quotes

"I am delighted that Mistaken Point is now part of Canada's family of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This site has received the highest recognition of protected heritage places in the world. Congratulations to all those involved with the inscription of Mistaken Point. Canadians can be more proud to be home to 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including this new addition of great significance."

The Honourable Catherine McKennaMinister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Our province's natural heritage is recognized today on the international stage. The success of this inscription is the result of countless hours of hard work by the many staff and volunteers who are dedicated to the protection and preservation of the fossils at Mistaken Point. They are to be congratulated for their work."

The Honourable Perry TrimperMinister of Environment and Conservation, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Quick Facts

• Mistaken Point is a globally-significant fossil site that contains 580 to 560 million years old fossils that are the first record of large, complex, multicellular, animal-like organisms – i.e. "when life got big" – a pivotal event in the evolution of life on Earth.
• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador partnered with the Mistaken Point Ambassadors Inc. to nominate the site for this international recognition.
• Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and cultural heritage areas in the world. The agency is the Government of Canada's representative for the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Twelve of Canada's 18 World Heritage Sites are areas managed in part or in whole by Parks Canada.

BackgrounderMistaken Point is an Ediacaran fossil site located on the southern tip ofNewfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. The vast majority of the nominated property falls entirely within Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve, a provincial protected area managed by Parks and Natural Areas Division (PNAD) of the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation.

The fossils found at Mistaken Point date to the Middle Edicaran Period (580 to 560 million years ago) and represent the first appearance in the fossil record of large, complex, multicellular, animal-like organisms – i.e. "when life got big" – a pivotal event in the evolution of life on Earth.

Associated Links

UNESCO

Parks Canada

SOURCE Parks Canada  

Mid-year Dairy Price Increase Leaves Sour Taste

TORONTO, Ontario July 15, 2016 /Canada News Wire - Restaurant owners are bracing for higher prices for cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter with today's news that industrial milk prices will rise by another 2.76% on Sept. 1. This is the second price increase in seven months and comes on top of a 2.2% increase that took effect Feb. 1, 2016.

"Continually jacking up prices for restaurant owners and consumers is not a long-term solution when Canadians are already paying among the highest prices in the world for dairy products," says Pierre Cadieux, Restaurants Canada's Vice President Federal/Quebec. "Cheese is being priced off the menu and another price increase is only going to further drive down demand."

Representing an industry that buys $2.7 billion worth of dairy products a year, Restaurants Canada is pushing for long-term solutions to the problems created byCanada's outdated supply management system.

"We understand concerns around producer margins, but we need solutions that will increase volumes rather than always increasing prices," says Cadieux. "Today's announcement is yet another indicator that the current system is not working for producers or end users."

The increase was announced late this afternoon by the Canadian Dairy Commission.

Restaurants Canada (formerly the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association) is a growing community of 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant industry. Canada's restaurant industry directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs, and serves 18 million customers every day.

Wellington County Residents Who Love And Collect All Things John Deere

Wellington County Collects - John Deere

The Collections of Jim McGoldrick (Fergus), Dorothy Hadfield (Ariss), Elaine and Gerry Boyes (Belwood), Kyle Bosomworth (Alma) and Art and Janette Freeman (Arthur)

June 25  to January 8, 2017

"Nothing runs like a Deere" is one of the most recognizable slogans out there and stands true for many Wellington County residents who love and collect all things John Deere. 

 Meet seven collectors from all across the County and share their personal passion of all things John Deere.

Please join us for John Deere Daze, Wednesday, August 31 from 1:00-4:00 pm.

Wellington County Museum and Archives

0536 Wellington Rd. 18
Fergus ON N1M 2W3

T 519.846.0916 x5224

T 1.800.663.0750 x5224
F 519.846.9630