Winter 2022
The Green Sward – Winter 2022
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the Green Sward The word “sward” is defined as a grassy surface of land. Green sward is often used in other English-speaking countries as an alternate term for an open grassy area.
Board of Directors
Winter 2022
Articles
PRESIDENT, DARRYL GAIRNS Town of Oakville E: darryl.gairns@oakville.ca PRESIDENT-ELECT, DAVID WARDEN Town of Lincoln E: dwarden@lincoln.ca VICE PRESIDENT, GENE MATTHEWS City of Guelph E: gene.matthews@guelph.ca PAST PRESIDENT, KARA BUNN City of Hamilton E: kara.bunn@hamilton.ca TREASURER, MIKE MURPHY E: mimurphy@citywindsor.ca DIRECTOR, ADRIENNE JEFFERSON City of St. Thomas E: ckern@cityofwoodstock.ca DIRECTOR, DUSTIN MILBURN City of London E: dmilburn@london.ca DIRECTOR, JEFF SILCOX-CHILDS City of Waterloo E: jeff.silcox-childs@waterloo.ca DIRECTOR, MATT MINTZ City of Richmond Hill E: matt.mintz@richmondhill.ca DIRECTOR, DAVID PLANT City of Markham E: DPlant@markham.ca DIRECTOR, NETAMI STUART Waterfront Toronto E: nstuart@waterfrontoronto.ca DIRECTOR, KARLI FORGET City of Vaughan Karli.Forget@vaughan.ca DIRECTOR, JAMES DANN City of Toronto James.Dann@toronto.ca DIRECTOR, WAYNE GOULD City of Vaughan E: wayne.gould@vaughan.ca E: ajefferson@stthomas.ca DIRECTOR, CHRIS KERN City of Woodstock
Message From Our President 4 From the desk of the Office Manager 6 From the Parks Bench 7 OPA Greeting 9 Musings Winter 2022 10 65 th Annual Parks Education Forum 14 The Restoration of Paradise Grove 17 Happy Holidays Puzzle 21 Fighting Climate Change and 22 Honouring Heroes The Railway City 24 Bill 23 27 From the Training Desk 30 Dog Waste Water Emergency 32 Healthy Eating 34 Welcome New members 35
Executive Director Paul Ronan
Office Manager / Magazine Editor Social Media, Membership & Special
Events Coordinator Leesa Woodhouse
Training Coordinator Jonathon MacAlpine Joshua Goetz
Art Direction Kerfont Designs
The Ontario Parks Association is committed to educating parks professionals and enabling them to meet or exceed industry standards while actively advocating for the protection and enhancement of parks and open spaces. Our motto “Protecting Tomorrow Today”® is a commitment to civic beautification and the advancement, protection and conservation of parks, open space and the environment in the Province of Ontario.
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Contact Us
60 Water Street North Cambridge, ON N1R 3B1 Phone: 905-864-6182 Toll Free: 1-866-560-7783 Email: opa@ontarioparksassociation.ca Web: ontarioparksassociation.ca
Submissions deadline for Spring 2023: March 1, 2023
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of OPA. Charitable No.: 12725 7509 RR0001 Publication Mail Agreement #41066026
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Ontario Parks Association
Message From Our President
While we should be focused on putting away our lawnmowers and garden tools in exchange for snow shovels, plows and ice rinks, there seems to be a distraction that has been garnering more and more attention and cause for concern. By now, most of you are aware of Bill 23 and our city councilors and staff are scrambling to figure out what the full extent of its implications will be. Working in front line operations, I am not a legal expert or political analyst but I do know that this bill will have a huge impact on our communities, parks, open spaces, conservation lands, wetlands, greenbelt corridors, natural and cultural heritage systems and much more both now and for generations to come. It will change the way municipalities will function moving forward. The way that land is developed, allocated, protected and maintained as greenspace could be detrimental to our future communities and to say that there will be major financial implications is an understatement. Due to the lack of detailed information provided so far it is not yet known to what extent these impacts will have or how to mitigate them. The haste with which this bill was passed into law is not sitting well with me. It moved very quickly through legislation before the commenting period was closed and with insufficient information. The details are confusing and leave a lot of unanswered questions. Was this intentional? Will today’s headline will be old news before the full impacts of this are known? I am hopeful that our communities will make sure that doesn’t happen until we know what all this means and have a reasonable outcome. Another thing that has me very confused is the timing of this legislation. If there’s anything that the covid pandemic taught us, it’s just how valuable our parks and open spaces are. The interest and attention on parks was astounding. For many, they were the only places to go for any type of activity, recreation or socializing. Our parks, trails and conservation areas were busier and more important to the citizens than they have ever been. It is known now more than ever just how important these spaces are and the many
benefits associated with them. Physical and mental health and well-being are improved for park users. They bring communities together and make them more livable. So why now, when we just saw first-
