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Community invited to celebrate rejuvenation of Junction Creek

By Bill Bradley [email protected] There used to be a time not so long ago you were more likely to snag an old shopping cart or car tire than a brook trout from Junction Creek. That was then, this is now.
By Bill Bradley

There used to be a time not so long ago you were more likely to snag an old shopping cart or car tire than a brook trout from Junction Creek.
That was then, this is now.

Marleau and Shimmer The Trout aka Evan Hoar kick off the Great Junction Creek Portage at Memorial Park. The event happens this Saturday.
Members of Sudbury?s Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, supporters and Shimmer The Trout were at Memorial Park downtown Wednesday to portage a canoe and promote a big community event.

They were practicing for a big community bash set for Saturday at 11 pm at Memorial Park, celebrating five years since partners recommitted to saving the vital Sudbury waterway.

From the park, participants were carrying the canoe towards the Ukrainian Senior?s Centre on Notre Dame Ave.

Along this route the creek is buried underground, but the groups? efforts symbolize their intent to raise the profile of the creek in the public eye.

They are also drawing attention to the tremendous amount of work undertaken by thousands of volunteers in rehabilitating Junction Creek over the past several years.

?Hats off to the Junction Creek group for the excellent work they?ve done. When you go by, there are now vast areas that are absolutely beautiful now. There?s fish, it is really cleaned up,? said Sudbury MP Diane Marleau.

Marleau cites the city?s Land Reclamation Program, energy efficiency efforts and the restoration of Junction Creek as models for other communities wherever she goes in her political travels.

?We are an example to the world of re-greening, re-vegetating, rehabilitation of lands and waterways around our community.We started working on our environment when few others were even thinking about it,? she said.

Carrie Regenstrief, co-ordinator with the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, said the federal government has been a huge supporter for the last five years.

?Environment Canada?s EcoAction program and Human Resources Development Canada of the federal government has been hugely supportive. Diane Marleau too, that?s why we invited her,? said Regenstrief.

Over the last five years, the different funding agencies have provided $160,000 to support various programs and rehabilitation efforts.

But the encouragement by the Sudbury community, whether by City of Greater Sudbury staff, expertise of fisheries scientists like John Gunn of Laurentian University, or all the physical work performed by too many volunteers to mention, has also been monumental, said Regenstreif.
Regenstreif invites all Sudburians to the Great Junction Creek Portage Saturday at 11 pm at Memorial Park.

Marleau will lead another entourage ending up at the Ukrainian Senior?s Centre. Marleau will then officially recognize nine groups that have so far agreed to adopt sections of the creek through the Adopt-A-Creek program.

Recognition awards will also be presented to long time partners including Northern Life, Inco Ltd., TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Topper?s Pizza, Crawford?s Food Basics and Southview Greenhouse Growers.

After the presentation there will be free pizza, drinks and cake and activities for children.

For more information phone 675-8743.

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