ALUS Canada and Government of Manitoba’s GROW program increase conservation funding in the province. From R to L: Lara Ellis (ALUS Canada VP Policy and Partnerships), Tim Sopuck (MHHC CEO), Ralph Eichler (Minister of Agriculture), Premier Brian Pallister, Rochelle Squires (Minister of Sustainable Development), Bob Lagassé (MLA for Dawson Trail), Josh Guenter (MLA for Borderland).
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Glenlea, Manitoba, October 22, 2019/ ALUS Canada and Government of Manitoba’s GROW program increase conservation funding in the province.
ALUS Canada joined Premier Brian Pallister at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences today to announce important new investments in conservation.
At the press conference, the Government of Manitoba formally announced its Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Program, while ALUS Canada announced a new financial commitment of $300,000 to support environmental projects on agricultural land in the province.
“We applaud Premier Pallister for this significant commitment to conservation,” said Lara Ellis, ALUS Canada’s VP Policy and Partnerships.
“Now is truly the time to invest in natural-infrastructure projects to help reduce flooding and mitigate other effects of climate change, and we commend the Manitoba Government for launching its GROW program and for investing substantially in conservation this year, through both the Conservation Trust and the GROW Trust.”
ALUS Canada pledged to continue supporting Manitoba farmers and ranchers in their environmental stewardship work with an additional investment of $300,000 over the next two fiscal years.
ALUS will work with the GROW program to expand programming and produce outcomes that are good for both the environment and communities.
ALUS Canada will support these initiatives in Manitoba through its new corporate sponsorship program, the New Acre™ Project, and its existing cadre of charitable supporters, including its main philanthropic partner, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.
“ALUS Canada is more dedicated than ever to bringing in resources from investors, the corporate sector and our philanthropic partners to produce positive environmental results for all Manitobans,” said Ellis.
“ALUS Canada is more dedicated than ever to bringing in resources from investors, the corporate sector and our philanthropic partners to produce positive environmental results for all Manitobans,” said Lara Ellis, ALUS Canada’s VP Policy and Partnerships.
With integration as a founding principle, ALUS Canada brings together many disparate sources of investment, all working together to support rural communities tackling some of the greatest environmental challenges of our time.
For example, the ALUS Little Saskatchewan River program is a partnership between ALUS Canada and the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District (LSRCD), where 21 farmer and rancher participants have already enrolled nearly 2,000 acres into the ALUS program.
“Over the last four years, ALUS has been a great tool in our toolbox at the Conservation District,” said LSRCD Manager Colleen Cuvelier.
“It has encouraged farmers and ranchers to maintain and restore natural areas that produce cleaner air, cleaner water and more wildlife habitat. It has also helped our community reduce flooding and adapt to climate change. ALUS Canada has helped take us to the next level, and allowed us to reach people that we couldn’t have reached otherwise.”
ALUS Canada began to invest in the Seine Rat River Conservation District earlier this year. Manager Jodi Goerzen will lead programming to address important local environmental issues in southeastern Manitoba. This is a perfect example of how ALUS and GROW funds can be combined to support on-farm projects that enhance wetlands, floodplains and other water-retention areas.
“ALUS Canada is proud of what we’ve already accomplished in Manitoba, and we are excited to continue working with the Manitoba Government and all our conservation partners, including the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation and the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association, to expand collaborative efforts that benefit Manitoba communities,” Ellis concluded.
ALUS Canada has announced a significant new financial commitment of $300,000 to support environmental projects on agricultural land in Manitoba, expanding ALUS’ collaborative efforts with the Province’s GROW program, Conservation Trust, MHHC and Conservation Districts.
ABOUT ALUS CANADA
ALUS Canada, A Weston Family Initiative, is a national program helping farmers and ranchers to produce cleaner air, cleaner water, more biodiversity and other ecosystem services in their communities. ALUS Canada has disbursed nearly $8.1 M in funding to ALUS communities across Canada, an investment that is multiplied by farmers, ranchers and communities on the ground. As a result, there are now nearly 24,000 acres enrolled in the ALUS program, thanks to 750 participants from 25 communities in six provinces, and the program is rapidly expanding. For more information on ALUS Canada, please visit ALUS.ca.
For more information on the ALUS Seine Rat River program, visit https://alus.ca/alus_community/alus-seine-rat-river/.
For more information on the ALUS Little Saskatchewan River program, check: https://alus.ca/alus_community/alus-little-saskatchewan-river/
CONTACT: For photos, interviews and more information: Bridget Wayland, Director of Communications, ALUS Canada, C: 514-770-3001 [email protected]
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The ALUS Little Saskatchewan River program is a longstanding partnership between ALUS Canada and the LSR Conservation District, where 21 farmer and rancher participants have enrolled nearly 2,000 acres into ALUS. Shown here: ALUS LSR Program Coordinator and LSRCD Manager, Colleen Cuvelier, and ALUS Canada’s Prairie Hub Manager, Paige Englot, on an ALUS project site in Manitoba.
