About Us

Who We Are
Mission and Goals
Board of Directors
Committees
Year in Review
Business Plan 
Affiliations
Corporate Members
Our Past Successes

Who We Are

The Rideau Environmental Action League conducts community-wide environmental projects and promotes environmental improvements within the Town of Smiths Falls and Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Counties.

REAL was incorporated as a not-for-profit community organization in 1989. It formed a charity, the Rideau Environment Trust, in 1990.

In 1998, REAL formed the Lanark & Leeds Green Community (LL Green) and in 2000 Evergreen Avenue, as projects of REAL. LL Green engaged homeowners in specific actions to reduce their impact on energy use, water, shorelines and land. It's projects are now considered direct projects of REAL. Evergreen Avenue is both a living memorial to veterans and peacekeepers from the area and a community beautification project that features native vegetation.

In 2010 REAL became a registered Canadian charity, and the Rideau Environment Trust was dissolved in 2011.

REAL works with its volunteers, members, donors, friends and supporters, and with schools, municipalities, agencies, businesses, and government ministries to achieve its Mission and Goals.

See a PDF of our REAL brochure.

(back to top)

Mission & Goals

Our mission: To protect, preserve and enhance our environment for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations through advocacy, education, recognition and projects within Eastern Ontario.

Our Goals

a. To organize or participate in environmental projects designed to:
• preserve and protect flora and fauna;
• preserve, protect and restore rivers; or
• improve the urban environment.

b. To educate and increase the public's understanding of the environment and its importance by offering courses, seminars, conferences and meetings and by collecting and disseminating information on that topic.

c. To develop and provide programs promoting the protection and preservation of the environment through re-use, reduction, recycling and recovery of waste and to educate institutions, industries, businesses and individuals about efficient waste management systems.

d. To conduct research relating to the environment and to disseminate the results of such research.

(back to top)

Board of Directors

REAL is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors which:

• Determines outcomes
• Sets long term goals, clarifies issues and voices problems
• Develops and implements the strategic plan
• Sets budgets
• Defines policies and monitors implementation
• Carries out an evaluation process on activities/projects

Directors 2010-2011

1. Barb Hicks (President)
2. Larry Manson (Vice President)
3. Peter Au (Past President)
4. Karen Schecter (Secretary)
5. Betty Davis (Treasurer)
7. Scott Lumsden
8. One Vacancy
9. Director Emerita: Elva Corless
10. Manager, Environmental Projects: Susan Brandum
11. Advisor from Town of Smiths Falls: Ken Graham

(back to top)

Committees

REAL has a number of standing committees: Executive, Finance and Fundraising, Membership, Communications, and the Municipal Team. Major fundraisers usually have a committee associated with them as well. Each other activity has a Board member assigned to it, who is responsible for reporting its progress at the monthly Board meetings. Funded environmental projects are the responsibility of Susan Brandum.

(back to top)

Year in Review

2008 In Review

2009 in Review

2009 Annual Report

2010 Annual Report

 

(back to top)

REAL's Business Plan 2011-2016

The REAL Board of Directors is guided by a five-year Business Plan.

Basically, the Business Plan lays out the values that drive us as an organization, the issues we face, our vision, the key areas and projects that we plan to focus on, the results we want to achieve, and some of the nuts and bolts in terms of getting the resources we need to achieve our goals. 

It is a living document and we plan to review it every year to ensure we are on track and to extend the plan by a year. 

The Business Plan grew out of the Strategic Planning exercise we went through and the community consultation, called "Stopping the Slide", that we held in September 2002.  

We believe we have integrated the core of the consultation results in the Business Plan.

Key Result Areas of REAL's Business Plan (updated January 2011)

1. REAL’s capacity built

Objective: To ensure that REAL has sufficient human and financial resources to achieve its mission and goals.

2. Resources conserved

Objective: To encourage the conservation of resources , including but not limited to materials, energy, water, and soil.

3. Watersheds protected

Objective: To ensure there is sufficient clean ground and surface water for all human and non-human species, that natural water-cleaning and quantity-balancing systems are maintained and that our citizens conserve water and become wise water users.