hand how valuable theses spaces are, would we bring in sweeping changes that could change the landscape of communities forever? There’s no denying that the housing crisis in Ontario is of utmost importance and there is a dire need for affordable and attainable housing. I sincerely hope that a solution can be found to provide the accommodations that are so desperately needed in a way that does not negatively impact our parks, open spaces and natural areas as drastically as bill 23 has the potential of doing. I have a vested interest both personally and professionally in the outcome of this. I live in an area that has protected wetlands and I have done my part as a resident to leave it undisturbed. I chose to live where I do because of the surrounding conservation lands and so that I could teach my family about the importance of nature and protecting it. I have also spent my entire career working in the parks and the green industry and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to have built a fulfilling career doing what I do. The notion that these same
opportunities and experiences may be not be there for future generations is disconcerting. What can we do? We can continue to educate ourselves on this issue and stay up to date as details become clearer. We can keep our attention focused to make sure this remains a priority and doesn’t become old news. We can participate with our local resident groups to ask questions and voice our concerns. We can engage with professional organizations like OPA for information sharing (Our discussion
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The Green Sward – Winter 2022
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A message from Our President (continued from page 4)
forum is a great platform to share information and ask questions). Also, we can reach out to our local politicians to keep them accountable and make sure they are doing their part to protect community interests. For more detailed information on Bill 23 and its impacts I encourage you to read the article in this edition of the Green Sward submitted by: Mr. Niall Lobley, Director of Community Services at the Township of Georgian Bluffs. On behalf of OPA, thank you Niall for taking the time to write and share such a comprehensive article on Bill 23. We appreciate your insight. In other news… we are extremely pleased to report that our new course offerings are shaping up to be a huge success! The Horticulture Practitioner course is up and running online and we are working on a practical in person component to be offered in the future. Thank you to our facilitator Donna Zarudny for her efforts and expertise in helping develop and roll out this program. We have also partnered with the Smart About Salt Council to offer a course educating participants on the best practices for salt usage, safe handling and environmental considerations. Thank you to the Smart About Salt Council for their partnership. Our Parks Encampment course is also going full steam ahead with tremendous response and participation. A big thank you to Esther Afriat and Grant Drygas for the incredible work they do in the field, in the office and in the classroom. Kudos! Looking ahead - We have also partnered with the folks at the Greenhouse Academy in Thorndale Ontario and are working towards some exciting education opportunities geared towards our youth along with some other possible surprises. We look forward to working with them so please stay tuned to our website and social media pages for more information.
working with the folks at the City of Belleville to host a 2-day event in late September or early October that will showcase some of the city’s highlights and premier parks as well as holding our vendor trade show and educational speakers. Please keep an eye out for more information and an official announcement for our 66th Annual Parks Education Forum! Just in case you missed our staff announcement earlier this month, our Training Coordinator Jonathon MacAlpine has decided to advance his career and accept the position of Events Coordinator at the University of Waterloo. We wish Jonathon all the best in his new role and thank him for his exceptional efforts with OPA. While we thank Jonathon and wish him well, we also welcome our new Training Coordinator Joshua Goetz to the OPA team. Please join us in welcoming Joshua. Wishing you all a safe winter, happy holidays and new year!
Darryl Gairns, OPA Board President Supervisor of Harbours, Town of Oakville
rickw@ure-techsurfaces.com www.ure-techsurfaces.com
Save the date – We have big plans in the works for our Annual Parks Education Forum. We are
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Ontario Parks Association
From the desk of the Office Manager
Happy Holidays
From the Desk of the Office Manager Well winter is here. As I write this, I think back to a week ago when I was in Miami enjoying the heat and the ocean. I am not a winter person and other than wanting snow on Christmas day, I prefer no snow. I have been with OPA now for just over a year now and time has gone by quickly. I have learned so much and love the work that we do. This past October we returned to our in-person Education forum. It was awesome to put a face to so many names. We had some great speakers as well as sponsors and many vendors who we thank for their continued support of OPA. Our next forum will be a 2 day event held in Belleville and we are so excited to work with the City of Belleville to make the 66 th Annual Parks Education Forum, the best one yet. I want to thank Adrienne Griffin, who sits on the board of OPA who highlighted the City of St. Thomas in this edition of the Green Sward. If you would like to share your municipality in the spring edition of the 2023 Green Sward, please email me at opa@ontarioparksassociation.ca. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday from my family to yours. Make memories and treasure the moments and be safe. Until next time, Leesa
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From the Parks Bench
Are we PROTECTING TOMORROW TODAY?????
