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Inside Story 2

Inside Story 2

Inside Story 2

Inside Story 3

Inside Story 4

Inside Story 5

Inside Story 6

Inside this issue:

Community Profile Volunteers Uncover Hidden Gems through Natural Heritage Inventory Pg01

Community Profile Increased Connectivity and Responsiveness at the Municipality of Bayham Pg03

Business Resource Worktrends.ca a One-Stop Location for Labour Market Information Pg04

Local Event Western Elgin Home for Christmas Shopping Event Pg05

Community Profile Local Immigration Partnership Celebrates Newcomer Pg06

Business Resource Bridges to Better Business Pg07

Alan Smith General Manager, Economic Development (519) 631-1460 Ext. 133

Kate Burns Gallagher Business Development Coordinator (519) 631-1460 Ext. 137

Katherine Thompson Marketing & Communications Coordinator (519) 631-1460 Ext. 180

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Elgin County is perhaps best known for

its sandy beaches, rich agricultural

industry and historic rail line. But the

wild places of Elgin, and the diverse

array of species that live here, are often

overlooked. Until now. Carolinian

Canada staff and a small army of

volunteers are cataloguing the rare

plants and animals that call this area

home.

“To date we’ve found many significant

species such as Bank Swallow,

Butternut and Red-headed

Woodpecker,” says Sara Howe, Elgin

Natural Heritage Inventory Assistant.

“We are updating records that are as

Community Profile

Volunteers Uncover Elgin’s Hidden Gems Through Natural Heritage Inventory

Sara Howe, Carolinian Canada staff; Steve Ward, local landowner; Meagan Garrod, volunteer; Sarah

Hodgkiss, Carolinian Canada staff.

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much as 30 years out of date. A lot can change

in this time.”

Taking stock of Elgin’s natural rarities is

important. Three decades ago, many of the

species now known to be in decline would not

have been listed as rare and their numbers

would not have been monitored. While this

inventory is serving to update existing

information, some gems are new discoveries.

“A wild Ginseng population and a rare wet

prairie habitat are some unique finds,” comments

Jarmo Jalava, Carolinian Canada’s Director of

Ecosystem Recovery. “According to Wasyl

Bakowsky, one of our premier prairie experts,

the prairie seems to be the first of its kind ever

seen in Ontario.”

Elgin County landowners can register their

properties for an inventory as part of the project.

Those who have done so have found the

experience rewarding. Grant and Mary Ann

Harvey view the Elgin Inventory as a chance for

residents to gain a greater appreciation for the

wealth of nature at their doorstep. For the past

12 years, the couple have planted trees,

installed bird boxes and created tallgrass prairie

on their farm near Tillsonburg. Now they are

eager for Carolinian Canada staff and volunteers

to scour their 57 acre property for rare finds.

“This is a great opportunity to learn a little more

about what’s here,” says Mary Ann. Grant adds,

“Inventory results can help property owners like

us increase our appreciation for surrounding

wildlife. Know what you’ve got before it’s gone –

it can be a starting point for improving habitat for

species whose populations are dwindling.”

Keen volunteers are needed to help with the

autumn inventory. The fall is a great time of year

to explore meadows and prairies, look for

reptiles and seek out places where birds gather

to migrate. Participants who register to take part

in the inventory can opt to do so on their own or

as part of a team under the guidance of experts.

Whether soloing or as a group, seeking out

Elgin’s natural gems can transform a hike into a

worthwhile adventure. It’s an opportunity to view

the county in a new light – one that illuminates

the uniqueness of nature close to home. For

those who take part, the information collected is

more than a list. Once the data is compiled, it will

serve to create a better understanding of Elgin’s

biodiversity and help focus conservation efforts

to create healthier habitats and a brighter future.

For more information on participating, visit

www.carolinian.org.

This program is funded through the Ministry of

Natural Resources and Forestry’s Species At

Risk Stewardship Fund and Environment Cana-

da’s Sciences Horizon’s Youth Internship Pro-

gram.

Article provided by Bronwen Buck, Carolinan Canada Coalition

Bronwen Buck, Carolinian Canada Coalition staff.

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Community Profile

Increased Connectivity and Responsiveness at the Municipality of Bayham

It was clear to new Chief Administrative Officer

Paul Shipway that the Municipality of Bayham’s

computer and communications technology

system was in need of significant updates. The

system operated on old servers, used outdated

equipment and was heavily reliant on paper files

located at the main municipal administration

office in Straffordville.

Municipal staff was spread out over five separate

locations including the main municipal

administration office, fire and emergency

services, water treatment facilities and public

works and each of these locations used a

stand-alone computer system. These five

stand-alone systems had no connectivity to one

another and staff requiring documents stored on

other systems needed to request them by e-mail

or visit the location in person.

“Municipalities are required to be fluid and

responsive to the needs of citizens,” said

Shipway. “Operating in silos does not allow us to

be as responsive as we would like to be.”

An organizational review identified that a modern

and intuitive computer technology system was

crucial to the staff’s ability to do its job in an

efficient and effective manner while meeting the

complex needs of the community.

Improvements to the system will include

transitioning to a single terminal server

environment where all municipal staff, regardless

of location, can search and access the same

documents quickly and easily. Additionally a fast

and stable internet connection will be brought to

the municipal office through the installation of

fibre connections. Fibre connections are thinner

and lighter than metal cables, are less

susceptible to interference and have a much

greater bandwidth, meaning that they can carry

more data. These updates will ensure that

Bayham is able to adapt and compete in an

increasingly technological world.

