Former Wellington County engineer Allan Holmes led the Grand River Conservation Authority through its darkest times when he was Chief Ad–ministrative Officer between 1991 and 2000, and he was honoured by that organization recently.
Holmes’ passion, com–mitment, and integrity helped overcome funding cuts from the province during his tenure and he put the GRCA on a solid footing.
Holmes, a resident of Guelph, received a 2010 Grand River Conservation Honour Roll award at the GRCA awards ceremony in Cambridge on Sept. 16. It was a special award that is not given out by the GRCA every year.
Holmes grew up on a farm near the headwaters of the Grand River and developed an interest in the environment at a young age. He was Wellington County’s chief engineer for 26 years, where he worked closely with the GRCA on many projects. His fascination with engineering stemmed partly from visiting Luther and Shand dams as a boy. One of his major engineering feats was construction of a bridge on County Road 7 across the Grand River in Elora, a complex and controversial project that some said could not be done.
In 1985, he received a Grand River Watershed award for the tree planting program he oversaw as county engineer.
His interest in heritage buildings inspired him to play a significant role in saving Guelph’s historic court house and jail, he then turned it into a spectacular administration centre for Wellington County.
The 1990s were difficult times and Holmes knew many challenges were ahead when he accepted the CAO position at the GRCA. In 1991, he conducted an organizational review so when the province cut funding from $4-million to under $1 million, the blow was lessened.
“I wanted to maintain the integrity of the organization and stabilize the GRCA to Janet ensure it generated income of its own,” he said. In the years since, up to half of the GRCA’s annual budget has come from self-generated income. The rest is from municipal levies and grants.
Holmes worked closely with board chairman, the late Archie MacRobbie, of Puslinch Township, to restructure the GRCA board. That change ensured that the board worked effectively to keep all members included, informed, and involved.
It was no small task, as the Grand River watershed includes 32 local municipalities and seven upper tier regions and counties. He also developed a solid working relationship with the First Nations within the watershed.
Many successes
Despite the challenges, there were many great suc–cesses for the GRCA during those difficult years, including the designation of the Grand River and its major tributaries as a Canadian Heritage River in 1994.
“Allan really put his heart and soul into getting the Heritage River designation. This was a tremendous achievement for the GRCA,” said Barbara Veale, coordinator of policy planning and partnerships, who worked on that project. The distinction has helped bring recognition, partnerships, tourists, and funding for many improvements. Most importantly, it turned the attention of residents back to their local waterways, where they found exceptional recreational opportunities close to home. Holmes also had a hand in securing the land for the 75 kilometres of rail- trails during the 1990s.
A month before he retired in 2000, the GRCA received the prestigious International Thiess Riverprize from the International Riverfoundation in Australia. That award is for excellence in watershed management. It came with $100,000 AUD prize and has resulted in lasting international connections for the GRCA.
After retiring, Holmes was on the Grand River Conservation Foundation board until 2008, and continues to be a contributor with a Grand Champion designation. Contributions of more than $25,000 were made in his honour when he retired and that was just the beginning, as he has actively worked with the foundation on many projects.
“He is a compassionate, caring man,” said Paul Em–erson, who succeeded Holmes as CAO of the GRCA and recently became the CAO of Brant County.
On a personal note, he was also a mentor and friend to many people throughout this career.
“He was certainly one of the most important people in my life and career.”
Five 2010 Grand River Conservation awards were also given out Sept. 16.