city I continued in a career where stewardship of our land was part of my job description. My Indigenous friends and colleagues have also taught me how important our connection is to the land and how mother earth must be treated with respect and appreciation for its many gifts. So it is in that context that I go form proud celebration of my own traditions and values and those of the province I live into a genuine concern of where this recent Bill 23 legislation has taken us. I am sure by now you have heard of this Bill and may have even attended one of the many rallies which are echoing great concern over the speed at which this legislation has been forced through the system and the significant loss of the very land that we had worked so hard to protect. The fact that I have grandchildren now has made my feelings on this even more pronounced and I want them and everyone else’s children to be able to have the same growing up. I completely understand the access to greenspace that I have had need for AFFORDABLE HOUSING; however, I do not believe this addresses the affordability part and to make matters worse it is taking away some of the very land that new developments will need to service the growing population in these areas. I am hoping that as many of you as possible can take the time to learn about what this Bill actually says and how it is going to impact our existing and newly constructed communities. I feel there are many alternate sites that are not part of the protected greenbelt that would be better choices however this may not be in the best interest of the developer’s ability to make their expected profits. I
Well as a write this I am torn between the excitement of one of my favorite times of the year as Christmas is upon us and the disturbing impacts of the recent Bill 23 legislation. Christmas is a real family time for me. My six siblings, two daughters and four grandchildren, all coming together to celebrate this wonderful event. Going to church, midnight mass, singing Christmas Carols, Christmas visits, dinner, desserts, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, hiking, road hockey, arena hockey and of course hot chocolate by the indoor and outdoor fires are all part of our Canadian family traditions. What we learned through Covid was just how important our outdoor spaces are to our physical and Mental health and wellbeing, and I am so thankful and proud to be part of an organization that has as its mandate, PROTECTING TOMORROW TODAY. For many years now, forty to be exact, I have been involved on the Parks sector and I have seen many wonderful sections of land either turned into Parkland or preserved in its natural state in order to continue providing its contribution to our environment. I have learned just how important our land is since growing up on a farm it was the land that supported the raising of my 6 brothers and sisters as well as the wheat, barley oats, corn, red clover, alfalfa, timothy / brome grass hay and wheat and oat straw products that fed our animals and were sold to the community. That same land saw cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens thrive in a healthy natural open-air environment. As child I grew up with this, as an adult and having relocated to the
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Ontario Parks Association
From the Parks Bench (continued from page 7)
would also ask that as many of you make your feeling known to your local provincial, federal and municipal politicians. Yes, this legislation was literally fast tracked UNDER THE GUISE of AFFORDABLE HOUSING, however we have a voice that when grouped together can have a powerful influence on the decision makers. So, as we celebrate this wonderful Christmas and Holiday season I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday and may you have good health and happiness to welcome in the New Year. On behalf of all of us here in your OPA office thank you for your continued support and remember we are all helping deliver our mandate of Protecting Tomorrow Today © .
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Ontario Parks Association
Musings Winter 2022 written by John Lohuis
Have you ever wondered how parks will function and what parks will look like 20 years from now? Will your role as a parks manager change from what you do today? What will not change is that parks are an inalterable element of society and function on many dimensions to help this planet cope with continuing challenges. In Britain, parks advocates are sounding the alarm about the future of parks as they are currently threatened by attacks on the quantity and quality of the resource. The very identity of how a park is perceived is being clouded and blended into so many commercial properties, developed housing and separation space for roads. A concept being used to strengthen and clarify the role of parks is called, parks as a differential public entity; in other words, parks need to keep a strong distinct footprint and public perception, not as a subset of other interests. Like the example of the environment, it is so easy to subtract elements from the “parks bank account” without the general public knowing, with many greater impacts and costs coming forth later.
social issues inherent in public parks.
Record immigration to Canada is expected to continue as our current reproductive rate is not sufficient to take care of all those older Baby Boomers and even Gen X’ers! Many more diverse festivals, gatherings and public holidays will take place in public parks as long as our Canadian background continues to respect many cultures. Such tolerance and respect that includes Indigenous populations will be an important element of a society that can positively grow and flourish. Increasingly, a greater percentage of the Canadian population; young and old are living alone and therefore use of parks can be an important outlet outside of their homes if such parks are of a quality and interest to allow such use. The critical role of parks as a place for inexpensive, healthy pursuits will continue and allow people (and their pets) to meet each other. Smaller parks and trails along with “Community or District Parks” will become more important and become “harder- working” as parkland will become more scarce yet having even a smaller green space within 500-800 metres will be ever more important. Even air rights will become important as shown by Toronto’s recent musings to build parks above Union Station. Hopefully, more food gardens, diversified natural features, works of art, memorable elements of parks will drive more citizens to enjoy the outdoors. It’s therefore, parks managers will be very important in helping to arbitrate amongst the many potential uses of parks along with limited carrying capacity of those parks. With many high-rise condominium developments; there are too many people seeking limited park areas; more intensive uses are forecast for these areas.
Social Climate and Cultural Diversity
The parks manager now, and more so in the future, might well be called a “social engineer”. The many visitors to parks visit for many different reasons; think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need which starts at very basic needs to move to someone “self actualizing” their higher-order needs and spiritual selves. John Hannah’s recent column in this newsletter, featured Tommy Thomson’s work which highlighted the range of emotions that people feel when visiting parks. Regrettably, some people at the lowest rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy are using parks for basic needs, which only underscores the
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Musings Winter 2022 (continued from page 10)
Parks managers will increasingly become much more collaborative; working with social services staff, land planners, neighbourhood associations, social agencies, arts & culture entities, sports and event planners to try to deliver on high quality experiences in public parks. Get your politicians to lead a community walk at least once a year in their wards or selected neighbourhoods!
environmental problem through green infrastructure (ie. stream erosion through combination approaches of hard and soft solutions) - Ensure you are aware of upcoming developments at the District Plan, Secondary Plan and Plan of Subdivision levels; add your valuable input to planners and engineers!
