About Stewardship Canada

En Francaise...

Stewardship Canada is this portal site, which brings together stewardship information, reports and tools from a variety of sources to build a network of knowledge about stewardship in Canada. We hope this sharing of resources informs, inspires, connects and encourages stewardship efforts across the country.

Stewardship Canada was formed in 2001, prior to the development of Canada's Stewardship Agenda and modelled after the BC Stewardship Centre. This site provides a simple entry into a virtual, growing community of information, knowledge, contacts and resources on stewardship. To date, there are more than 100 websites linked and connected through this portal. The Land Stewardship Centre of Canada manages the portal and works with other stewardship centres to develop the network that lives within this site.

A Stewardship Gateway

One of the most important functions of Stewardship Canada is to act as a gateway to the collective and individual work of our provincial node members:

• Alberta Stewardship Network (ASN): provides Alberta's stewards with a network that facilitates information exchange, support and recognizes the contribution of individuals, communities and organizations in advancing environmental stewardship.
• Stewardship Network of Ontario (SNO): is an informal network of organizations at the regional and provincial level in Ontario. SNO facilitates communication and collaboration that enhances stewardship support at the organization and program level, ultimately to the benefit of landowners.
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR): manages and protects natural heritage, wildlife and related features that contribute to the economic, environmental and social well-being of the Province of Ontario. MNR supports Ontario Stewardship, a community-based program featuring 46 stewardship councils that advance and facilitate collaborative approaches to capacity-building and sustainable resource management.
• Stewardship Centre for British Columbia (SCBC): a registered not-for-profit society in British Columbia, is interested in promoting ecological stewardship by engaging British Columbians, increasing knowledge and understanding of healthy ecosystems, and building the capacity of stewardship organizations.
• Land Stewardship Centre of Canada (LSCC): is an independent, not-for-profit charitable organization incorporated in 1996 and based in Edmonton, Alberta. The Centre brings together a variety of partners from across Canada to work on common priorities and practical solutions for achieving sustainability on the working landscape.

Collaboration and Partnership

More than a decade ago, there was consensus that this national portal site, the provincial sites, and the community of interest sites should be owned and run by representatives of all these stewardship sectors. Today, this model still exists with a committee of representatives from the provincial nodes working together to further build and advance the Stewardship Canada site.

Stewardship Canada is always looking for partners to help us further develop this site and the stewardship network it fosters. Organizations and groups can link to and from this website, host their own website on this site or on a provincial hub, or simply contribute their information and experience to expand the knowledge base and resources found here. To participate, please contact us.