Archived Events

September 2011

Panel Discussion on Randle Reef - Community Workshop

On Sept. 27th, 2011, BARC held our 19th annual community workshop. The event centered on the status of Randle Reef's remediation and included a panel of experts:

Roger Santiago - Environment Canada
Brian McCarry - McMaster University
John Shaw - Environment Canada (retired)
John Hall - Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan

To view their shared slide show presentation, click here. Photos of the event can be found on our Facebook Page.

BARC's 2nd Annual Multicultural Waterfest

On September 18th, 2011, BARC held our 2nd annual Multicultural Waterfest. People new to Hamilton had a chance to learn more about our Harbour while having fun and enjoyable family-friendly afternoon.   This year, over 350 people were in attendance and we were delighted to add a halal bbq and musicians to the event!

Our great thanks go out to our partners:
- Hamilton Bay Sailing Club
- Royal Hamilton Yacht Club
- FutureWatch
- YMCA Settlement Services
- Hamilton Power Squadron
- Lively Dragon
- St. Joseph's Immigrant Women's Centre
- Iroquois Canoeing & Outing Club
- Environment Hamilton

Thank you to our Sponsors!:
- US Steel
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco
- Hamilton Port Authority
- Oak Run Bakery

To see pictures from this year (and last year's event) visit our Facebook Page!

November 2010

BARC's Annual History Night

Please join BARC as we present a free screening of the award winning, "WATERLIFE" followed by a Q & A with Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser, Chair, Biology Department, McMaster University and "WATERLIFE" consultant.

WATERLIFE follows the epic cascade of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. From the icy cliffs of Lake Superior to the ornate fountains of Chicago to the sewers of Windsor, this feature-length documentary tells the story of the last great supply (20 per cent) of fresh water on Earth.
The source of drinking water, fish and emotional sustenance for 35 million people, the Great Lakes are under assault by toxins, sewage, invasive species, dropping water levels and profound apathy. Some scientists believe the lakes are on the verge of ecological collapse.
Filled with fascinating characters and stunning imagery, WATERLIFE is an epic cinematic poem about the beauty of water and the dangers of taking it for granted. The film is narrated by The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie and features music by Sam Roberts, Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros, Robbie Robertson and Brian Eno.

Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser has more than 30 years of research experience that focus on understanding impacts of major human-induced and natural stressors on lakes, rivers and wetlands across Canada.  Current interests are to predict the response of coastal wetlands to multiple stressors:  1) anticipated drop in water levels from global climate change, 2) increased recreational development in remote areas of Georgian Bay and the North Channel, and 3) niche displacement resulting from exotic invasive species in disturbed sites (e.g. common carp, zebra mussels, eurasian milfoil and Phragmites).  Her lab has developed a suite of ecological indices based on fish, plant, plankton and water quality to assess the ecological health of wetlands and to track long-term changes in fish habitat in Great Lakes coastal wetlands.  Pat has used these indices successfully to rank wetlands according to quality and biodiversity before and after restoration efforts implemented through the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan.      

Date: Thursday, November 4th, 2010
Time:6:45pm - 9:15pm
Cost: Free
Location:57 Discovery Drive, (off of Guise Street), Parks Canada Discovery Centre, Hamilton.

Seating is limited.  Please RSVP to BARC at 905-527-7111, or email Lainie Tessier: ltessier@hamiltonharbour.ca  for more information on the movie, please visit the following websites:
Primitive Entertainment Website: http://www.primitive.net/waterlife.html
NFB Website: http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

BARC thanks the National Film Board of Canada and Kevin McMahon & Primitive Entertainment.  Click here to view the History Night poster.

September 2010

Welcome to Canada Series - Part 4 of 4 
Garbage and Recycling in the Hamilton Area

Date: Tuesday September 14th, 2010
Time: 5:00 to 6:30pm
Cost: Free
Location: Red Hill Branch of the Hamilton Public Library
              695 Queenston Road, Hamilton ON.
              Click here to view map

Topics covered include:
    What happens to litter
    BARC's Adopt a Creek Program
    Recycling
    Hazardous Waste Disposal

For more information, contact Rhoda deJonge, Diversity Coordinator and Metcalf Intern: rdejonge@hamiltonharbour.ca

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in Cootes Paradise

Water levels are low this time of year.  Help us to remove tires, shopping carts and other debris from Cootes Paradise! Bring your canoe to the boat launch at Princess Point, at the foot of Longwood Road in Hamilton. (Please sign in at the BARC table).  Don't have a canoe? No problem, come and walk/clean the shoreline!