Examples of Multi-Disciplinary Action:
Automation and Technology and Public Safety
- Work with the Downtown BIA to assure prosperity; clean, attractive downtowns, free of litter and quality plantings, healthy trees and appropriate benches and receptacles. Set standards and share resources! Work with local nurseries to promote native species and locally-sourced materials. - Continue school-related environmental projects during non-school months; help out teachers and school staff to not let children’s projects lapse during their holidays. - Work with neighbourhood associations on mutually-beneficial projects to enhance their pride of place. - Apply for infrastructure grants (federal and provincial) to address specific concerns in your community. Also, there are sponsored grants such as Scotts Canada through CiB. - Enlist a multi-tiered approach to move the disadvantaged toward a brighter future (social workers, law enforcement, church organizations, food banks etc.) rather than simply shunt homeless people from place to place - Teach young children how to grow plants and food through municipal growing plots and special events. - Work with the engineers, ecologists, environmental planners, landscape architects and any other emergent new human resources to attack an
We may see increased use of infra-red “people counters” as an important element of monitoring how and when parks are used; including non- typical hours where vandalism and miscreant behaviours are common. Perhaps drone technology can be used for forecast areas of flooding, or susceptibility to wind damage and for plant health. We have self-watering planters, what about self-watering for newly planted trees? Will there be robot mowers to cut grass or will there be grass species that eventually have genetic engineering to the point where grass will no longer need to be cut? Can robots prepare infields for ball diamonds? How about operation of floral beds? Will there be a way to signal when parks equipment has malfunctioned? Will our heat zones change so significantly that we will be driven to plant choices more akin to Florida in 20 years? Will parks staff be GPS monitored like some snow-plow trucks in the course of their duties? Will productivity data ignore the qualitative worth and skill of parks managers; that is their skills at ensuring a park looks great rather than just having timesheet and productivity data being properly filled out? This scope of work is well beyond only an “operational realm”.
Of course, using PPS and “Placemaking” principles can help ensure that public places and spaces that
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Ontario Parks Association
Musings Winter 2022 (continued from page 11)
are well-used and visible to more people at hours thereby creating greater safety and utility.
have environmental and sustainability content to help assess how well a community is meeting climate change challenges. Let’s find a way to get those recently retired Baby Boomers and even Gen X’ers involved in your community!
Economics
The silent withdrawal from the “parks bank account” continues … Development charges are being rolled backward, the need for housing threatens both the quantity and quality of new and even existing parkland. Tax cuts require service cuts in many areas and are parks considered a “soft service”? Municipalities are under constant fiscal pressure as “Children of the Province” and unlike senior levels of government cannot operate in a deficit position; so constant requirements for “greater efficiencies” beyond the ability to effect lower taxes, inevitably leads to service cuts at the local level. Parks managers can help by creating a climate where neighbourhoods help “take back” some ownership and can be welcomed as active contributors to the “public good”. One potential ally is CiB. For over 25 years, Communities in Bloom have helped communities rally community volunteers to actively pursue a common vision to “Grow Great Places Together”; in 6 judging grid elements; Community Appearance, Landscapes, Environmental Action Floral and Plants, Heritage Conservation and Tree Management. Communities can set up volunteer committees to help with actions in each of these elements, saving valuable tax dollars and creating a more involved, proud community that harmonizes actions in institutional, commercial, industrial and residential sectors. Over 60% of the judging grid criteria, now
Sustainability, Climate Change, Green Infrastructure and Health
Our world has more climate events with high winds, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding and resultant damages to even basic infrastructure. Governments are coming to the realization that not everything can be solved with hard infrastructure and pipes. Green infrastructure that helps minimize flooding, reduces the carbon footprint through plants, stabilizes soils, lessens “heat islands” and the like will increasingly be used as part of multi-pronged municipal sustainability strategies. Parks managers have important roles in key environmental factors such as carbon gas reduction, water, land and air quality, preservation of natural features and wildlife. As the world has greater heat events, planting trees with some density will become even more important to provide relief and great safety in being at outdoor sport and trail locations. We have seen the popularity of community spray pads explode in recent years; it may now be more common to have these spray pads evolve to become outdoor misting centres for those venturing outdoors in summer. As our population ages, more prescriptive activity will take place putting more pressure on trails and active transportation corridors.
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Musings Winter 2022 (continued from page 12)
Less is More and Retention of Natural Spaces
Education and the Parks Profession
Below is a picture of a walkway at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens. May we be able to provide similar examples of beauty without all the contrivances of the modern world; signage, gates, warnings and rules! Sometimes, less is indeed more ! We need to more than ever to preserve our natural heritage and vistas.
The colleges and universities that produce graduates that are interested in making a difference will hopefully continue to be attracted to the cause of parks and outdoor preservation and beauty. The work is so much more than “operations” and the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to our outdoor spaces is greater than ever! Finally, it’s noteworthy that OPA’s motto of “Protecting Tomorrow Today”, is never more meaningful than ever. Congratulations also to the OPA Foundation to continue to support our next generation in their studies and endeavours. Best wishes also to all involved with OPA training that provides the quality assurance that today’s municipal managers demand against legislative standards and risk management.
