RESTORE COOTES

Sarah hiked to Maplewood in Dundas Valley along the Monarch Trail to view the rehabilitated site now that the buildings are removed  Resource Management Centre (bell, above) and inscription (below), only artifacts that remain at site in Dundas Valley Maplewood is gone, and nature is returning.  Restore Cootes is pleased with the outcome, but we wanted to see for ourselves. A visit to the site now that the demolition is complete was in order. We took a hike from Dundas University Plaza along the lovely Monarch Trail to the former site of Maplewood, deep in the heart of Dundas Valley.  The photos above are worth 1000 words, clearly the structures are removed, and a small open meadow is currently evident. Not sure if there is a native planting going on, or planned. I will look into the details for a future post.  The Hamilton Spectator reported that "The driveway leading to the hall from Artaban Road will be converted into a pathway the...

A happy ending for conservation lovers, as the Hamilton Conservation Authority Board buys into removal of Maplewood Hall (and the long roadway and parking area) to rehabilitate the natural lands at this beautiful property. Money from private donors saved the day, swaying the HCA Advisory Board to finally agree to what the HCA staff report had previously unequivocally determined was the best course of action. Yet this victory for nature leaves me somewhat disconcerted about how this all played out, and what it might mean for the HCA's future. Here's how I interpreted the chain of events: Maplewood is losing money, the HCA decides to examine it's future. HCA staff prepare a detailed report outlining various options and recommend removing Maplewood and naturalizing the area as the preferred option. The HCA Board decides to wait and seek other options, though it seems there was no formal process to seek options. At some point Tony Evans of the Dundas Montessori school get...

Donors convince HCA to abandon valley lease plan By Richard Leitner (January 22, 2014, Hamilton Community News) An outpouring of financial support to pay for the demolition of a former Dundas Valley outdoor education centre has effectively killed a bid by a private school to rent the building. The Hamilton Conservation Authority's advisory board voted unanimously last week to recommend Maplewood Hall be torn down after donors pledged $213,000 toward the project, which will also see the 13-hectare Artaban Road property restored to a natural state. While the recommendation must still go to authority directors on March 6 for final approval, their OK is likely a formality because five of 11 directors were on hand to support the advisory board recommendation. "It's the largest single spontaneous outpouring of funds from one community I've ever seen in such a short time," said authority vice-chair Jim Howlett, one of the directors who helped make the recommendation...

From the Conservation Advisory Board , to the Full Conservation Board last Thursday, and now back to the Conservation Advisory Board we go. Maplewood isn't quite dead yet. Soon, hopefully, the idea of a private school in the middle of public conservation lands will be dealt a final blow, and the natural lands will be allowed to regenerate, as suggested by HCA staff in a thorough report (that keeps getting ignored by the board) I'm using more time than I thought I would need on this file, getting my car-less self to far flung meeting locations only to see this thing kicked around despite all the good arguments for demolition, so I'm going to borrow from the recent update from the Hamilton Naturalists Club. Hamilton Conservation Authority Meeting: Thursday, January 16th, 7pm at Ironwood Hall, Westfield Village (follow Hwy 8 north-west through Dundas, cross Hwy 5 and continue to Kirkwall Road/RR#552 just past Rockton. Turn right and follow for 1.5km) The Club reports th...

Monday, December, 16, 2013 - 12:12:29 PM Call for ‘hard facts’ freezes Dundas Valley lease bid Advisory board seeks answers on costs, regulatory approvals By Richard Leitner, Dundas Star News Staff A Hamilton Conservation Authority proposal to lease a former Dundas Valley outdoor education centre to a private school is on hold to allow for a more rigorous analysis of the financial implications and potential regulatory hurdles. Members of the conservation advisory board referred the proposal back to staff after hearing from 10 delegations, all but two of them opposing a bid by Strata Montessori Adolescent School to rent the Artaban Road centre for 15 years. The lease is one of four options offered for the former Resource Management Centre, now called Maplewood Hall, with the others being demolition, upgrading it as a rental facility and mothballing it for future use. Advisory board member Duke O’Sullivan said there are still too many unanswered questions on the lease, i...

DUNDAS VALLEY: 50 Year Vision: Strategic Directions Preserve and enhance the connectivity of ecosystems in the Valley and explore the  co-benefits of connecting with the Cootes to the Escarpment strategy. Preserve the escarpment and rural countryside, including selected vistas. Protect rare, endangered and species at risk in the Valley area. Combat the impact of invasive and nuisance species within the Valley. Protect and enhance the health of streams, watercourses, and waterfalls. Maintain and protect local architectural and natural heritage Promote green business practices within the community. Develop farmer generated mechanism to develop public support for agriculture and i ncrease the awareness of the importance of local agriculture as both an activity and a  lifestyle and Support the promotion of locally grown and processed crops in close  proximity to residents. Support the implementation of the City of Hamilton’s ‘special character’ roads  throug...

