People visiting Niagara Shores Park can expect some changes to it over the next five years, including a restored habitat, more trees, and what should be a better experience for visitors, as the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority strikes a deal with Parks Canada to help manage the park.
The conservation authority and Parks Canada have partnered up on a plan to manage Niagara Shores Park, granting the conservation authority new powers to manage the park until 2031.
Julia Grcevic, public relations and communications officer at Parks Canada, said the conservation authority will “administer these park lands, making them responsible for any infrastructure, environmental impacts, visitor needs and public safety.”
Jennifer McQuillan, a spokesperson for the conservation authority, said the agreement allows it to do things such as restore the habitat and plant trees, plus ecological research and site studies.
She said the authority can collaborate with Parks Canada and the town of NOTL on site planning and management, as well as on improvements for visitors, such as maintaining the trail and adding signs.
The federal government, however, will continue to own the lands, she said.
Niagara Shores Park is a 14-hectare forested area west of Old Town along Lakeshore Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Parks Canada currently manages the park under the National Historic Sites program. The agreement, which took two years to complete, aims to allow the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to, as Grcevic said, “manage land to increase biodiversity, habitat connectivity, and natural cover” and “create equitable access to greenspace for the health and well-being of people.”
The agreement establishes a licence of occupation, a temporary arrangement that allows the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority “some privileges” to manage the property “without completing a transfer of lands.”
Those privileges include being able to do research and studies on the property, care for the land and work with the community, and interested partners, on “a land management plan,” which will help determine “the appropriate use and management” of Niagara Shores Park.
The agreement also allows the site to be considered as a case study location for the Lake Ontario Coastal Resilience Pilot project, which addresses ongoing natural hazard issues on site.
In addition, the authority may work with the town on “parking enhancements at a nearby property to provide a safe entry and crossing to Niagara Shores Park.”
McQuillan said the agreement will be finalized in February and that “visitors can expect the park to continue being managed as a natural area, with no significant changes to the experience in the near term.”
The authority said the agreement has no financial implications beyond an annual $100 administration fee. The costs are already included in the conservation authority’s operating budget.
The conservation authority previously managed the park from 1980 to 1993. A report outlining the agreement noted that “due to vandalism and repeated damage to the grounds, vehicular access to the park has been restricted and Parks Canada encourages access by foot or active transportation.”
daniel@niagaranow.com
