In the photo, Randy French of French Planning Services addresses the FOCA members on March 7. MLGA advisor, Randy French, of French Planning Service, addressed FOCA at their AGM on March 7, 2009. His address appears below:
There is a common thread that binds all lake residents and business operators. We’ve asked many communities what their top values are about their lake or river community. Not surprising, they are similar - Water Quality, Natural Landscapes and Shorelines, Healthy Fish and Wildlife, and Peace and Tranquility.
The common thread that binds us is the conservation and protection of our natural, landscape and social environments…
Dr. David Suzuki talks about Biophilia. The term "biophilia" literally means "love of life or living systems." It’s about our relationship with nature, the landscape, the ecology and it’s about the story of our attachment to where we live. The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems.
Edward Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book entitled Biophilia. He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with nature are rooted in our biology.
Unlike phobias, which are the aversions and fears that people have of things in the natural world, philias are the attractions and positive feelings that people have toward natural habitats, objects in their natural surroundings and lifestyle activities.
This positive energy is the reason why we are all here today and it is also the reason why lake planning has taken off like a wildfire across Ontario.
The lake planning process and this handbook have been prepared based on the ‘pay it forward principle’ - sharing information and approaches. Our hope is that as new lakes join the lake-planning network and create new information and approaches, that you will share these experiences with us and others so that they can become the new starting point for others.
We are working on a new website that provides a framework for the sharing of new ideas and information and hope to have it available shortly.
This is the spirit of the members of FOCA, and it is the spirit of all lake residents and business operators.
Finally, we want to thank the members of the Pilot Group and especially the many lake associations and members of FOCA for their contribution to this project.
Lake planning has been around for decades. It was adapted and revitalized in 1999 by the Peninsula Lake Association and now there are over 60 lakes engaged in some form of the process. A list of the contributing lakes is provided in the handbook, and we are very grateful for their sharing of reports, ideas and approaches.
These people are the pioneers and have helped pave the way the others to follow.
Thanks!
Randy P French, BES MCIP RPP
French Planning Services Inc.
RR #2, 1016 Holiday Park Drive
Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada P1L 1W9
bus 705 646 0851
fac. 705 645 4908
Brian Hull, MLGA Chair, attended the FOCA 2009 AGM in Toronto. The Ontario Minister of Natural Resources Donna Cansfield (above with Brian) address the members.
"As a result of attending the FOCA, AGM, we now have a number of new contacts that can help us with future issues and projects."
