Parks Canada Lands Along Shores of Niagara-On-The-Lake Should Be Designated ‘Tecumseh National Park’

(The following post by Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Clifford James makes a case for an eco park for federally owned lands along Lake Ontario that are now being viewed by a consortium called Project Niagara for Tanglewood, Massachusetts-like summer-long music festivals.)

By Clifford James

 The public land administered by Parks Canada along the Lake Ontario shores of Niagara-on-the-Lake is the natural location for Tecumseh National Park.

Tecumseh, a Native American leader of the Shawnee and iconic War of 1812 warrior for the British, deserves a nature park in Niagara in his name.

For not only is this land environmentally unique, thus of scientific interest, it is also of national historical significance because it is where the U.S. Army landed on May 27, 1813 and the Battle of Fort George began.

At that time the land was owned by John Secord, a relative of our famous Laura, and a friend and contemporary of Colonel John Butler, the virtual founder of this town.

Colonel Butler commanded the Loyal American Regiment of Butler’s Rangers who were a thorn in George Washington’s side during the revolutionary war of 1775/83. He settled here in 1780, followed by most of his Regiment when it disbanded in 1784.

An 1810 map, drawn by A.Gray, shows clearly the Butler and Secord homesteads, both on the east bank of Two Mile Creek and both destroyed by the U.S army in 1813. The Butler homestead site was “discovered” in 1998 as a result of a housing project and an archaeological dig found thousands of artifacts.

Unfortunately, only a fraction of this historic site was preserved, despite the efforts of many conservationists groups and individuals. The Secord site is public land, so has not been exploited, as far as I know, thus remains untouched since its destruction and should contain artifacts of equal quantity and interest to those found in Butler’s home.

A National Park would offer the opportunity to preserve important aspects of our history as well as to preserve and protect nature. People of our First Nations must have hunted and fished Two and Three Mile Creeks, thus the suggestion of a National Park named after the great Tecumseh.

The Lakeshore Property has been unexploited since acquired by our military in 1908, used only for weapon firing practice until 1948, since when the natural flora and fauna have prospered. It is home to unique species of reptiles, snakes, birds, plants and trees, including some possibly endangered species.

Parks Canada recognizes it as of national and scientific significance and as a long term opportunity to provide public access to a long stretch of waterfront. What better location could there be for a National Park? It is unique within the Golden Horseshoe and would be a refuge for city dwellers as well as wildlife, providing a respite from urban noise and turmoil, a heaven of peace and a rare opportunity to experience silence.

A National Park is bound to attract more of those tourists who come to our town for its relative peace and quiet, as well as for its history, so would benefit our Bed & Breakfast operators, hotels, restaurants, wineries and shops while saving our town from further creative destruction.

Henry David Thoreau wrote that “in wilderness is the salvation of the world”. Let’s keep some of it in Niagara.

(Clifford James is a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake and member and past president of the Niagara Historical Society. He is also a member of the Harmony Residents Group, an organization in the town fighting to preserve the Parks Canada Lands as a natural site for residents and visitors.)

The Harmony Residents Groups is urging those who favour an eco-park over a music festival site on Parks Canada land in Niagara-on-the-Lake to contact their provincial and federal representatives now to make their feelings know.

The following call for an e-mail campaign to decision makers was recently posted on the Harmony Residents Group website and is a response to a campaign Project Niagara supporters have launched to Ontario government leader.

Says the Harmony Residents Group; “We need to remind those decision makers that there is significant opposition to the proposed festival and that our concerns have still not been addressed.”

” Letters of support will likely come from people who will posture that they are speaking for the entire town. We need as many e-mails as possible to remind the politicians that there are a great many other voters who are unhappy with the project Niagara. ”

Please write as soon as possible to: bduguid.mpp@liberal.ola.org Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure mchan.mpp@liberal.ola.org Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Dalton McGuinty, Premier jbradley.mpp@liberal.ola.org Jim Bradley, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Please copy Kim Craitor, our MPP, and Rob Nicholson, our MP. kcraitor.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org NichoR@parl.gc.ca The key points are: 1. Project Niagara is unaffordable and will be detrimental to the environment and the town. An eco-park is a better idea . 2. We want our Sewage lagoon problem addressed but should not need a music festival to get that 3. The public consultation process regarding the sewage lagoons was never completed so it is premature to select a solution Please write as soon as possible. Thanks. In early May, Regional Chair Peter Partington will be visiting Queen’s Park to review priority projects for the region. He will be looking for financial assistance for those projects. We know that Project Niagara will be one of those projects and that it will be tightly coupled with the sewage lagoons. ”

“We also know that Project Niagara supporters have launched an e-mail campaign to the key decision makers in cabinet. We need to remind those decision makers that there is significant opposition to the proposed festival and that our concerns have still not been addressed.

“Letters of support will likely come from leaders in the business community, who will posture that they are speaking for the entire town. We need as many e-mails as possible to remind the politicians that there are a great many other voters who are unhappy with the project Niagara. ”

“Please write as soon as possible to:  bduguid.mpp@liberal.ola.org  Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure mcha, mpp@liberal.ola.org Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture  dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org  Dalton McGuinty, Premier   jbradley.mpp@liberal.ola.org  Jim Bradley, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing It would also be a good idea to copy Kim Craitor, our MPP, and Rob Nicholson, our MP.  kcraitor.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org  NichoR@parl.gc.ca

The key points are:

1. Project Niagara is unaffordable and will be detrimental to the environment and the town. An eco-park is a better idea

2. We want our Sewage lagoon problem addressed but should not need a music festival to get that

3. The public consultation process regarding the sewage lagoons was never completed so it is premature to select a solution Again, we know that Project Niagara supporters have launched a campaign (see below). It is essential that as many of us write as possible.

Please write. Thanks. Randy Busbridge Harmony Residents Group NOTL, 905-468-1097  http://harmonyresidentsgroup.blogspot.com/