News Release Archive
ENVIRONMENT--1997 Gulf of Maine Visionary Awards Presented
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Nova Scotia Power Inc., Bay Ferries Ltd., ATV News and Stephen
Hawbolt have been presented with Gulf of Maine Visionary Awards.
The four were selected for their commitment to the advancement
and understanding of the marine environment.
Environment Minister Wayne Adams and Fisheries and Aquaculture
Minister Jim Barkhouse made the presentations today in Yarmouth.
Nova Scotia Power Inc., receiving the award in the group
category, was selected for its work on the enhancement of fish
habitats and its contributions to scientific research on the
marine environment. Working with the Department of the
Environment, the company has participated in a unique water
approval fee credit program. This allows corporations to make
contributions to the environment equal to the fees government
would otherwise charge for use of water resources.
In presenting the award, the environment minister praised the
company for its work on the Annapolis, Bear, Tusket and Gaspereau
rivers. "The true mark of responsible citizenship is what one
puts into the community. By that standard, Nova Scotia Power is
deserving of a Gulf of Maine Visionary Award," said Mr. Adams.
Over the past seven years, Stephen Hawbolt has worked to improve
environmental quality and public education in the Annapolis
Basin. As program director of the Clean Annapolis River Project,
or CARP, Mr. Hawbolt has been a driving force behind much of the
cleanup on the Annapolis River.
He was a founder of the Gulf of Maine Coastal Monitoring Network
and leads a team of volunteers providing government with data on
the water quality of the Annapolis River. He has been an
important advocate of public education and awareness on
environmental issues.
"Stephen has set an example in positive community involvement
that should be emulated and envied," Mr. Barkhouse told the
people attending the awards ceremony.
This year, two awards were added to honour companies that have
contributed to public understanding of environmental issues. The
Bay of Fundy Partnership Award recipient, Bay Ferries Ltd., was
selected for its involvement in a summer program to inform
passengers on the marine habitat. Summer students with the
Department of the Environment worked aboard the Princess of
Acadia providing passengers with educational material on the Bay
of Fundy ecosystem.
For the first time, a news organization has been honoured for
adding to public awareness of environmental issues. ATV News
coverage of the plight of the endangered right whale was noted
with the presentation of the Bay of Fundy Environmental Awareness
Award.
The Visionary Awards are presented on behalf of the Gulf of Maine
Council on the Marine Environment. The council was established in
1989 by the governors of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine
along with the premiers of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The
mandate of the council is to serve as a forum for issues of
common concern in the gulf region.
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Contact: Paul Mc Eachern
Department of the Environment
902-424-2575
E-mail: mceachpj@gov.ns.ca
Steve Warburton
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
902-424-0192
E-mail: swarburt@gov.ns.ca
ngr Oct. 31, 1997 12:00 p.m.