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m – 12:00 p.m
Cost: Free
Location: Princess Point, Hamilton

Please register online at www.vanaqua.org/cleanup or contact Kelly at the BARC office.  Rain or Shine.  We will supply plastic gloves and garbage bags.

SISO And BARC'S First Annual Multicultural Waterfest

Date: Saturday September 25th, 2010
Time: 1pm to 4 pm
Location: Bayfront Park, Boat Launch, Hamilton click here for map
Cost: Free Admission

Please join SISO (Settlement and Integration Services Organization) and BARC as we invite all members of our community to come to Bayfront Park and enjoy the opportunity of a canoe ride on our beautiful Harbour.  If you have never been in a canoe, if you have never been on the water down by our Bay, now is your chance.  Organizations have volunteered their time, canoes and expertise to offer this free experience.  Great opportunity to meet people from all over our city, learn about Harbour restoration efforts and learn a new skill!  Free refreshments as well.  To register, please call the BARC office or email rdejonge@hamiltonharbour.ca or ltessier@hamiltonharbour.ca  At SISO, please contact Shahira at 905-512-8673 or snabab@sisohamilton.org

This event has received generous support from the following: The City of Hamilton, US Steel Canada, FutureWatch,  Arcelor Mittal Canada, Federal Marine Terminals, Westway Terminals, The Metcalf Foundation, MEC, The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, The Hamilton Bay Sailing Club, The Iroquois Canoeing and Outing Club, the Power and Sail Squadron, Hamilton Police, Marine Unit, Valens Conservation Area (HCA), GreenVenture, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Hamilton Firefighters Association Community Safety Assistance volunteers.  Click here to view poster.

August 2010

The Fishway

Located along the Waterfront Trail at the mouth of the Desjardins Canal—the only channel that connects Cootes Paradise and Hamilton Harbour—the Fishway is the Great Lakes' first two-way fishway and carp barrier. It is designed to keep destructive, non-native carp out of Cootes Paradise marsh while maintaining the natural flow of water and native aquatic species. Since the Fishway began operating in 1997, 95% of the Hamilton Harbour carp population has been excluded from the marsh.

Click here for the 2010 schedule.

BARC's "Don't Feed Waterfowl" Program is back-- get involved!

Date:Twice per week in July, August and September.
Time:TBD
Location: WE cover EITHER: LaSalle Park in Burlington, or we patrol Bayfront Park/Pier 4.
Cost: Free
For more info: Please contact Lainie Tessier at 905-527-7111 or email ltessier@hamiltonharbour.ca . or Megan Clark at yeip@hamiltonharbour.ca

BARC's beach intercept program has entered its second year.  This year, we have new, fashionable "Don't Feed Waterfowl" t-shirts to wear while patrolling our beaches, educating people about the ill effects of feeding geese, gulls and other waterfowl. Did you know that waterfowl poop contains bacteria that cause our beaches to be closed?  If you would like to get involved in this public education program, please call us.

BARC's Spring Workshop
Date: Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Time: 8:45am - 12:30pm
Location: Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, Foot of MacNab Street North, Hamilton
Cost: Free
For more info: Please RSVP to reserve your seat. Contact Lainie Tessier at 905-527-7111 or email ltessier@hamiltonharbour.ca

At BARC, the arrival of Spring is marked by our annual workshop!  Please join us for our free community event -- this year's topic is "Invasive Species in Hamilton Harbour/Burlington Bay."  Our expert participants will address the science and policy issues surrounding the introduction of invasive species ... both aquatic and terrestrial, as well as examine the risks posed by various species to our ecosystem. How do invasives impede our ability to delist our Harbour by 2015? Examples of species to be addressed, and the vectors by which species are introduced include: Asian carp, "common" carp, purple loosestrife, mussels, ballast water, pet and water garden trades and recreational boating.

Our speakers include:

Dr. Hugh MacIsaac
Professor and DFO Invasive Species Research Chair
Director, The Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network  
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research

Lindsay Chadderton
Aquatic Invasive Species Director, The Nature Conservancy's Great Lakes Project
Center for Aquatic Conservation, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Tys Theysmeyer
Head of Conservation
The Royal Botanical Gardens

Jennifer Nalbone
Director, Navigation and Invasive Species
Great Lakes United, Buffalo

Our event was a great success -- despite the suddenly blustery weather outside, and the large waves coming off of the harbour, about 50 community members came out to learn about invasive species from our knowledgable panel.  Click here for pictures.

