Yesterday & Today:

On April 30, 1959, a community wide effort came to fruition when the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) was formed in response to the need to protect and renew our natural resources.  As we reflect on the impact of local conservation efforts in our watershed, we pay tribute to the efforts of the many individual and business partners who have taken up the challenge of ensuring that we will have a healthier environment in which to live, work and play.  By taking a proactive role in conservation, restoration, development and wise use of precious natural resources within our watershed, the NPCA is poised to accept the challenges and opportunities facing us.

Currently, the NPCA’s jurisdiction encompasses 2424 square kilometres which includes portions of Haldimand-Norfolk and Hamilton-Wentworth, as well as the whole of the Niagara Region.  We are the leading agency for water management locally.  Of the 36 Conservation Authorities in the province, Niagara has one of the most complex watershed areas.  Our greatest legacy is our 35 conservation areas and the over 7,000 acres of conservation lands that we are protecting and managing for future generations.

Did You Know…?

• The early years focused on acquisition of land and water–related resources.  Our current properties provide numerous and diverse opportunities including camping, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, windsurfing, picnicking, bird watching and other recreational activities. 

• The first property acquired was Long Beach in 1961. Hosting over 100,000 visitors per year, Long Beach provides public access to Lake Erie, and offers a host of activities including camping and water recreation activities as well as picnicking and nature appreciation.

• In 1964, 366 acres along the Welland River, now named Francis Goldring Chippawa Creek Conservation Area, was transformed from a derelict farm to a natural recreation area containing a thirty-acre lake, a mile and a half of riverfront, fishing, boating and outdoor activities.

• We play a vital role in the preservation of wetlands including provincially significant landmarks such as Willoughby Marsh, Wainfleet Wetlands and Humberstone Marsh.  

• Beamer Memorial in Grimsby, well known for its vantage point to observe Hawk migration.   Providing a picturesque view of the escarpment, trails, observation platforms and washroom facilities have been developed to enhance this beautiful conservation area 

• St. Johns Conservation Area situated on the borders of Pelham and Thorold, offers visitors wheelchair accessibility and an opportunity to fish in one of the only cold water fisheries in the Peninsula.   

• Ball’s Falls, purchased in 1964, is the most popular conservation area and features Niagara’s second largest cataract.  Many original buildings including the Ball Family Homestead, and the Grist Mill provide a glimpse of our local industrial heritage.  This site is now home to the new Centre for Conservation and the focus of many special events including the annual Thanksgiving Festival, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2009.  With the recent addition of the Centre for Conservation, visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the Authority’s rich history and the many programs which have helped us accomplish so much in the last 50 years.   The Centre for Conservation has been bestowed with numerous awards including a Gold LEED Designation.

• Outdoor Educational Programs at Conservation Areas such as Ball’s Falls, St. Johns and Woodend Conservation Areas complement our in school programs and enable students to learn through hands on experience. 

• Since 1961, the NPCA has been preserving Canada’s oldest living sugar maple tree.  The Comfort Maple, located in the Town of Pelham is well over 500 years old.

• Many capital improvement projects have taken place in the last decade including: a new nature trail at Virgil Conservation Area, the completion of the Twenty Valley Trail, and the purchase of 50 acres of adjacent land at Rockway Conservation Area which was made possible through the Niagara Escarpment Land Acquisition Program.

• In August 1997, the Wainfleet Bog was officially opened.  The NPCA owns 2,000 acres of the total Wainfleet Bog area.  Wainfleet Bog is the southernmost example of a raised bog of its size in Canada.  In pre-settlement times, this bog occupied 12,000 acres, most of which was cleared and drained for agriculture and human settlement.  Today, Wainfleet Bog includes approximately 3,000 acres, most of which has been impacted and transformed by earlier peat mining and drainage.  Wainfleet Bog is recognized as a provincially significant wetland.   The overall goal for Wainfleet Bog is the restoration of the bog ecosystem.  

• Water Management is a major program for NPCA.   With over 138 local waterways in the Niagara Region, most of which are tributaries of the Welland River, the Authority has a strong role in the protection of our local watercourses, valley lands and shorelines through its water and related land management programs.  The Authority is committed to working to protect our waterways and natural areas so they can continue to function as nature intended.  The importance of managing local waterways and wetland, river valleys and shorelines may not be apparent to all of us who reside in this area.  These natural lands are a vital part of our life sustaining ecosystem which provides clean water, controls flooding and erosion along our creeks and provides our fish and wildlife species suitable habitat in which to live.

• Uncontrolled filling of valley lands and wetlands from increasing development is a serious concern.  The Authority enforces regulations to ensure that development and filling do not take place in our sensitive areas and issues permits under our regulations allowing for accepted construction and alteration activities within our rivers, floodplains and valleys.

• In keeping with our mandate a secure flood warning system has been developed which provides our municipalities and watershed residents with advanced storm and flood advisories along our rivers and Great Lake shorelines. 

• A 400-acre reservoir was constructed on the upper reaches of the Welland River to provide down stream benefits primarily to augment summer flow with added flood control benefits.  Over 500 acres of land surrounding the lake have become the Binbrook Conservation Area.  With the surge in residential development around the conservation area, Binbrook attracts thousands of visitors who can enjoy its many amenities including the new spray pad and other recreational activities.

• The Authority’s efforts to identify pollution sources in the Binbrook reservoir resulted in a public effort to improve water quality in co-operation with farmers who fenced off areas and installed nose pumps to provide a water source for grazing cattle.  A major problem was faulty septic systems.  The Hamilton Region Health Department assisted in clean-up activities resulting in a remarkable improvement in the water quality.

• In September 1999, the NPCA entered into a work sharing agreement with the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to streamline the work permit process for watercourse alterations.  The NPCA now acts as the local contact for the public at large when stream works are proposed which may affect Federal fish habitat issues.  This positive partnership will ensure that today’s generation will leave the Welland River Watershed in an improved state for tomorrow’s generation to enjoy.

• In 2005 Morgan’s Point Conservation Area, a very significant parcel of land located on the shores of Lake Erie in the Township of Wainfleet was publically opened after undergoing significant restoration work made possible in partnership with a grant of $75,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and other partners including the Wainfleet Lions Club. This regionally significant site boasts a number of rare plant species among the dunes and beach.    The site is one of the last remaining public access points to Lake Erie, and plays an important role as a stopover for migrating birds and butterflies. A children’s playground area was installed and the conservation area is now a popular spot which allows for quiet enjoyment of the Lake Erie shoreline, a far cry from the busy sand beaches, just west of the park.  Public reaction and support continues to be very positive. 

• In 2006 The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in partnership with the Township of Wainfleet, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and Trans Canada Trail opened a recreational trail along the former Grand Trunk Railway Corridor in the Township of Wainfleet.  The 12 kilometre stretch of abandoned railway line is being managed as a wildlife corridor of linear green space.  The trail designed to ensure easy access for visitors with restricted mobility, was developed as a multi-use trail for walkers, cyclists, horseback riders and nature enthusiasts. The trail has been respectfully named the Gord Harry Conservation Trail.

Throughout the past 50 years our efforts have focused on a variety of natural resource programs.  Our environmental and human resources are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and general well being of the citizens in our watershed.  The NPCA has had the foresight to pursue the acquisition of some of the most sensitive conservation lands found in Niagara - lands that are now held in trust for future generations.  

You are invited to take advantage of the exciting adventures that await you and your family on our conservation lands.  There are unlimited opportunities for discovery, recreation and relaxation.  These are truly lands that are spectacular by nature!