A new millennium and new century are now upon us. Looking back we should be very proud of Lakehead Conservation's many achievements over the last half-century. It was the wisdom and foresight of our nine member municipalities that led to the formation of this Conservation Authority.

The hard work of these supporters sends us into the next millennium with nine conservation areas, multi-million dollar flood protection structures that have paid for themselves time and time again, ensured public access to the greatest of Great Lakes and a legacy of wise planning for our children.

It has been my pleasure to serve as Chair of this organization for the past decade. The challenges our Board have faced have always been numerous, but this past year has been the most challenging one! Lakehead Conservation has held the amount of money our member municipalities pay to a zero percent growth over the past seven years. This, coupled with drastic reductions in Provincial funding over the same period, has indeed taxed our ingenuity. We have restructured and prioritized our program delivery in order to continue strong public service.

Lakehead Conservation and its friends have risen to these challenges! The exceptional work of our Foundation has raised over $300,000 and new, innovative partnerships have been struck throughout the province. Public support in the form of our Adopt-an-Acre and voluntary coin box contributions continue to grow.

I urge you to get involved in supporting your Conservation Authority for with that commitment Lakehead Conservation will continue to serve you, our watershed residents, well into the next millennium!