Press Kit
About BARC 2022-2023
Formed in 1991, Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) is a registered charitable non-profit organization that acts to connect people with the restoration of the Hamilton Harbour watershed. BARC’s vision is a thriving, healthy, accessible harbour for all.
Our mandate is to:
- Promote, monitor and assess implementation of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan;
- Enhance the restoration and public understanding of the social-ecological systems of the Hamilton Harbour watershed through community engagement, educational programming and issues analysis; and
- Communicate, collaborate and create opportunities that support and add value to the remedial efforts of our partner agencies, community groups and public volunteers.
Quick Facts about BARC:
- BARC’s program area extends across the whole Hamilton Harbour watershed; this includes Hamilton Harbour itself on the western end of Lake Ontario and all the tributaries that drain into the harbour. The entire watershed covers an area of approximately 500 km2 .
- BARC provides free curriculum-aligned education programs to schools and groups in the Hamilton Harbour watershed. In 2022, BARC reached over 16,000 participants through its education programs.
- In our Classroom Mini Marsh Program, BARC supplies teachers with read-to-assemble kits of native wetland plants for students to learn from and care for. At the end of the school year, the plants from the kits are used in restoration plantings in the Hamilton Harbour watershed. In 2023, BARC reached over 10,000 participants through our Classroom Mini Marsh Program.
- BARC delivers volunteer programs that connect participants to the Hamilton Harbour watershed and supports the implementation of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. Our Marsh Volunteer Planting program is delivered in partnership with Royal Botanical Gardens, and allows volunteers to strap on chest waders and get muddy while planting native wetland species in Cootes Paradise Marsh.
- BARC keeps the community informed about the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan through communications, outreach, and media relations.
Quotes for Print
“BARC’s role is to express the public’s will for a healthy harbour, its desire for direction and hope for a healthier future. BARC strives to embody that collective desire and bolster it with a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities to contribute to their solutions.” Chris McLaughlin, Executive Director, Bay Area Restoration Council
Photos
BARC Address
Bay Area Restoration Council
47 Discovery Drive
Hamilton, ON L8L 8K4