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Ontario Parks Association
65 th Annual Parks Education Forum
On October 7 th , we were thrilled to be back in person at our annual educational forum. The forum was held at the Burlington Holiday Inn and Conference Centre who did an exceptional job providing the venue and the food. A special thank you to Jodi. The 66th Annual Parks Education Forum is in the planning stages, and we are so excited to announce that we will be holding this 2 day event in the beautiful City of Belleville. More details will be forthcoming in the Spring edition of the Green Sward.
We want to thank the following sponsors:
BCI BURKE - https://www.bciburke.com/
GREENHOUSE ACADEMY - https://greenhouseacademy.ca/
SIMPLISTIC LINES - https://www.simplisticlines.com/
BANNERMAN LIMITED - https://www.bannermansportsturfmagic.com/
LANDSCAPE ONTARIO - https://landscapeontario.com/
XYST - https://xyst.co.nz/
STIHL - https://en.stihl.ca/
W.H REYNOLDS- THE BLEACHER GUYS - https://www.bleacherguys.com/
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65 th Annual Parks Education Forum (continued from page 14)
We also want to thank all our vendors:
HENDERSON RECREATION EQUIPMENT LIMITED - https://www.hendersonplay.com/ URE-TECH SURFACES INC- https://www.ure-techsurfaces.com/
PLAYPOWER CANADA - https://playpowercanada.ca/ PARK N WATER LTD - https://www.parknwater.com/
OPENSPACE SOLUTIONS INC. - http://openspacesolutions.com/ NEW WORLD PARK SOLUTIONS - https://newworldparksolutions.ca/ PARK N PLAY DESIGN CO. LTD - https://www.parknplaydesign.com/
ABC RECREATION - https://www.abcrecreation.com/
COLVOY ENTERPRISES 2012 LTD. https://www.colvoy.com/ SIMPLISIC LINES INC. - https://www.simplisticlines.com/
MOLOK NORTH AMERICA - https://molokna.com/ GROW PROGRAM – _LANDSCAPE ONTARIO - https://www.growtraining.ca/ G.C DUKE EQUIPMENT LTD. - https://www.gcduke.com/ EARTHBIN PRODUCTS - https://www.earthbin.com/ SUTERA IN-GROUND WASTE SOLUTIONS - https://www.sutera-inground.com/ MAR-CO PRODUCTS LTD. - https://www.marcoclay.com/
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Ontario Parks Association
65 th Annual Parks Education Forum (continued from page 15)
Ontario Parks Association would like to thank the following speakers.
Milena Braticevic - PhD Integral Health, Founder, Nondual Perspectives - Mental Resilience and Psychological Safety Jennifer Court - Executive Director, Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition - The State of Parks as Green Infrastructure Jeff Crosby - Operations Manager / Mike Crosby - Director of Education - Greenhouse Academy - We've partnered with nature to grow skills and experience in youth
Esther Afriat - Acting Project Manager of Parks, PA Unit, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation - Parks Encampment, Outreach & Response
Scott Bowron - President, Clear Aquatics Sales and Training – We are getting a Spray (splash) pad…now What?
Thank you all for your continued support.
The Green Sward – Winter 2022
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The Restoration of Paradise Grove A Rare Black Oak Savannah
A rare remnant Black Oak Savannah, Paradise Grove is home to a collection of 250-plus-year-old oak trees, as well as many other rare and unique species. The area known as Paradise Grove extends within the jurisdiction of both Niagara Parks and Parks Canada. While there is collaboration and a shared vision for the restoration and conservation of this unique habitat, each agency manages their parcel through their own mandate.
Since 1885, The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) has been actively protecting and conserving the natural and cultural heritage along the Niagara River Corridor. Properties within Niagara Parks’ jurisdiction span 56-kilometres from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, and include significant War of 1812 heritage sites, the manicured parklands surrounding Niagara Falls, its own botanical gardens and school of horticulture, and numerous ecologically sensitive natural areas, such as Paradise Grove, located in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Paradise Grove has undergone many changes over time. Based on historical records and species
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Ontario Parks Association
The Restoration of Paradise Grove (continued from page 17)
composition, Niagara Parks determined that the site should be restored back to an Oak Savannah.
During the spring of 2022, NPC’s Forestry Team identified 30 hazardous dead oak trees as well as over sixty oak trees found in declining health, most of which, were mature White Oaks. Coordinated sampling efforts with external government agencies confirmed that Oak Wilt, another nearby invasive species threat, was not the cause of the decline. While there was no obvious single reason for the decline of these mature oak trees, it was theorized that there could be multiple stressors contributing to the oak decline.
