UTRCA Board Elects New Chair and Vice Chair

Wednesday, 24 February 2021 05:42

Photo Credit: Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Facebook page

Alan Dale and Brian Petrie will serve as the new Chair and Vice Chair of the UTRCA Board of Directors.

OXFORD COUNTY - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Board of Directors has a new Chair and Vice Chair.

Alan Dale, who represents Norwich Township and South-West Oxford, has been elected as board chair. This is Dale's second time in municipal politics serving his community on municipal council from 1994 to 2006 and on the Board of the Grand River Conservation Authority from 2000 to 2010. He is currently a councillor for the Township of Norwich. Norwich is actually split between the UTRCA and GRCA. When Dale was re-elected in 2018, he told Mayor Larry Martin that he wanted to serve on the UTRCA board. Dale lives in the UTRCA portion and has planted trees on his farm through UTRCA programs. He says serving on the UTRCA Board was a natural fit for him and a new challenge.

"Conservation authorities are important because they are local and accountable. They are linked to municipal government and they have regulatory powers. This is a large part of why people have an issue with a CA but it is an important role. We are not an NGO or lobby group and we do not focus on a single issue. We collaborate with NGOs and community partners, all three levels of government, the agriculture sector, and others. We have expertise and a track record of having boots on the ground and getting projects accomplished."

Brian Petrie has been a town councillor for Ingersoll since 2014 and has sat on the UTRCA board since 2016. He has been elected as the Vice Chair and shares some of his priorities for the watershed.

"My hope is to provide support to the Chair, Board and Staff in reaching our goals, as there are some clear objectives ahead this year. The Province made significant changes to the Conservation Act that will need to be addressed. I think this will consume a lot of the Board’s time this year. In addition, Ian Wilcox, General Manager of the Authority, has decided to retire. I wish Ian all of the best, as he has served the Authority very well. Finding a replacement, and getting them into the role, is a top priority."

Both Dale and Petrie were elected at the last Board of Directors meeting.