Skip to main content

Push to Protect

Engineering MA student exploring area
Thursday, December, 20, 2012 - 1:01:11 PM
Push is on to protect McMaster Forest
By Craig Campbell, Dundas Star News
There is apparently no existing plan to develop on a 115-acre woodland owned by McMaster University bordering Dundas, Ancaster and west Hamilton – but a group advising the university president wants to make sure it stays that way.
Wayne Terryberry, chair of the president’s advisory committee on Cootes Paradise, said the property also known as “McMaster Forest” on the east side of Louise Drive off Lower Lions Club Road in Ancaster connects to the Ancaster Creek watershed.
“It’s a pretty ecologically diverse area,” Terryberry said. “We’re hoping to make sure that area is conserved.”
The committee recently enjoyed a success when McMaster University announced plans to move ahead with a project to create the 30-metre buffer recommended by the Hamilton Conservation Authority between Ancaster Creek and an existing parking lot on the west campus.
While that change will remove some parking spaces from the west campus, there is some support for removing more pavement and re-naturalizing the former wetland.
But Terryberry said trying to ensure preservation of the existing open space and forest a little further west is the advisory committee’s new main focus.
“We have to create a case for it,” he said. “(We have to) show that it’s in the university’s best interests to conserve it rather than other potential uses.”
Helen Ayre, acting university secretary at McMaster, said she doesn’t know of any plans for the land.
“So far as I am aware, the land has been left essentially untouched since it was purchased,” Ayre said.
The majority of the site is apparently zoned for agriculture, and also regulated by the Niagara Escarpment Commission. Neither the City of Hamilton planning department, nor the NEC is aware of any development proposal or discussions.
Ken Whitbread, manager of the NEC, said the property is in the Niagara Escarpment Plan’s most restrictive land use designations.
“Urban development would be prohibited, as is the severing of lands,” Whitbread said. “Highest and best use could be one house on the property or forestry, conservation, park and open space uses. Passive recreational uses and sustainable forestry could also be permitted.”
Land Registry documents indicate McMaster University purchased the property in two sections – the first in the summer of 1964 from Calder Developments Limited for one dollar. The rest of the site was purchased in the summer of 1969 from the County of Wentworth.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Slow Sign and Turtle Time

THEY SAY: Information Report: April 3, 2017 SUBJECT/REPORT NO: Rare Turtle Recovery, Wildlife Corridor Issues and Roads of Issue at Cootes Paradise (PW16024a) - (City Wide) Traffic Issues on Cootes Drive Traffic Operations & Engineering has been working with the Ward 13 Councillor on traffic signage along Cootes Drive. Four (4) traffic signs (with flashing lights) operating during turtle migration season will be installed in the spring of 2017. The migration period for turtles is generally around the months of June, early July and September but can vary due to weather conditions. The traffic signs are useful in alerting motorists of potential turtle crossings on that roadway. RESTORE COOTES SAYS: Is it working? Is there any evidence that it is helping turtles or even slowing vehicles? We're betting it has little to no impact - the light is always flashing, if turtles are present or not, the road is built for speed and it makes it dangerous to slow down. We hope
Post a Comment
Read more

Moving toward MacMarsh at McMaster

Some interesting approaches to looking at rehabilitating a McMaster parking lot to become a coldwater wetland. I'll be on the panel discussing the historical aspects of the site, with other smarter people, 10am Thursday, October 25, 2018. Two days prior, Patricia Johanson  will be speaking about the way she uses art, site-specific art, to help heal the earth. Should be inspiring. Hope you can make it.
Post a Comment
Read more

Urquhart Butterfly Garden speaker series

A lovely butterfly garden is the perfect setting for this annual speaker series. August 4, 2018, Guest speaker: Doreen Nicoll You cannot have Monarch Butterflies without milkweed.  Doreen Nicoll has recently become a heroine for monarch butterflies, by insisting on her rights to grow milkweed in her naturalized garden in Burlington. Doreen  Nicoll has long understood that garden with nature and not against her is the best thing for our planet. She also knows that native plants are great at attracting butterflies and bees of all species. Doreen will be the first presenter in the Summer Series at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden and her topic will be Monarchs and Their Milkweed and naturalized gardening. She has wealth of information and is fun as well! The session will begin at 11 am Saturday on August 4 and last approximately one hour.  Please bring a chair. If it rains the session will be cancelled. For more information about the Urquhart Butterfly Garden please visit ur
Post a Comment
Read more