CAROLINIAN CANADA CARES FOR COAST
Posted 1 month ago
Parks Canada and the Carolinian Canadian Coalition (CCC) ran a two-day forum at Pelee Days Inn last week called Caring For Our Coast, which was designed to explore eco-friendly ways to link habitat, trails and coastal stewardship along Lake Erie’s north shore.
Point Pelee National Park was the centerpiece of the forum, and with the co-operation of The Essex Region Conservation Authority, they together provided the perfect setting for the forum attendees to witness the habitat, trails and shoreline firsthand.
The event included a number of speakers and seminars, along with four bus tours that ran the gamut of what the forum was all about.
The tour that went eastward past Wheatley was dedicated to educating the participants on the erosion of the Lake Erie shoreline east of Point Pelee.
First stop was along the lake shore near Port Alma where the group was ushered cliffside to observe the effects of coastline erosion.
Essex Region Conservation Authority’s Jeremy Wychreschuk spoke to the group and explained the way erosion plays a part in the overall look of the shoreline.
“If a storm comes up, the look of this shoreline can change very quickly,” he said.
Handouts received on the bus explained the existence of littoral cells along the coast of Lake Erie. All coastlines are divided up into these natural sections called littoral cells. These cells each contain a complete cycle of sedimentation and are greatly affected by construction of dams, harbors or berms.
Basically, if a pier or harbor is built along the coastline, it affects the beaches and coastline down the way.
According to Wychreschuk, the existence of shore protection along the east beach area, greatly affects the beach erosion along the Marentette drainage scheme and Point Pelee National Park.
“The sediment and sand move southward toward the tip, and if something gets in the way, the beaches don’t get replenished.”
The next stop was at Wheatley Harbor, and Parks Canada’s Brian Craig spoke briefly on the effects that harbors have on the beach coastlines.
From there, a tour of Hillman’s north beach and an explanation of the delicate barrier between Lake Erie and Hillman Marsh.
John Tofflemire, Services Manager for the Municipality of Leamington, explained the intricacies of the dyke and drainage schemes on the east side.
“The rich muck soil in the Marentette drainage area was once marshland and is consequently several feet below lake level, leaving the east beach road and canal system as the only defense against flooding in that area.”
Tofflemire explained that the infrastructure on the east side is badly in need of upgrading, and a study is currently being done to determine just what needs to be done to keep the area viable.
From there, the group boarded the bus and made the trip to the tip of Point Pelee, where Craig pointed out, it is ever-changing.
“The erosion is very evident down here, and the tip comes and goes in varying degrees,” he said.
The west side of the tip is lined with large stone shore protection, which has been there since the 1980s, but even it is starting to give way to the waves.
The east side beach, at the tip, is currently quite wide, but doesn’t necessarily stay that way.
“One good storm and this could be gone,” said Wychreschuk as he pointed to the east beach.
The development of trails was another focal point of the two-day event.
Leamington’s section of trail from Talbot Street West to Sherk Street was the first stopping point.
Alex DelBrocco, certified engineering techologist for the Municipality of Leamington, told the group, that the one-kilometre stretch of trail will allow high school students a direct route to the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex.
He said the development of that portion of the old rail line is being completed with the help of infrastructure grants.
DelBrocco said the biggest obstacle in developing the trail has been dealing with property owners who have been using the trail property as their own.
He said concerns over maintenance of the trails has also been expressed by abutting property owners.
Eventually, DeBrocco said the municipality would like to make the trail more attractive by planting trees and building berms and extending it to the waterfront.
Kevin Money, Essex Region Conservation Authority’s director of conservation areas, said the key to the successful development of trails is ‘destination’.
Money pointed to a new project in Kingsville that extends the current Canada Chrysler Greenway, near the Mettawas Restaurant (the restored Kingsville Train Station), to the dock.
Money said the project, currently underway, allows visitors to walk from the Jiimaan to the restaurant or other points of interest in Kingsville, such as the Kingsville Historical Park.
He said ERCA’s ultimate goal is “to try and connect with Leamington”.
And Money said work is already planned to extend the greenway east, from Ruthven, 1 ½ kilometres to the municipal landfill.
He told his group that trails are good for the obvious reason to encourage physical activity but said they also help conserve natural habitat and serve as an excellent corridor for utilities.
This group completed their tour at another destination point of the greenway – the Pelee Island Winery.
