About Us

about

The Sustaining What We Value Project, a collective of several non-government organizations and government agencies, is working with the communities of South Frontenac, Lanark and Leeds and Grenville Counties to assist our region in identifying and protecting our cultural, social, environmental and economic values.

Members of this collective include the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, St. Lawrence Islands National Park, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario Nature, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This collective has partnered with the Centre for Community Mapping, who built the community mapping tool for the project.

Are you in or near our project study area? Click here or on the map.

If so, we would like you to get involved!

sponsors

The Sustaining What We Value project has been generously funded by:

Healthy Communities Fund - The Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) provides funding to community partnerships to plan and deliver integrated programs that improve the health of Ontarians.

GEOIDE - The GEOIDE Network is working to consolidate and strengthen Canada's geomatics industry. The Network brings together the broader geomatics community to pool its knowledge and create partnerships that support research.

Communities ALIVE

Communities ALIVE (Always Living In a Vibrant Environment) is a community health coalition that was established in 2003 by a “grass-roots” group of residents from the Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the 1000 Islands. This collective shared concerns about the potential, negative health and social impacts that could evolve from having a casino in the region, after participating in a series of stakeholder meetings hosted by an advocacy group called “Casino Watch”, it was determined that such a collective could work to promote, enhance and sustain the physical, mental, environmental, social and economic well-being of the residents and their vibrant communities. These efforts could subsequently provide a “protective-factor” against a variety of potential, negative health and social influences in the region, including issues related to, but not limited to problem gambling.

Frontenac Arch Biosphere

The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve extends roughly 2700 square kilometers in the south eastern portion of the Canadian Province of Ontario and includes large areas of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and Frontenac. We accomplish our work by networking natural and historic conservation organizations, economic and social development groups, as well as the educational and scientific communities located within the Frontenac Arch region. Locally, we are known as the Biosphere Network.

partners

Ryerson University Ryerson_logo_Stacked-MARK

Ryerson is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-focused education and a university clearly on the move. It is a distinctly urban university with a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community.

Centre for Social, Spacial and Economic Justice - UBC Okanagan ubco_logo

The Geolive Mapping Tool was developed by researchers at UBC Okanagan as part of a GEOIDE research project.

St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada

St.Lawrence Islands National Park was established in 1904 due in most part for the communitie's desire to have a protected area in the Thousand Islands region. Today the park works to improve ecological integrity through active management initiatives in the park, and collaborates with landowners and local groups in the greater park ecosystem on sustainability initiatives that provide mutual benefits to the park and the community.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

In partnership with you, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) manages and protects Ontario's natural resources for wise use across the province. Together we all contribute to the environmental, social and economic well-being of Ontario. Our combined efforts work toward meeting today's needs and at the same time ensuring that natural resources will be available for future generations.

Ontario Nature

Ontario Nature is built on a strong foundation of commitment and concern for nature and natural places that is shared by a province-wide network of groups and individuals. Together with more than 140 local community conservation groups, we are Ontario's Nature Network, the provincial voice for nature.

Environment Canada

Environment Canada's mandate is to preserve and enhance the quality of the natural environment; conserve Canada's renewable resources; conserve and protect Canada's water resources.