Regeneration through Fire
Since 2008, Niagara Parks has been managing and supporting the savannah habitat within Paradise Grove, using the prescribed burning method. Prescribed burns have been conducted at the site every 3 - 4 years, resulting in great success toward limiting the establishment of invasive species, while promoting the growth of native understory species and oak regeneration. Through the ongoing support of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the early success of the Prescribed Burn program at Paradise Grove has led to the development of the Niagara Parks Prescribed Burn Team. This committed team is comprised of over 20 specially trained staff members, who now conduct regular prescribed burns at up to 12 different grassland habitat sites throughout Niagara Parks’ lands each spring. In addition to prescribed burning, Niagara Parks has continued to manage invasive plant and insect species throughout the site. In 2019, an aerial application of the insecticide BtK, was conducted to lower population levels of the invasive Spongy Moth. This application was effective at limiting defoliation of the mature Oak trees and the gradual decline of Spongy Moth populations in this area.
Due to the hazard represented by the dead oak trees located adjacent to the Niagara Parkway and the Niagara River Recreation Trail, all 30 trees were removed by NPC’s arborists over a one-week period in July 2022. Based on the age and size of trees removed, NPC committed to a robust 5:1 replacement ratio, with five trees planted for every one that was removed. Made possible through the Niagara Parks Foundation and its priority of tree planting on Niagara Parks property, Miller Waste Systems donated $10,000 to cover the cost of planting the 150 new trees at Paradise Grove. To aid the remaining Oak trees in decline, guide species selection and increase the survival of any newly planted trees, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC) was hired to perform a soil analysis throughout the Paradise Grove property. The soil analysis identified that soil nutrient content
Community Support for Paradise Grove
In collaboration with Niagara College’s Ecosystem Restoration Program, the Paradise Grove Savannah Management Plan was developed to guide the long-term management of this unique property. The plan identified numerous ongoing threats, such as invasive species and soil compaction while supporting the need to continue utilizing prescribed burns as a management tool and increasing biodiversity through the planting of additional native species.
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The Restoration of Paradise Grove (continued from page 18)
was low throughout the majority of the site, and surface soil restoration was recommended, to be conducted in conjunction with the fall replanting. In combination with the application of mulch, using a top dress application of compost around the planting site would allow for the slow and gradual release of vital nutrients into the soil, mitigating the critically low soil nutrient levels over time. Fortunately, Niagara Parks already has its own composting program, therefore this recommendation was a welcome addition to NPC’s current tree planting program. While low soil nutrient levels were identified as one of the stressors to the Oak trees, VRIC also considered other potential causes of the Oak decline. This research identified that over the past five years, Paradise Grove has experienced periods of severe drought, followed by increased precipitation, damaging defoliation by the invasive Spongy Moth, and increased visitation, leading to soil compaction. It is believed that all of these stressors combined, have resulted in the decline of the Oak trees at Paradise Grove.
Oaks Project. The Chautauqua Oaks Project is a volunteer initiative that partners with Niagara College’s School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies to collect and propagate acorns from heritage trees throughout the Chautauqua neighbourhood within the Town of Niagara-on-the- Lake. The primary goal of this initiative is to restore the diminishing tree canopy within the Chautauqua neighbourhood. When resources allow, this group of residents also supports tree planting in other parts of the community. Niagara Parks was very fortunate to receive these locally sourced and propagated Oak trees from these iconic old growth trees. Due to this tremendous community support, Niagara Parks was able to meet and exceed its initial replanting target, resulting in the planting of 215 new trees.
Looking Ahead
The 2022 tree planting initiative at Paradise Grove also contributes directly to Niagara Parks’ Urban Forestry Management Plan, designed to create a healthy and resilient forest canopy throughout Niagara Parks. This will be achieved by increasing the forest canopy cover from 28% to 35%, to increase biodiversity and manage invasive species, while conducting ongoing monitoring.
Volunteer Groups Help Make Reforestation Possible
During October 2022, Niagara Parks staff planted the 150 replacement trees, consisting of over twenty species and multiple stock sizes and ages to increase biodiversity, while increasing forest canopy cover. In addition, Niagara Parks received another 65 oak trees donated by the Chautauqua
About the Niagara Parks Foundation
The Niagara Parks Foundation is a registered charity governed by a Board of Governors, established to support and advance the stewardship initiatives of
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Ontario Parks Association
The Restoration of Paradise Grove (continued from page 19)
Niagara Parks. The Niagara Parks Foundation provides a unique opportunity for members of the public and corporations to actively contribute to one of the world’s most beloved public spaces, while generating additional funds to support Niagara Parks’ important stewardship responsibilities through funding, research, and public education.
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, entrusted to preserve and protect the land surrounding Niagara Falls and the Niagara River. Today, Niagara Parks boasts gardens, a horticulture school, recreation, golf courses, restaurants, heritage and historic sites, gift shops and, of course, Niagara Falls. In short, natural landscapes, history, family fun, hiking, culinary delights, attractions and adventure. For more information on how to get involved, please visit niagaraparks.com/foundation.