4. Climate change addressed

Objective: To protect air quality, contribute to the reversal in the growth of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and promote and facilitate adaptations to climate change.

5. Public educated

Objective: To have a public that is cognizant of, committed to, and actively promotes the best of world-wide trends in environmental solutions on a local level.

More specific goals are listed under each objective. If you would like to see a complete PDF version of the Business Plan, please contact us.

(back to top)

Affiliations

REAL holds memberships and reciprocal memberships with a number of local, provincial and federal organizations:

• Centre for Sustainable Watersheds www.watersheds.ca
• Friends of the Tay www.tayriver.org
• Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network www.fabr.ca
• Green Communities Canada www.gca.ca
• Ontario Environmental Network www.oen.ca
• Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition www.healthycommunities.on.ca
• Rideau Roundtable www.rideauroundtable.ca
• Smiths Falls Chamber of Commerce http://www.smithsfallschamber.ca/
• Smiths Falls Horticultural Society www.gardenontario.org/site.php/smithsfalls

(back to top)

Corporate Members

REAL is very grateful for the continued support of our corporate members:

• Andress Independent Grocer
• Smiths Falls Civitan Club
• Cogeco Cable Inc.
• Denny K's Car Care
• Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
• The Garden Market
• Healey Transportation Ltd.
• Dr. David Hicks
• Evelyn Lee
• Man Ling Restaurant
• Renewable Energy of Plum Hollow
• RANA International
• Rideau Home Hardware Building Centre
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
• Rotary Club of Smiths Falls
• Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 95
• Royal LePage Pauline Aunger Real Estate
• Scotia Bank Smiths Falls
• Smiths Falls Lions Club
• Sun Life Financial
• Tim Hortons of Smiths Falls
• Top Drawer Temporary Services
• Town of Smiths Falls

(back to top)

Our Past Successes

REAL was formed in the fall of 1989 by Peter Au and Ron Stewart. As educators, they had attended a presentation in Ottawa by Dr. David Suzuki, and were inspired to start a local environmental group.

REAL has had many achievements since its beginnings in 1989:

Solid Waste Reduction

• Organized recycling depots and triggered the Lanark County Recycling Program
• Trained Master Composters and promoted composting
• Held community garage sales
• Staffed County Household Hazardous Waste Days
• Facilitated new signage at Smiths Falls composting site
• Operated a Reuse Centre from the early 90's until the REAL Deal began.
• Organize annual Pitch In Smiths Falls community effort

Energy and Climate Change

• Screened "An Inconvenient Truth"
• Formed a Climate Change Action Team
• Piloted Energy Efficiency Assistance Program for limited income residents
• Presented workshops on climate change, the ecoENERGY program, energy conservation, FIT and microFIT programs
• Produced a bike route map of area surrounding Smiths Falls
• Co-organized a Walk 'n Roll Week
• Delivered an Idle Free campaign
• Perform ecoENERGY program audits

Watershed Actions

• Planted thousands of trees and shoreline shrubs
• Developed "Plant a Tree, Create a Park"
• Guided wetland and Voyageur Canoe tours
• Launched LLGreen in 1998
• Created Evergreen Avenue in 2000
• Hosted a Rideau Biodiversity Study session
• Supported launch of the Rideau Roundtable
• Helped attain Canadian Heritage River Status for the Rideau
• Promoted water conservation
• Organized shoreline cleanups
• Created native and communal gardens on Environment Centre site
• Deliver the ongoing Well Aware Program

Public Education

• Held environmental summer day camps
• Produced Environmental Moments radio spots
• Presented Environment on Display
• Hosted workshops on naturalized landscaping, organic lawn care, waste reduction, wetlands awareness, wells and septics, and Rideau River water quality
• Wrote the EMC’s Greenspace column, now the REAL Actions column
• Promoted local food production and purchasing
• Produced school curriculum supplements
• Held fundraising art auctions, dinner dances and concerts

(back to top)

A member of: