Cultural Landmarks of Hamilton-Wentworth

The Hamilton Region Conservation Authority

Location:   838 Mineral Springs Road, Ancaster, Ontario

The Hamilton Region Conservation Authority is actually the second Authority to manage a major watershed in the Hamilton area. The environmental work performed over almost forty years has created a legacy that will create a safe, sustainable community for many years.

Between 1958 and 1966, the Spencer Creek Conservation Authority oversaw management of the drainage area for Spencer Creek, from its headwaters in Puslinch to Cootes Paradise in Hamilton Harbour. Its main mandate was to protect the developed areas, especially the Town of Dundas, from the possibility of flooding.

The Hamilton Region Conservation Authority was established in 1966 and expanded the Spencer Creek Conservation Authority’s mandate to include all watercourses flowing into the extreme western end of Lake Ontario, from Fifty Creek to the east of Spencer Creek in the west. The HRCA is now the largest environmental, natural resources organisation in this area.

There are 396,141 people living within the HRCA’s 479 square kilometre jurisdiction which encompasses all or parts of Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, Flamborough, Stoney Creek, Glanbrook, Puslinch, and Grimsby. The regional watershed includes the drainage areas of Spencer Creek, and its tributaries (Fletcher, Flamborough, Westover, West Spencer, Logie’s, Spring, Tiffany, Sydenham, Sulphur and Ancaster creeks), as well as Chedoke, Borer’s, Red Hill, Fifty, Stoney, and Battlefield creeks.

The HRCA owns, leases or manages 3,600 hectares of environmentally significant land. Much of it is home to rare plants, birds and mammals whose existence depends heavily on an environment that is not pressured by human activity.

The HRCA’s establishment heralded the onset of an innovative watershed management program for the western end of Lake Ontario. The growing realisation that watershed management is an integral component of the urban planning process has greatly increased the importance of the HRCA. Hamilton-Wentworth’s highly regarded Vision 2020, a strategy for sustainable development into the 21st century, advocates the environmental principles upheld by the Authority.

The impetus behind the Conservation Authorities movement is grassroots environmental stewardship. Without the active support of watershed residents, the well-being of our environment will continue to be put at risk. That is why area residents and businesses are encouraged to "think green" and become guardian of our water resources and greenspaces.

Citizens and elected officials who sit on the HRCA’s management Board --or Full Authority -- set aside parochialism to make decisions that benefit the entire watershed. Representation on the Full Authority, as prescribed by the Conservation Authority Act, is one person for every ten thousand people who reside in the watershed. Currently, twenty people meet in the first Thursday of each month.

Volunteer groups like the Friends of the Dundas Valley and the Friends of Westfield help take the HRCA’s stewardship message to the general public. Their activities such as guided walks, special events, workshops and fund-raisers spread the word about protecting our natural and cultural heritage.

Ninety percent of Ontario residents are safe from potential dangers caused by the clash between urbanisation and Mother Nature, thanks to the pioneering work of Ontario’s Conservation authorities’ movement.

The province’s thirty-eight Conservation authorities are regarded as world leaders in conservation, environmental protection, flood control and recreation. Authorities have become models for conservation and resource management in other countries.

The Conservation Authorities Act, which was passed in 1946 laid the groundwork for the formation of watershed management in this province. The concept of Conservation Authorities is based on three fundamental principles: cost sharing between municipal and provincial governments; local initiative (Authorities would be formed only when municipalities petitioned the province); and watershed-wide planning.

The events that set the stage for the creation of Authorities centred around attempts by municipalities along the Grand River to deal with flooding, pollution, and low summer flows.

In 1938, eight municipalities established the Grand River Conservation Commission. By 1942, the Commission had completed Canada’s first multi-purpose dam and reservoir.

Then, in 1941, leading environmental organisations held a conference in Guelph on the worrisome state of the provinces’ natural areas. The conference called for a major conservation program that recognised all resources as members of an interconnected system. By 1954, twenty conservation authorities had formed.

Then came the fury of Hurricane Hazel. It devastated Southern Ontario overnight on October 15, 1954, killing eighty-one people and causing $20,000,000 in damage.

Today, watershed management programs undertaken by Conservation Authorities and spurred on by the effects of Hurricane Hazel, have virtually eliminated flooding in Ontario.

Over the years, Authorities have evolved, broadening their activities to include restoration and preservation of natural areas, recreation, and education.

They now protect more than 121,000 hectares of land, including areas of the Niagara Escarpment, Carolinian Forest, wetlands and important areas of fish and wild life habitat. With more than 380 conservation areas, many of then significant local historic sites, authorities are preserving vital parts of our heritage and providing recreational opportunities at the same time.

For more than fifty years, Ontario’s Conservation Authorities have advocated ecosystem planning to attain a balance between urbanisation and the environment. The rest of the world is finally catching up.

Watershed management is now universally recognised as the most pragmatic way of solving many of our environmental problems. Municipalities around Ontario are now working with Conservation Authorities to blend watershed management principals into planning documents.

HRCA staff participate regularly in plan reviews with municipal staff. They comment on the environmental implications of development proposals, such as subdivisions and Official Plan amendments.

Watershed management is based on the understanding that social, economic, and environmental factors are connected. A complex interrelationship among air, land, water, and all living creatures, including humans means, that political borders are ignored in favour of natural ones. This method of recourse management provides immeasurable benefits to the quality of life of surrounding communities.

• It controls the effects of drought, flooding, pollution and erosion which protects the biological diversity of fish, wildlife, and vegetation.
• It restricts random development within a floodplain, which decreases downstream flooding and protects vital wetlands.
• It slows urban expansion and reduces deforestation, water pollution and soil erosion.

The HRCA is responsible for regulating construction and development in areas that may be environmentally fragile, such as:

• Ravines, valleys, sections of the Niagara Escarpment and other steep slopes
• Wetlands, including swamps, marshes, bogs, fens and ponds
• Rivers, creeks, streams or other waterways
• Hamilton Harbour

The Fill, Construction and Alterations to Waterways regulations are necessary to prevent flooding and erosion problems and to conserve the environmental integrity of these areas.

Water: At the core of environmental protection

Conservation Authorities were established to address the growing environmental problems associated with urbanisation in Ontario. In particular, health and ecological hazards caused by pressure on our water resources have been the primary focus of Authorities for 50 years. One of the main objectives of the HRCA is the "protection of life and property from the hazards of flooding and erosion."

Two major dams at Valens and Christie are central to the HRCA’s flood control programs. Reservoirs at the two conservation areas act as natural "holding tanks" and help to manage the flow of water in Spencer Creek. Beverly Swamp, between Valens and Christie, acts as a sponge by capturing water in the spring and slowly releasing it during the summer.

Large structures like the dams are no longer considered the best water management methods. Proactive measures, such as restricting environmental stewardship is integral to the continued well-being of our environment. That is why area residents and businesses are encouraged to "think green" and become guardians of our water resources and greenspaces.

• Wetlands act as sponges which help to curb high water flows, add to flows in dry periods, and act as natural filters to purify water.
• Roots from trees and other forest-dwelling vegetation reduce erosion and the accumulation of silt that can degrade water condition and cause flooding.
• Restricting in-filling in floodplains maintain the natural course of water during periods of melting or heavy rain.
• Dams are useful but no longer considered the most environmentally friendly method of water management.

HRCA staff regularly track weather patterns to determine environmental conditions in the Hamilton Region. If a potential hazard (such as flood conditions or thin ice) is forecast, an Alert or Warning is issued to local media and school boards.

Staff count on the media to help convey the message to the general public. Fortunately, potentially hazardous forecasts often do not result in dangerous conditions.

Early communication about environmental hazards is one of the objectives of the Conservation Authority: "Protection of life and property from the hazards of flooding and erosion." We act before the dangers occur and are prepared to react if the forecast become a reality.

