Lakehead Region Conservation Authority reflects on 70 years while eyeing up future initiatives

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (LRCA) based in Thunder Bay, Ont., is marking a milestone anniversary this year while drawing attention to conservation efforts led by the organization from both the past and present.

The LRCA will celebrate its 70th anniversary as an organization in the northwest region. It is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario and just one of five in all of northern Ontario.

"Conservation authorities really have adapted quite a bit over time," said Tammy Cook, who's been with the authority for 19 years in a number of roles, from a watershed resource technician to her current position as chief administrative officer. 

"We've been really focusing on stewardship and environmental education … the studies that we've done to make sure we can do our job adequately and efficiently have evolved. But our core mandates have always been there. We've been there to protect people from flooding and erosion."

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority started as the Neebing Valley Conservation Authority in 1954, eight years after the enactment of Ontario's Conservation Authorities Act.

A fierce storm that passed through the Lakehead region in 1941 is what led to the creation of the authority.

The storm caused extensive flooding on the Neebing River and the floodwaters rose to the point where they overflowed into the McIntyre River.

The Neebing Valley authority was created to begin mitigating the flood problems associated with the storm.

Floodway 'claim to fame'

Cook said the early work of the organization, before being renamed to the LRCA in 1963, is some of its most significant. That also includes the creation of the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway in 1984, further addressing flooding in the lower Neebing River and intercity area of Thunder Bay.

"The floodway is kind of like our claim to fame when it comes to bigger projects," Cook said, adding that commercial developments like the Thunder Centre shopping area, the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition (CLE) grounds and Silver City movie theatre would not have been built in the intercity area of Thunder Bay without the floodway.

Apart from historic projects, the LRCA has ramped up accessibility initiatives at many of its sites and has plans for more of that work moving forward. 

It has also increased educational and stewardship programming in the last several years as it tries to reach people from across its eight member municipalities.

"We like to call our conservation areas living classrooms and get kids out on field trips into nature. And so that's really close to my heart," said Ryan Mackett, communications manager with the authority, while discussing programming he's proud of at the LRCA.

In addition to flood protection and forecasting messaging, the LRCA manages 10 conservation areas, five of which are on Lake Superior.

Mackett said community engagement through recreational spaces and programming is what helps to keep the LRCA afloat.

The organization often relies on volunteers to help with projects like shoreline remediation work or invasive species management. They also work with regional experts to bolster community events, like the Dorian Bird Festival. 

"We have a lot of community partners that really help us toward our goal, our mission and our vision. And, you know, relying on the expertise of our friends in this community is really, really important," Mackett said.

Thunder Bay wildlife biologist Brian Ratcliff is one of the many volunteers the LRCA has relied on throughout the years.

Ratcliff has been involved with the organization for nearly 30 years, participating in waterfowl viewing at Mission Island Marsh Conservation Area, purple loosestrife control projects, and more recently the Dorian Bird Festival.

"A lot of natural history organizations, it's a real struggle to even keep the doors open a lot of the time, year to year. So to go for 70 years and to build the programs, their responsibilities, their mandate, what they're doing here to help educate, to protect our landscape, it's just an amazing accomplishment that they've been going this long," said Ratcliff.

This Thursday, the LRCA is hosting a celebration outside its administrative office in Thunder Bay from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The LRCA is giving away free milkweed plants to the first 70 families who speak with their stewardship team at the event. There will also be demonstrations from Science North, Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue, Canada West Maple and EcoSuperior.

"I think it's a good way to kind of acknowledge our success over the last 70 years, to thank past and present staff members who have been so dedicated and board members, and help us look forward to the next 70 years to see where are we going to go," said Cook.

"It's exciting to think about where we can go and the improvements we can make and to continue on our success for the next 70 years."