Consultation on growing the…

Consultation on growing the size of the Greenbelt

Discussion Questions CA Comments

What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of the Study Area of the Paris Galt Moraine?

The Paris Galt Moraine as a landscape feature is located outside of the watershed of the Hamilton Conservation Authority. As shown on the provided Paris Galt Moraine (PGM) Study Area Map, the PGM is located immediately north on the HCA watershed boundary. With that said, the PGM does provide important benefits to the HCA’s watershed, specifically, the Fletcher Creek Swamp Forest. The “Hamilton Natural Areas Inventory, 3rd Edition, 2014” notes that “numerous springs where groundwater discharges from the overburden aquifer in the Galt Moraine have been noted in the northern portion of this area. The Galt Moraine functions as a regional groundwater recharge zone. Due to the shallow sandy soils in the inter-moraine area, the groundwater resource is susceptible to contamination. The hydrological regime of this large natural area is groundwater dependent. Land use changes within or in the vicinity of the study area could adversely impact the study area and the regional hydrological regime.”

Further, “Fletcher Creek originates along the southeast face of the Galt Moraine. It drains through extensive wetlands before entering Spencer Creek. Groundwater discharge from the Galt Moraine combined with the moderating effects of the swamps, provides this headwater creek with a permanent high quality coldwater regime. The Fletcher Creek area serves two hydrological functions, it maintains the significant coldwater headwaters stream habitat and the regional hydrological balance.”

It is with this background that the inclusion and addition of the PGM to the Greenbelt will serve to protect the function of the Fletcher Creek Swamp, the associated coldwater headwaters and the regional hydrological regime.

What are the considerations in moving from a Study Area to a more defined boundary of the Paris Galt Moraine?

It would be important that the considerations for a more refined boundary of the PGM be based on the actual extent of the feature on the landscape, technical guidance from reports that map the feature and to be science based to ensure the protection of the surface and ground water features. The direction of the County of Wellington must be considered in finalizing the boundaries of the Greenbelt expansion relating to settlement areas, hamlets and industrial areas.

What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of adding, expanding and further protecting Urban River Valleys?

The Greenbelt Plan contains policies related to Urban River Valleys and Fifty Creek is identified in the current plan as an Urban River Valley. The Fifty Point Conservation Area includes portions of Fifty Creek and the current policies of the Greenbelt Plan apply to this area. It is important to note that these policies only relate to publicly held lands.

As it relates to adding additional urban river valleys, the HCA is supportive of this in principle. We note that the HCA does not own any other lands along the Lake Ontario shoreline beyond Fifty Creek that include river valley lands and as such, we would want to ensure that the City of Hamilton is supportive of any policy direction in this regard.

With that said, HCA notes that Stoney Creek and Battlefield Creek are urban river valleys that connect Lake Ontario to existing Greenbelt designated lands above the Niagara Escarpment. Specifically, the HCA has landholdings in this area including the Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area and the Saltfleet Conservation Area. Stoney Creek and Battlefield Creek provide that linkage between Lake Ontario to these conservation areas and Greenbelt lands above the Niagara Escarpment. Including the river valley lands within the Greenbelt may strengthen that connection. As noted though, the policies only relate to public lands and as such, the protection the linkage noted would provide would be limited as it only applies to public lands.

Further, HCA staff are aware that the City has considered the addition of urban river valleys in the past. In this regard, it is noted that urban river valley protection is already in place through municipal land use planning documents that designate and zone these valleys open space or hazard lands which preclude development, the valleys are also subject to development restrictions from a floodplain and erosion (natural hazards) perspective and are regulated through conservation authority permit regulations and requirements and certain lands are already in public ownership by the municipality in the form of parks and green spaces. The urban river valley policies may just be additional policy requirements in addition to existing requirements that achieve the same end. As already noted, the Greenbelt policies only apply to public lands. As such, while the HCA is supportive of adding urban river valleys in principle, the rationale for this approach should be further detailed, and, at a local level, this additional policy may not be necessary given the already existing protections in place.

Do you have suggestions for other potential areas to grow the Greenbelt?

The majority of the HCA’s watershed is already designated within the Greenbelt Plan or as within the Urban Boundary of the City of Hamilton. In this context and as it relates to our interests in the HCA watershed, we have no specific area to identify to grow the Greenbelt.

How should we balance or prioritize any potential Greenbelt expansion with the other provincial priorities mentioned above?

There will be lands that are set aside now and for the future. The Province’s Growth Plan requires municipalities to designate land for residential and employment purposes. This should be done in concert with protecting natural heritage lands and agricultural lands. Designated features, provincially, regional and locally should be set aside and included in a Greenbelt Expansion while identifying lands, that may be available to growth subject to municipal official plans.

Are there other priorities that should be considered?

The needs of people should be considered as well from a well-being perspective. People need places to live and work and they also need their communities to be livable, walkable with natural areas, landscapes and clean water. The social aspects of policies should be considered.

General Comments

Consultation on growing the size of the Greenbelt

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposal. HCA is supportive of efforts to identify and conserve natural heritage lands now and for future generations. Given the expected growth in Ontario, maintaining and enhancing natural lands and setting aside lands to be protected will be important so people can stay connected to natural areas and that the natural features of these areas can be maintained and enhanced as Ontario grows.