Centre of Environmental Excellence strength lies in its partnerships

A spirit of camaraderie and optimism characterizes the group of individuals gathered around a conference table at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.

Centre of Environmental Excellence

Partner agency representatives developing the western region as a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Education, Research, Technology and Development (CEE) include, from left, (back) Wade Bowers, SWGC associate vice-principal (Research); Dennis Waterman, SWGC director of Administration and Finance; Glenn Payne, CNA research coordinator; Gary Gale, HEDB chair; Perry Bingle, HEDB executive director; Steve House, CBEDC business development manager; (front) Dr. John Ashton, SWGC principal; Dr. Adrian Fowler, CEE chair; Brent Howell, CNA campus administrator; Dan Murphy, outdoor education, Western School District; and Phil Hicks, CBEDC chair.

The weeks following the provincial government's announcement of $500,000 to further develop the western region as a Centre of Environmental Excellence for Environmental Education, Research, Technology and Development (CEE) have been extremely busy. Representatives of all the partner agencies involved in the CEE have rolled up their sleeves and are working together to move the initiative forward.

“We are all working toward the same goal, to develop a strategy that will take the Centre of Excellence to the next level, which is the start-up phase,” explained Adrian Fowler, chair of the CEE committee. “This is a cohesive group, with all parties coming to the table to work collaboratively as a team. There are no personal agendas. At the end of the day, we are all striving for the same thing.”

For several years, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, College of the North Atlantic, Humber Economic Development Board (HEDB) Inc, Corner Brook Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade, Western School District, and the Aquatic Centre for Research and Education (ACRE) have been moving forward with plans to establish western Newfoundland as a Centre of Environmental Excellence

The CEE will build on the region's environmental base, bringing together forestry, wildlife, tourism, information technology and environmental capacity. The goal is to establish a long-term strategy to harness all existing programs, infrastructure and human resource assets under an environmental umbrella to advance research and development opportunities.

Bill Lundrigan, executive director of the Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade, agrees the CEE will lead to social and economic development. “The CEE will play a major role in our economic future,” Lundrigan pointed out. “Having the western region designated an Environmental Centre of Excellence bodes well for all communities within the Deer Lake to Stephenville corridor.”

Western Newfoundland has a number of environmental assets. Memorial University offers two environmental degree programs through Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service, with its Science and Technology Research Program, and the Western Newfoundland Model Forest are also located on the campus. The Geospatial Research Facility for Terrestrial Ecosystems, a partnership led by the College of the North Atlantic Corner Brook campus, offers spatial research capacity to the region. The provincial wildlife department has most of its human resources in this city and as part of government's $300,000 investment in research, the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Science (IBES) will soon be operational at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. There are also major tourism and related industries in western Newfoundland, including the Parks and Natural Areas Division of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, which is located in Deer Lake. In the wake of the budget announcement in March, CEE representatives have met with the provincial government, including the Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development, to discuss next steps. The CEE group also has an application for funding under consideration by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and discussions with federal government officials are ongoing.

To further strengthen a regional partnership, CEE representatives have recently met with the Deer Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade, and the City of Corner Brook. Meetings with the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce are planned for the near future.

“The CEE is a regional initiative that involves and welcomes the input of many partner agencies,” said Dr. Fowler. “Without that input we would lose a valuable aspect of what the CEE stands for.”