RESTORE COOTES

Monday, January 20, 2020 Rethinking McMaster's West Campus Floodplain and Simple I really hope that the vision for west campus does look to rehabilitate the floodplain under McMaster Parking Lot M. In these times of global climate emergency, what better contrast than cars parked on top a coldwater wetland. One is a source of our current predicament, and the other is a part of the solution to mitigate the issues we face. Meanwhile: Trail to Trespass McMaster still has to come to terms with the fact they won't allow people currently parking in the west campus to use the perfectly lovely remnant of the former Royal Botanical Gardens nature trails to access campus. It's very odd that it was easier to get hundreds of parking spaces removed to create the required 30-metre buffer to the coldwater creek there than it is to get McMaster to stop blocking access to the trail. I'm hoping to open (another) conversation with McMaster about this trail. In the mean...

It seems that McMaster can't quite figure out a welcoming approach to this historical trail.  Signs have gone from "no trespassing" to "use at own risk" and now, "do not use" with the unwelcome addition of a chain link fence at the top and the bottom of the west campus trail. Why all the changes from threatening to personal responsibility, and now back to prohibitive with physical barriers?  Bottom of Maria's Walk trail 2013 Top of Trail C 2016 2018 top of trail with Do Not Use sign and fence 2018 Fence at top of trail looking down 2018 fence at bottom of trail Historical photo of Thorndale trailhead when the area was and RBG Nature Sanctuary                                Selected links http://www.restore-cootes.org/2013/05/marias-blocked-walk.html http://www.restore-cootes.org/2015/01/re-open-and-repair-marias-walk.html http://www.restore-cootes...

Hopeful start "It shouldn't be a big deal, so hopefully McMaster will get behind the idea." Goal Remove barriers to access on the trail between McMaster parking lot "P" and the west side of the bridge over Cootes. Barriers The barriers are cement and other debris blocking the lower access point to the trail at Lot P No trespassing sign The "speed humps" on the actual trail, making the trail more dangerous. History This trail was part of the Royal Botanical Gardens’ Coldspring Valley Nature Sanctuary, 1958-1963.  This is the longest, mostly intact, surviving trail, after campus parking lot expansion into west campus in 1968. McMaster bought the land from the RBG in 1963. Our Request We will be asking McMaster University to remove barriers to this section of trail (see red stars on map), so that people can use it safely. (blocked at both ends, and “speed humps” on trail) We also want to commemorate the history of the are...