Media Release
April 9, 2026, Lion’s Head, ON – On Wednesday, MPP Paul Vickers was at the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association’s (BPBA) Spring Pasture meeting. While there, MPP Vickers had the opportunity to hear about the work happening since the group received a three-year, $358,300 Grow grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2025. The grant is supporting BPBA’s ongoing work in watershed health protection on the Northern Bruce Peninsula (NBP) by enabling expansion of the organizations long-running Six Streams Program.
“The Bruce Peninsula is known for its remarkable connections to nature and natural heritage,” said Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers. “The BPBA does a remarkable job preserving this and showcasing it, and I am glad that the OTF recognized their efforts with this award.”
At the event, the group highlighted how collaboration between landowners, community members, and environmental organizations is essential to sustaining clean water and healthy ecosystems. The meeting brought together local farmers, community members, and partners to review ongoing water quality improvement work, share knowledge, and discuss stewardship approaches that benefit agricultural operations and the environment.
Funds from the OTF grant have been directed towards collaborative meetings such as this, as well as helping with staffing and training costs. The grant is also helping with purchasing water quality monitoring equipment, creating educational materials, and undertaking aerial-based water quality data collection. This initiative focuses on improving water quality and ecosystem health in key NBP sub-watersheds, Judges Creek and the Stokes River, undertaking advanced environmental monitoring, community engagement, and targeted restoration activities.
“The Grow grant from OTF is giving us a deeper understanding of how our landscape, the community and our water interact. Most importantly, it is helping us understand that we are all playing on the same team,” said John Rodgers, Six Streams Lead and Vice-Chair, Board of Directors.
With no conservation authority on the NBP, BPBA plays a critical role in protecting local water resources and enabling community action in conservation initiatives. Building on more than a decade of success, the Six Streams Program has reduced impacts from agriculture through streamside fencing, alternative watering systems, and volunteer-led restoration. This next phase will use new tools such as drone-based assessments and citizen science to better understand and address erosion, turbidity, and nutrient loading to watercourses on the NBP. The project is expected to benefit the entire NBP community by improving water quality, protecting vulnerable aquifers, and supporting sustainable agricultural practices, while also enhancing recreational and ecological health across the region.
