Springwater News (for Thursday Jan 24-2008)
MPP DUNLOP INITIATES WYE MARSH FUNDING PETITION

On Thursday January 17, I had the privilege of attending a News Conference at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. The purpose of the News Conference was to release to the public a petition, that I had drafted, concerning long-term stable funding at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre.

I hope to circulate the petition to organizations across Ontario with the goal of getting 50,000 citizens of Ontario to sign the petition. I will begin reading the Petition into the records at Queen’s Park as soon as the house begins sitting again which will be sometime between February 25 and April 1. The petition reads as follows:

To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

WHEREAS, the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, located in the Township of Tay, manages approximately 3000 acres of environmentally sensitive land which is owned by the Province of Ontario

AND WHEREAS, over 50, 000 people visit the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre each year.

AND WHEREAS, over 20, 000 students from across Ontario visit the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre each year receiving curriculum based environmental education not available in schools.

AND WHEREAS, the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre receives no stable funding from any level of government.

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, petition the Province of Ontario to establish a reasonable and stable long-term funding formula so that the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre can continue to operate and exist into the future.

I have been a long time supporter of The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre and have tried repeatedly over the years to get the provincial government to provide yearly funding to the operation and maintenance of the centre.

Last year we began an Annual Spaghetti Dinner with all proceeds going to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. This year the event will be held on Friday March 7 at the centre. You can call the Centre at 526-7809 or one of my constituency offices for tickets to one of the three sittings.

With the petition and attention paid to the spaghetti dinner, I hope the Government will listen and be encouraged to enter into an agreement that will see funds finally flow to the centre. You can get a copy of the petition at my Website at wwwgarfielddunlop.com, my constituency offices or at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. If you are a supporter of the Wildlife Centre, I would really appreciate you signing the petition and passing it on to others.