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October 2005
Newsletter
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to announce the first annual Spirit of Red Hill Valley lecture, and the launch of the Spirit of Red Hill Valley Writing Awards, as well as the release of our archives CD.
Each of these steps continues our commitment to a progressive vision for Hamilton and its inhabitants. Despite the destruction of much of the valley, and various vindictive activities that appear intended to paint friends of the valley as malcontents, conspirators and even criminals, we believe that the positive spirit of the valley cannot be extinguished. Those who worked so hard against the expressway, with no thought of any reward for themselves, have not abandoned their efforts to build a healthy and nurturing community that we can be proud to pass on to future generations.
 The first Spirit of Red Hill Valley annual lecture
upholds the ideals of positive planning and community building that marked our efforts to protect and enhance Red Hill Valley. It will also be the occasion to formally introduce the Red Hill Valley Archive, and to announce a series of student writing awards that will be given out annually to ensure the memory of the valley and the progressive struggle to defend it are not forgotten.
What does an architect have to do with Red Hill Valley?
Information about Donald Schmitt
Donald Schmitt’s firm
The Spirit of Red Hill Valley Writing Awards
These annual student writing awards have been established to nurture a love of nature and to foster a sense of responsibility and willingness to preserve nature for future generations. Rachel Carson told the story of a poor man who had only two pennies left in his pocket. He decided one penny should buy bread to nourish his body. But the other penny should buy a hyacinth to nourish his soul. Red Hill Valley has been a hyacinth for many Hamiltonians over many decades. We encourage people to live in a way that embraces the gifts of nature in a sustainable manner, so that we may enjoy both “the bread and the hyacinth” that nature provides to us all.
Awards will be given in two categories: Environmental Essays and Nature Poetry. Students are asked to explore an environmental issue or subject of their choice. Their work will be evaluated on its ability
- to reveal an in-depth understanding of an environmental issue or subject;
- to challenge humans to re-examine our role in how we interact with the rest of nature; and
- to reveal the value of the natural world.
The categories are as follows:
Environmental Essay (maximum 1500 words)
- one award for a high school student (grade 9 - 12) $100 value
- one award for an elementary student (grade 7 or 8) $75 value
Nature Poetry: (maximum of 500 words)
- one award for high school student (grade 9 - 12) $100 value
- one award for elementary student (grade 7 or 8) $75 value
- one award for elementary student (grade 4 - 6) $50 value
The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2006. Inquiries can be directed to Friends of Red Hill Valley, P.O. Box 61536, Hamilton ON L8T 5A1.
The Red Hill Valley Archives
 Copies of the Red Hill Valley Archive compact disc will be available for sale at the Spirit of Red Hill Valley lecture.
The archive CD documents 14 years of the efforts of Friends of Red Hill and others to protect and enhance the valley.
It contains more than 1000 files including all 225 email updates between 1998 and 2004, and the full contents of the Friends of Red Hill website. To this we've added nearly 400 different leaflets, flyers, media releases, posters, letters to governments, and other documents of Friends of Red Hill Valley. There is also a short video as well as audio reproductions of radio ads utilized by Friends and over 400 photos of events and scenes from the valley dated 1991 onwards. The CD also includes material from two other groups – the Showstoppers and the Tree-Sitters.
The archive CD, as well as Grass Through Concrete and other video material, have been donated by Friends of Red Hill Valley to local libraries.
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