Attention all Nature Enthusiasts!

Do you enjoy being outdoors? Do you have experience or interest in water quality sampling or bird/reptile/amphibian identification? Become a volunteer with McMaster University’s Urban-Rural Biomonitoring Assessment Network (URBAN)!

URBAN is a long-term citizen science program developed to track changes in biodiversity and ecosystem health in the Hamilton region. This program allows citizens to contribute valuable ecological information on water quality and wetland health for planners and resource managers.  Volunteers may assist with various wetland and stream monitoring programs.

When: Training Workshop - Saturday, May 1st, 2010
Contact: URBAN Coordinator Lyndsay Smith at smithla6@mcmaster.ca
Please RSVP for the training workshop as space is limited.

April 2010

Tim Horton's Earth Day 5K Walk and Fun Run -- Bayfront Park to Churchill Park, 8:45am registration, 10:00am kickoff -- then you can follow up your walk with the Tree Planting Festival...

Earth Day Tree Planting

Join BARC and Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington, along with planting partner RBG (Royal Botanical Gardens) for this free and fun event.  1,300 trees are available to plant!  Fun activities, workshops, eco exhibits, free draws, CAS farms, the Aviary and more!

For more information visit http://www.earthdayhamilton.ca/ED/

When: Saturday, April 24th, 2010, 11:30am to 3:00pm
Location: Churchill Park, Westdale (at the Aviary)

Environment Hamilton and Dundas Tree Count presents two talks in one event!

Please join Environment Hamilton on April 15th to hear about the results of Trees Count Too (data collected in 2008 to assess the overall health of trees in the South Street area of Dundas), followed by an illustrated talk by guest speaker Michael Henry, lead author of "Ontario's Old-Grown Forests."

When: Thursday April 15th, 2010 at 7pm
2nd floor, Dundas Town Hall (intersection of Main Street and Governor's Road)

Free admission and refreshements.  For more info please call 905-549-0900, www.dundastrees.ca or www.environmenthamilton.org

March 2010
Lloyd's Register's Launch Night!

Lloyd's Register and BARC are pleased to announce a return showing of, "Mysteries of the Great Lakes," a Science North Production. Enjoy wine and cheese before the show and a special raffle -- a day of sailing on the bay!

When:  Thursday, March 4, 2010 , 6pm to 9pm

Where: Parks Canada Discovery Centre, 57 Discovery Drive, Hamilton

Seating is limited. Please RSVP to: Jasmine MacCharles at Lloyd's Register
905-631-9420 ext. 101
lrgriffin@lr.org

BARC's launch event with Lloyd's Register

On Thursday, March 4th, Lloyd's Register launched their new 9 month partnership with their charity of choice (BARC!), by hosting a free viewing of "The Mysteries of the Great Lakes". Lots of great wine, food in addition to music by Doug Collins and Lois Freeman... GREAT evening. BARC is very grateful for LR's sponsorship. It was a wonderful opportunity for BARC members to meet and mingle with Lloyd's staff and clients. Click here for photos of the evening.

Who you gonna call? -- Goosebusters!  
BARC's new "Goosebuster" (Ghostbusters for geese) have started to patrol the waterfront this summer.  First out on "poop patrol" were summer student Tom Wiercioch and BARC's Executive Director, Jim Hudson.

Glad to be in fashionable, bright orange and yellow safety T-shirts, Jim and Tom approached people who were feeding geese to educate them with the following information:

  * It attracts many birds and their excessive poop to the beach, sand and water.
  * Bird poop is bad for water quality and contributes to our beaches being closed for swimming.
  * Birds becom dependant on humans to feed them lose their natural  instinct to migrate to warmer climates in the winter and thus stay here and die during the cold months.
  *Birds that eat bread or scraps do not get their natural nutrients.  They become less healthy and more dependent on people.
  *They lose their fear of humans and can become more aggressive.
  * Feeding the birds = no swimming!!!

Research shows that bird poop is the biggest reason beaches are closed during the summer season.

Most people responded positively to the approaches along Hamilton's western waterfront and La Salle Park in Burlington.  Our program is on hiatus until it warms up again!If you would like to get involved in the Spring, please call the BARC office at: 905-527-7111

Our Annual History Night Event was a huge success.  Close to 90 people attended.  The attendees were captivated by Mac's presentation, and everyone,  especially the kids, seemed to enjoy the the movie and popcorn.  Once again, we would like to thank the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for funding this event, and Science North and The Hamilton Port Authority for making the film available to us.

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