Natural Areas Protection: Creating a sustainable legacy

A healthy economy is tied to a healthy environment. This is sustainable development. The needs of society must be balanced with those of nature in order to create a "whole" community. It is a tenet of the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority that action must be taken today to provide a natural legacy for future generations.

The HRCA has preserved 3,600 hectares of environmentally significant land from development, making it the largest landowner in the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth.

The protected land falls within "Carolinian Canada". The ecological designation recognises areas that fall within the northern-most portion of a temperate zone that stretches south to the Carolinas and encompasses a wide variety of landscapes and habitats.

A prime focus of the HRCA is the preservation of wetlands. Since settlement in the Hamilton-Wentworth area began, 76 percent of wetlands have disappeared. Wetlands are essential to the long-term health of our water resource and are the life blood for many species of birds, animals, insects, and plants. An excellent example of a wetland is the Beverly Swamp in Flamborough, where almost 650 hectares are preserved.

Equally as important to our environmental health is the preservation of Niagara Escarpment land. The escarpment, which has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), winds its way from Queenston in Southern Ontario to Tobermory, at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Almost 1,300 hectares in the Dundas Valley have been protected as a conservation area. It represents an important natural habitat along the escarpment and encompasses wetlands and Carolinian Canada species.

HRCA planning and engineering staff chart the course for the ecology of the natural areas by creating master management plans. These plans, combined with detailed designs, help stabilise the effects of human use on these often fragile ecosystems.

Green Corridors

HRCA land is part of the burgeoning Regional Greenlands System of natural corridors that allow birds, mammals, and seeds to move relatively unimpeded through urban areas.

In order to integrate nature with society’s enjoyment of these lands, the HRCA has developed trail systems within its conservation areas.

• The Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail is a 32 kilometre, shared-use path, jointly owned by the Hamilton Region and Grand River Conservation Authorities,
• Trails in the HRCA’s conservation areas total almost 100 kilometres and take visitors through a variety of landscapes, including wetlands, forests and Niagara Escarpment land.
• Many of the trails make up part of the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth’s trail network.

Stewardship: Caring for our fragile land

What is stewardship? Stewardship means caring for land and water, respecting and striving to understand natural ecosystems, as well as the inter-relationship of all their elements. Stewardship means being responsible for using natural resources in a way that maintains or enhances their integrity for future generations. We are all stewards.

private landowners have an important role to play in the protection and enhancement of the ecological health of the watershed. The HRCA recognises the importance of maintaining a positive partnership with landowners and has strongly supported projects that encourage the protection and management of natural heritage, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat.

The Bay Area Restoration Council, Carolinian Canada, the Hamilton Harbour Watershed Stewardship Project, Clean Up Rural Beaches (CURB) and Woodlands, Wetlands, Wildlife are some of the many private stewardship projects in which the HRCA has participated.

Activities associated with these projects have included:

• Environmental education
• Establishing natural habitat buffers along creeks
• Enlarging natural areas
• Re-establishing natural corridors
• Enhancing habitats by planting native species
• fencing livestock from access to creeks and natural areas
• Providing advice and assistance on erosion and sediment control
• Containing and treating manure storage and milk house wastes

Recreation: Our enjoyment of Nature’s gift

A logical extension of the HRCA’s environmental activities is the creation of recreation facilities within the conservation areas.

These locations provide important revenue opportunities for the Conservation Authority. In addition to being popular local destinations for groups and families, they are becoming attractions for the rapidly growing eco-tourism market. The HRCA has developed a set of guidelines aimed at lessening the impact these tourists have on the fragile ecology of these natural areas.

