On Saturday October 4, we will be opening the outlet to the wintering channel on MacKay Creek.
Most of the engineering to the pond as been completed by Al Johnson, and what a lovely job he has done. Now, because a well used trail comes down right near the pond, we will be putting up a fence to channel dog and people traffic past . Local handy craftsman Tom Bell of the Parks Advisory Committee will be building a woodsy fence and bridge rail. The posts need to go in on Saturday September 6.
On Saturday October 11, we will put the cross bars on and open the inflow to the ponds. It will be all very dramatic - not to be missed. So all you Guys big and small, please come and give a hand. There are different jobs to suit all of you, even a bit of trail building. Come for a while or spend the whole day. The company will be great and the Mackay Coho will love us for it. We will have a pot-luck in Tom's garden over-looking the creek after the Saturday 11th effort .
Directions:
Go up Highlands Blvd. from Edgemont Village. Turn left (west) on Sunnycrest and go just past the kink in the road. On the right is a break in the housing and it is here that the June Smith Trail starts. There is a huge flight of stairs down to MacKay Creek. We will be working at the Bottom.
See you there - Sat. 4th and Sat. 11th.

On June 11, Bill C-9, an Act to Amend the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) received Royal Assent. The renewed legislation provides for more meaningful public participation and will deliver environmental assessments in a more certain, predictable and timely manner.
The improvements to CEAA are expected to come into force in the fall of 2003 and include:

• adding a federal coordinator to assist departments and agencies in working together and with other jurisdictions;
  
• eliminating the possibility of referring the project to a review panel following a comprehensive study assessment;
  
• extending environmental assessment obligations to Crown corporations, beginning three years from the date of Royal Assent;
  
• providing the public with improved and up-to-date information on all federal environmental assessments through the creation of an Internet registry;
• increasing follow-up of assessments to ensure that sound mitigation measures are in place; and
  
• focusing resources on projects with adverse environmental effects and reducing the need to assess many smaller ones.
  

• Provide an overview of the key legislative changes to CAAA.
  
• Provide an opportunity for questions about the amended Act.
  

• Federal environmental assessment practitioners and project managers
  
• Proposed proponents
  
• Provincial or territorial environmental assessment practitioners
  
• Industrial practitioners involved in environmental assessment
  
• Environment non-governmental organizations
  
• Environmental assessment consultants
  
• Aboriginal organizations
  

Ms. Robin Lauer
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
320 ­ 757 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1A1
Fax (604) 666-6990

• a one day course on Orientation to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (Vancouver-September 26);
  
• a three day course on Screenings Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (Vancouver- November 25-27); and
  
• a two and a half day course on Interest Based Negotiations in Environmental Assessment (Vancouver-October 21-23)