The need for high speed internet to ensure the

economic vitality and viability of rural

municipalities is one that is recognized not only

by the Municipality of Bayham, but by the

Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus and the

Southwest Economic Alliance with their joint

SWIFT initiative – to bring ultra high speed fibre

optic regional network to everyone in western

Ontario regardless of where they live.

For more information on the Municipality of

Bayham visit www.bayham.on.ca and to learn

about the SWIFT initiative visit www.wowc.ca.

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Business Resource

Worktrends.ca a One - Stop Location for Labour Market Information

Good quality information is essential for

individuals looking to make career decisions in

an ever changing economy. This information can

also be very useful to employers looking to

recognize key employment trends and plan for

future growth and development of their

organizations. In March of 2014, the Elgin

Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and

Development Board in partnership with the

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

and the London Economic Development

Corporation launched www.worktrends.ca in

order to provide current local and regional labour

market information in one convenient and easy to

use online location.

The resource is designed to be useful for several

different groups including students, job seekers

and employers. It provides users with accessible,

up-to-date and relevant data including market

conditions, industry information, changes in the

internal and external business environments,

future hiring and employment trends, wage and

salary expectations and education and training

information.

Job seekers are able to see what companies are

hiring by viewing an on-site list of active job

boards in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties.

They can research the training they will need to

apply to these jobs and can get an idea of how

much money they can be expected to make.

This type of information is also extremely useful

to students trying to decide on a sustainable

future career path. They can use the website to

get an overall picture of the viability of entering

certain occupations in the area, what they can

expect to earn in each occupation and what

education and training they will need to pursue

this type of occupation. There is also a section

on the website dedicated to resources for newly

landed immigrants and persons with disabilities.

Employers and human resources professionals

can utilize www.worktrends.ca to get a better

idea of what competitive wages are for a

particular job or occupation, get an idea of how

many qualified people in the area can fill these

jobs and to determine the potential future growth

in an industry. The website also has resources to

teach employers how to better accommodate

employees with disabilities.

The data found on www.worktrends.ca comes

from Stats Canada, a variety of independent data

providers, government ministries and the

EmployerOne Survey that is administered to

local businesses each year. Data can be

searched by job or by industry and results

displayed compare trends from Middlesex, Elgin,

London, St. Thomas and Oxford to trends at the

provincial and national levels.

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The leaves are changing colour, the air is getting

colder and the West Elgin Home for Christmas

Shopping Event is just around the corner! The

event will run from November 21 to December 6

and will promote great shopping locations in six

western Elgin communities.

Shoppers will be able to visit over 50

participating locations in West Elgin and Dutton-

Dunwich to do their holiday shopping and fill out

ballots for chances to win a number of great

draw prizes!

Look for the "Home for Christmas Shopping

Event Participating Business" poster and bow as

you shop. Each participating location will also

have a poster on display listing the local

restaurants, libraries, garages and shops that

are involved.

Two of the participating venues will only open

their doors on Saturday, December 6. The

Home-Based Business Christmas Shoppe at the

West Elgin Legion (142 John Street, West Lorne)

will offer festive finds and additional draw prizes

from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Christmas Craft

Bake Sale at the Rodney Legion (177 Victoria

Street, Rodney) will be offering sweet treats be-

tween 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

This holiday season, it's worth the short drive to

“Come See Why the West is Best!”

For more information on the West Elgin Home

for Christmas Shopping Event contact Karen

Kendrick Secretary of the Marketing Partners of

West Elgin at westelginfarmgirl@yahoo.ca.

Local Event

Western Elgin Invites Shoppers Home For Christmas

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The St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration

Partnership (STELIP) has announced the first

Newcomer Champion Awards, an initiative that

supports the building of prosperous, vibrant and

connected communities by encouraging

citizenship and engagement. The awards

recognize the individuals and business from

St. Thomas and Elgin County that are making a

difference in the lives of newcomers to the

region.

There are two types of awards:

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

An individual, group or organization that is:

Working with the community to address the

needs of newcomers;

Developing an understanding of our local

cultural diversity;

Working to strengthen the community by

working with others to build positive

changes;

Volunteering to support diversity and

newcomers and advocating for social and

civic inclusion; and,

Delivering services that provide the

groundwork for newcomers to be socially

and economically active.

Newcomer Community Leader Award

A newcomer that is giving back to the community

in some capacity in a positive and progressive

way and is:

Committed to making a difference by

creating welcoming communities for other

newcomers; and,

Working with the community to strengthen

and build positive changes.

Eligibility: any organization established in Elgin

County or any resident of Elgin County since at

least January 1, 2014.

Nominations will run from September 24 until

January 15, 2015. The winners will be

announced at the next STELIP event Moving

Forward on February 19, 2015.

Any resident of St. Thomas or Elgin County can

send a nomination to the STELIP team by filling

out a Nomination Form, available to download

from www.ywcastthomaselgin.org / Programs /

St. Thomas Elgin Local Immigration Partnership.

For more information please call (519) 631-9800

ext. 239 or email festrela.stelip@gmail.com.

Community Profile

Local Immigration Partnership Celebrates Newcomers

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