• Intensively developed parks, such as Confederation Park in east Hamilton, offer outdoor excitement during the summer. Wild Waterworks, a large waterpark featuring a wave-action pool, six storey waterslides, a toddler pool, and an "Active River" ride, is surrounded by the 83 hectare Confederation Park, which includes a campground and privately owned attraction.
• Relatively passive natural areas, like Valens and Christie conservation areas, are developed around the HRCA’s water management reservoirs and wetlands atop the Niagara Escarpment. They combine recreational activities with smart habitat preservation for fish and wildlife, as well as migrating waterfowl and nesting songbirds. Dundas Valley Conservation Area’s forest is of great significance to the scientific, urban planning and recreational communities. It is a natural community that has maintained its vibrancy despite the pressures of encroaching urbanisation.
• Fifty Point Marina and Conservation Area in Stoney Creek was developed out of the need to stabilise a portion of the Lake Ontario shoreline and to protect the land surrounding the mouth of Fifty Creek. The resulting development has created a beautiful 312-slip marina and restaurant complex, surrounded by lakefront natural areas and a 47-site campground.
• Other conservation lands are too fragile to develop, but many are still accessible to visitors. These passive areas, such as Beverly Swamp and Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area, offer fascinating views of landscapes, which are vital to the health of the birds, mammals and plants.

Heritage resources: Keeping our cultural history alive

In the process of purchasing environmentally significant lands, the HRCA will often acquire buildings or ruins that are important to the cultural history of Ontario.

These heritage resources have been integral to the interpretation of this area.

• The Griffin House, once owned by an escaped slave from Virginia, is a site dedicated to the interpretation of Black-Canadian culture.
• The Hermitage Ruins and Hermitage Gatehouse Museum once formed the sprawling estate of a prominent Ancaster family.
• Darnley Mill was once an important grist mill above Webster’s Falls in Flamborough.

Westfield Heritage Centre and Conservation Area is a living history village. Its thirty-three historically significant buildings have been "rescued" from demolition and moved into the village setting just north of Rockton. Artifacts for the village have been assembled to help interpret the history of life in the Hamilton and Wentworth areas. Westfield’s main focus is on programming. It features a number of large public events throughout the year, including the Maple Syrup Festival, the American Civil War Re-enactment, Christmas in the Country and Anne of Green Gables Day.

All publicity funded organisations have a responsibility to provide the most efficient service for the least amount of money. That is just good business sense.

Tight economic policies at the provincial and municipal level of government have had a ripple effect throughout Ontario, and Conservation Authorities have not been immune. Fortunately, the HRCA foresaw the trend toward declining funding and acted quickly to cushion itself from the coming fiscal blows.

An entrepreneurial work ethic has been encouraged at all levels of the HRCA. As a result, revenues from funding sources, such as user fees and special grants, increased more than 60 percent in 1997 from 5 percent twenty years ago. The strategy helped the HRCA weather huge cuts as the provincial government downsized and reduced transfer payments to municipalities and agencies like the Conservation Authorities.

The move toward self-sufficiency also lessened the impact on the municipal tax base. In 1996, taxpayers in the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth paid only $5.20 per capita to support the environmental services provided by the HRCA.

The HRCA and The Conservation Foundation

The Conservation Foundation of the Hamilton Region is a registered charity dedicated to raising funds to assist the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority in the acquisition, conservation and rehabilitation of environmentally sensitive lands. The Foundation also provides money to the HRCA for environmental awareness programs.

Since its inception in 1976, the Conservation Foundation has played a significant role in the acquisition and preservation of over 200 hectares of environmentally sensitive wetland habitats, and is a major funding source for the Conservation Authority’s Rail Trail development.

The Foundation has provided community-based funding toward:

• Trails for the disabled
• Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum
• Westfield Heritage Centre
• The Dundas Valley Conservation Area trail system
• The Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail
• The Wetland Habitats Acquisition Program
• HRCA environmental education programs
• Various other environmental projects

The Conservation Foundation continues to play an important role in HRCA programs and initiatives. It is clear that the foundation will be expected to provide additional financial assistance to the HRCA. To that end, it needs the support of citizens, service groups and corporations to maintain and expand conservation initiatives in this region.

The Foundation’s success depends on a community that is United for Conservation.

The majority of the HRCA’s land is accessible to the public. Here is a description of some of the areas:

Acknowledgements:

The Hamilton Public Library would like to thank the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority for graciously contributing the information used in this website.