About Niagara Parks
Since its establishment in 1885, Niagara Parks has remained a self-financed agency of the Ontario
cindy@ure-techsurfaces.com www.ure-techsurfaces.com
The Green Sward – Winter 2022
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Happy Holidays from OPA Happy Holidays from OPA
The puzzle can always be found at: https://mywordsearch.com/697906/Happy-Holidays
M I S
Answer to puzzle on page 35
W T T M L P Q E I
I H T N A S U O E I E S E T C
F N N A R E P D A O H E T K X C W J E S X
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WORD LIST:
CANDY CANES DECEMBER EGGNOG FAMILY
JOLLY LIGHTS MERRY MISTLETOE MITTENS ORNAMENTS PARADE PINECONES
PINE TREES RULDOLPH SANTA SCARFS
SNOWHILL SNOWMAN STAR TOBOGGAN TRAILS
FESTIVE FROSTY FRUITCAKE HOLIDAY
SKIING SLEIGH
TURKEY VILLAGE
SNOWANGELS SNOWFLAKES
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Ontario Parks Association
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2022-12-15, 11:09 a.m
Fighting Climate Change and Honouring Heroes
November this year. Inspired by the groundswell of support received through HoHTC, and through the experience of building partnerships to achieve great outcomes, the group is committed to continuing to create living legacies to honour and thank the people who put their lives at risk to keep our communities safe, and loved ones and neighbours that inspire us every day, by planting trees. They are raising awareness for this program and those like it with municipalities, conservation organizations and parks and recreation, departments, and facilities to inspire connection that will lead to these groups growing their green spaces and creating better communities across the province. Trees for Heroes’ first project was planting a commemorative grove at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Bayview location), in Toronto this fall. The grove honours frontline health workers who have bravely led us through the pandemic and who work tirelessly for our health and well-being. There was a special ceremony featuring the
To celebrate National Forest Week 2022, over 1,800 new trees were planted to honour health workers and benefit Ontarians by organizations taking part in the Trees for Health Ontario* initiative. Trees for Health Ontario is a coalition of people and organizations that are collaborating with health facilities, municipalities, and conservation authorities to plant trees in honour of the hundreds of thousands of health workers across the province. Research shows that access to green spaces benefits our mental and physical health. Health workers keep their communities healthy, and the Trees for Health Ontario initiative strives to return the favour, by increasing green spaces at health facilities, to improve the patient and health worker experience through all the benefits trees provide. Trees for Heroes is a new campaign of the national charity Trees for Life , the organization spearheading the Trees for Health Ontario initiative. The charity evolved out of the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign (HoHTC), which was completed in
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Fighting Climate Change and Honouring Heroes (continued from page 22)
planting of five trees by health workers at the front of the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation building, which was followed by a volunteer tree planting on the nearby McLean Estate. These planting efforts mark the evolution of a long- standing collaboration between Trees for Life and Sunnybrook that will see up to 600 new trees planted on the health facility’s grounds as part of this project. Trees for Life also helped to create a memorial to people who lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. We all believe in the value of trees to improve our lives and that of the planet, let’s work together to get more trees in the ground, faster. Now, we need your help! We need the help of communities across Ontario to help us grow this initiative. Perhaps your land use plans call for more trees, you have access to land or you’d simply like to honour the health workers or another special group in your
community with a living tribute? Please reach out to us at info@treesforlife.ca, or for more information visit treesforlife.ca/trees-for-health or follow @CdnTreesforLife on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. *Trees for Health Ontario participating organizations include: Trees for Life; Trees for Hamilton; One Bench, One Tree; Ontario Parks Association; PEACH Health Ontario; Landscape Ontario; Forests Ontario; and EcoHealth Ontario
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Ontario Parks Association
The Railway City By Adrienne Lacey Griffin, Supervisor of Parks, and Forestry for the City of St. Thomas
The City of St. Thomas is commonly known as the Railway City or the Railway Capital of Canada.
Jumbo’s death, the city dedicated a a monument to Jumbo.
St. Thomas was an important railway town; at its peak it was a hub for a multitude of prominent railways and served as the primary stop on the Canadian shortcut between Detroit and Buffalo. By 1914, a total of eight different railways brought in more than 100 trains per day. The railways transformed St. Thomas from a town of 1700 to a city of over 40,000 today, by bringing jobs and prosperity. St. Thomas was also put on the map through the unfortunate incident that occurred on Sept 15, 1885, when Jumbo the elephant was struck and killed by a Grand Trunk Locomotive. On the 100 th anniversary of
The Jumbo monument
located on the west end of the city serves as a hub for visitors to the city and gives an opportunity for pictures with the landmark and provides important tourist information.
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The Railway City (continued from page 24)
The railway city is also known for its over 40 parks and many kilometers of trails that have been rooted in the railway history. Pinafore Park was established in 1903 by the St. Thomas Street Railway Company in the hopes that it would encourage passenger traffic as a newly established recreational activity. Pinafore Park is a 120-acre regional park located in the south end of the city that has six pavilions and a bandshell and 2 lakes! Pinafore hosts many community events through the year including Canada Day, Fathers Day Car Show, and an incredibly popular Senior’s Picnic. The playground was upgraded in the spring of 2021 and offers one of the 3 City splashpads directly next to it to cool off on a hot summer’s day.
citizens of the city and district. Once a tangled willow swamp, the PUC developed beautiful water gardens to the north of the plant beginning in 1932. These gardens continue to be maintained by the Parks Department staff.