Here's the Hamilton Spectator report of the meeting last night: Bulldozer or school for Maplewood Hall? By Daniel Nolan , Hamilton Spectator, December 13, 2013 ANCASTER The first chair of what became the Hamilton Conservation Authority is admonishing authority members for considering the placement of a Montessori school in an old hall in the centre of Dundas Valley. Waiting at Woodend for Advisory Board to Begin Thomas Beckett, a retired judge who served as chair of the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority from 1966-1971, was involved in buying the 8-hectare parcel of land in 1968 that contains Maplewood Hall. He told members of the conservation advisory board Thursday night the then-owners — the Anglican Diocese of Niagara — could have sold the land to a commercial operator, but wanted to make sure the Artaban Road land became part of the public domain. "If it was Sister Theresa or Mr. Mandela, I'd still oppose this," said Beckett. "It doesn...

Come out to the Hamilton Conservation Authority "Conservation Advisory Board" meeting tonight:  Thursday 12th December, 2013 at the HCA main office at 7 p.m.   Directions to "Woodend" (HCA Main Office) download map in pdf format From Toronto: Take Highway 403 West to Hamilton and climb the escarpment to the Rousseau (Mohawk Road) exit.  At the third stoplight, turn left onto Wilson Street in Ancaster  At the first stoplight on Wilson, turn right onto Sulphur Springs Road. Travel to the T‐ intersection (3 way stop) Turn right at this intersection. This is still Sulphur Springs Road. Proceed down the hill into the valley  Stay on the paved road for approximately 2 kilometres, it becomes Mineral Springs just past the entrance to the Hermitage The HCA main office is the stone building on the left side. Drive over small hill to 3rd driveway to visitors parking. Reception is located at the top of the wooden stairs.  From Brantford: Take High...

6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations Based on the information presented on this report , it is recommended that the Maplewood Facility be demolished and the area naturalized for the following reasons: 1. The Maplewood facility is in need of $560,500 revenue for immediate upgrades due to its age and requirements to meet regulatory standards. 2. Due to its location on the end of steep winding gravel road with limited water service and on-site sewage system and no access to natural gas, the facilities annual operation and maintenance costs are high. 3. The return on investment if the required upgrades are implemented will be low or nonexistent. This will negatively impact the HCA budget and will also limit the attractiveness of the facility to a private operator. 4. Previous attempts to change the facility to another more financially stable operation under a private operator have met with substantial public opposition resulting in the withdrawal or ...

Below, a letter to the editor in the Hamilton Spectator regarding the future of Maplewood in Dundas Valley from non other than the first chair of the Hamilton Conservation Authority (who just happens to remember buying that piece of land and why they bought it.) If that doesn't make things clear, then a Hamilton Spectator report from April on the 50 Year Vision for Dundas Valley - no mentions of leasing public lands to private interests, and a lot about protecting natural habitat, reflected in the title "Preservation Sought for Dundas Valley". I sat on the committee for the 50 Year Vision, and can attest to the direction we felt the HCA should go, toward protecting nature, not playing games with it. rk HCA must not lose Dundas Valley land School operator says project will enhance Dundas Valley (Nov. 6) A proposal to lease Maplewood to a Montessori school has been put forward to the conservation authority. At first glance that might seem a reasonable wa...

To: Chair and Board of Directors of the HCA, Members of the Conservation Advisory Board Re: Future of Maplewood Private school director Tony Evans has said of his Montessori school “We have a profound respect for the environment... This is who we are.” I have a difficult time understanding how Evans’ desire to use Dundas Valley Conservation Area’s Maplewood Hall for his school site fits with this self-image. Children being driven to school along country roads and up a long driveway through an Environmentally Sensitive Area doesn’t teach respect for the environment, it teaches car- dependency. Introducing farm animals and vegetable gardens into the very heart of Dundas Valley’s natural ecosystem only deepens the disconnect between professed conservation goals and true protection of nature. View Maplewood in a larger map Despite Evans’ professed “feeling [that] the benefits of educating another generation about the environment outweigh the negatives,” it really sends t...

If you are like me and couldn't make it to the Public Information Centre (PIC) about the future of Maplewood you can still comment on the issue online with this form: http://www.conservationhamilton.ca/component/rsform/form/16-future-of-maplewood-facility Background info including the staff recommendation which suggests returning the area to its natural function can be found here: http://www.conservationhamilton.ca/maplewood Our take:  http://restorecootes.blogspot.ca/2013/10/back-to-nature-at-maplewood.html

"Based on the information presented on this report, it is recommended that the Maplewood Facility be demolished and the area naturalized" We wholehearteldy agree. However.... The Hamilton Conservation Authority is flirting with the idea of upgrading the facility for use by a private school. Read the report - there are plenty of reasons in there why ignoring the staff recommendation is a bad idea - here they are: 1. The Maplewood facility is in need of $560,500 revenue for immediate upgrades due to its age and requirements to meet regulatory standards. 2. Due to its location on the end of steep winding gravel road with limited water service and on-site sewage system and no access to natural gas, the facilities annual operation and maintenance costs are high. 3. The return on investment if the required upgrades are implemented will be low or nonexistent. This will negatively impact the HCA budget and will also limit the attractiveness of the facility to a private...