Recent achievements

In 2010, the Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) Committee:

  • was rejuvenated, with new volunteers added;
  • supported and worked with the Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Association (A2ACA);
  • elected a CPAWS-OV representative to serve on the A2ACA Board of Directors;
  • continued to press the Government of Ontario to implement the recommendations of the Ontario Parks Board and the Algonquin Forestry Authority to reduce the area of the park open to industrial logging (currently, 78% of the park may be logged. CPAWS-OV is seeking a complete phase out of all logging in the park);
  • provided input to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation regarding the reconstruction of Highway 60, a major highway that crosses Algonquin Park. We are asking the Ministry to ensure that wildlife and connectivity are considered in the project and that features like wildlife crossings be considered.

In 2010, the Gatineau Park Committee:

  • distributed our informative booklet entitled “Gatineau Park: A threatened treasure” throughout the community and to decision-makers. Published in 2009, the booklet highlights the threats facing Gatineau Park’s fragile ecosystems and outlines a series of recommendations from CPAWS-OV to help remedy the situation;
  • met with numerous Members of Parliament and other government officials to seek improvements to Bill C- 20, An Act to Amend the National Capital Act, which has the potential to grant some protection to Gatineau Park against further development. The Bill was introduced in June 2010, and CPAWS-OV feels strongly that it should do more to protect the park;
  • continued to push for (additional?) legislation to better protect Gatineau Park from development;
  • released a new report on Gatineau Park’s Meech Creek Valley. This 9.2 sq km tract of forests and rolling fields is threatened by development,. In our report, CPAWS urges the National Capital Commission to relocate the attractions planned for the Meech Creek Valley (including a possible zoo and lodging facilities) to the local communities;
  • provided feedback to the National Capital Commission (NCC) on proposed ecological corridors linking Gatineau Park to other natural areas in the Ottawa Valley and Western Quebec;
  • raised awareness about the expansion of Highway 5 toward Wakefield and the impacts that construction of a 4-lane highway (such as Highway 5) would have along the boundary of Gatineau Park. CPAWS-OV met with the NCC and other stakeholders, and submitted comments on all phases of the project. Moreover, CPAWS has been supporting SOS Wakefield, a local group concerned about the impacts of the road on the Wakefield Spring and on the community in general.

In 2010, the Eastern Wolf Committee:

  • launched and successfully completed a nation-wide Eastern Wolf postcard campaign addressed to the Federal Minister of the Environment requesting that the long overdue management plan for the Eastern Wolf be developed and implemented;
  • partnered with the Canadian Wolf Coalition, which helped our campaign receive nation-wide attention;
  • continued to provide input to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources on the Eastern Wolf and other species-at-risk in our region;
  • hosted a special Nature Night (in March) featuring wolf expert Brent Patterson from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources;
  • developed educational material on the Eastern Wolf and its habitat, including a brochure and slideshow for presentation to schools, decision-makers, and other groups;
  • continued to work with Earthroots and other like-minded organizations to advance the cause of the Eastern Wolf.

In 2010, the Greenbelt Committee:

  • remained an active participant on the Steering Committee for the Greenbelt Coalition, a group dedicated to addressing threats to the National Capital Greenbelt and to providing input to the ongoing review of the NCC’s Greenbelt Masterplan;
  • brought attention to the important role played by the Greenbelt in maintaining ecological connectivity across the National Capital Region though a detailed map that illustrates the connections between the Greenbelt and other natural regions, as well as the threats facing these connections. The map has been presented to the NCC and to other decision-makers in the hope that it will help the NCC understand the importance of connectivity and encourage them to consider expanding the Greenbelt to protect other significant areas in the region.

In 2010, the Committee working on the Quebec Protected Areas Strategy:

  • continued to provide input and recommendations to the Quebec department responsible for parks and protected areas, the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP). In particular, CPAWS is concerned with the proposed boundaries for several new protected areas, as well as the shape and size of others;
  • produced submissions on the Dumoine Interim Protected Area, arguing that the boundaries be modified so that the protected area is expanded from 1445 km² to a least 2900 km²;
  • requested that the MDDEP modify the boundaries of the proposed Mont O’Brien, Opémican, and Mont Sainte-Marie protected areas in order to not only expand them, but also to consider more natural boundaries (as opposed to simple, straight lot lines).

In 2010, the Parks Management Committee:

  • provided input to the Quetico Provincial Park Master Plan;
  • expressed concern and provided input to the proposed hydro-electric developments on the Namakan River adjacent to Quetico Provincial Park in northwestern Ontario. CPAWS-OV was a founding member of a coalition attempting to stop the project;
  • provided input to the Constance Bay Sandhills management plan, to the Sandbanks Provincial Park interpretive trail project, and to the Rondeau Provincial Park cottage lease extension issue, where we are calling for the removal of all cottages from the park.