1Passsword Park is the City’s newest regional park boasting 34 soccer fields on 67 acres and is home to the communities first artificial turf field. The recreation area includes a fully accessible playground, a splashpad and public Wi-Fi. A copper roofed pavilion can host gatherings and the basketball courts attract recreational play and club play for local basketball players. Funds raised from a local donor and through municipal funding turned a north end open field into a large community hub that serves soccer, football, and field hockey teams from all over the county from March right through November.
Waterworks Park is a 90-acre regional park, established on July 3, 1890, and is located on the north end of the city. This park is popular for the lily ponds and bridges where people can enjoy sightings of frogs and turtles n a shady setting through the summer, along with a playground and splash pad. As the first publicly owned park in St. Thomas, Waterworks Park began as a small area around the Public Utilities Commission's, (PUC), pumping station and water treatment plant. About twenty-five acres that were not needed for waterworks purposes were retained as a place of recreation for the
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Ontario Parks Association
The Railway City (continued from page 22) The Railway City (continued from page 25)
Listed as the number one recreational activity in the 2020 Parks and Recreation Master plan, 3m wide paved accessible recreational trails run through the city allowing for increased walkability, connectivity, and free recreational activities regardless of where you live. Currently there is over 30kms looping through parks and neighbourhoods, around lakes and through naturalized spaces. As part of the development of trails the parks department has also developed a standard of naturalizing the trail corridors to reduce mowing and allow for native plants and pollinators to thrive. Throughout the City there is over 700 acres of parkland to be enjoyed by all who live here and those who visit.
support the continual improvements through out the parks in our city. If you are ever in the area either visiting London or heading down to the beach on Lake Erie in Port Stanley, stop into St Thomas and experience all that the parks have to offer. Enjoy a picnic in Pinafore on a hot summer’s day, a stroll along Lake Margaret to catch an Osprey fishing or the view from the Elevated Park in the fall while the leaves are turning, from one end of the city to the other, every park offers a different experience and in each one you can see the pride our community takes in its park land!
A recent municipal tree inventory was conducted with over 15,000 trees logged in parks and roadways with, on average, 100 new trees being planted every year. The residents, Council and staff all enjoy the greenspaces located in every neighbourhood and take great pride in the park spaces surrounding the city. A partnership with the local conservation authority also allows for continued development and investments in our greenspaces such as habitat development, invasive species removal and tree planting grants. Service clubs also invest in playground equipment, benches and sports fields which
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Bill 23
Niall Lobley has worked in parks for more than 25 years in both Scotland and for the past 11 years, in Ontario. Now the Director of Community Services at the Township of Georgian Bluffs, Niall has also been the Director of Parks and Cemeteries for the City of Kitchener, and the Land and Property Manager at Conservation Halton. In his article, Niall provides a personal view of Bill 23 and draws attention to the key elements of change this brings about for parks. I am confident that you have, by now, read, heard about and been in discussions around the impacts of Bill 23 – now enacted as a series of legislative changes to multiple existing pieces of legislation – on the municipal and development landscape of Ontario. If you missed it … Bill 23 was a tabled immediately after the municipal elections in October and proposed a number of sweeping changes to the Planning Act, the consolidation of the Planning Policy Statement (PPS) and Growth Plan into a new single document, changes to traditional two tier planning processes for many of the larger two tiered municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe, and significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act. Associated to this, two additional Bills were tabled around the same time, that proposed changes to the Regulations of the Strong Mayor powers in Ontario, extending these to many larger municipalities and changes to the Greenbelt. While these are not part of Bill 23, these changes should be considered alongside the overall impact of Bill 23. Bill 23 was tabled as the next step in the Governments mandate to review development processes to cut red tape and to enhance the speed with which development can occur. Through successive changes in both the past and current term of the provincial legislature, the
Planning Act, Conservation Authorities Act and others, have already been changed – many of the previously announced changes only recently, or in many cases, not yet, having taken effect. Bill 23 rapidly moved through legislative process, with second and third readings being completed before public and stakeholder commenting windows were closed, and the Bill received Royal Ascent in late November, with many of the changes to legislation taking effect immediately. professionals, who are deeply embedded in community, are supportive of work to secure more housing, and, that the focus on housing supply should be on making it affordable and attainable. I suspect that, like me, you will have encountered the stark realities of the crisis in affordability of shelter and housing brings – parks across Ontario and Canada are relied on as part of the support for folks seeking shelter with parks playing a central part in many communities I suspect that, regardless of political persuasion or views of the changes heralded by Bill 23, all Parks challenges with the unsheltered community with encampments being increasingly commonplace in parks and open spaces. In considering the changes included with Bill 23, while bearing the very acute and real need for housing, we must also consider the need to build community that is liveable, both today, and in 25 years, 50 years and 100 years time, when the decisions of today, will impact the communities of tomorrow. We should also hold government accountable as to whether these changes will make an impact and provide the most affordable and attainable housing that is so much needed. There are several key changes that Bill 23 brings about that I believe are impactful to future community building and parks:
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Ontario Parks Association
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