Conservation Halton applauds Parks Canada's $3.5M EcoPark funding

Parks Canada has announced a contribution of more than $3.5 million to Conservation Halton and partners in support of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System. 

Funds will be used for collaborative efforts to restore ecological corridors between Cootes Paradise and the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton and Burlington, the local conservation authority said in a news release.

The contribution to the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is funded by the Parks Canada National Program for Ecological Corridors.

The program was launched in 2022 and this is the first initiative that it has funded. The funding announcement was made by Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, along with Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Burlington and Hamilton.

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark is 2,200 hectares of natural area, including forests, wetlands, creeks and shoreline, which is protected by a partnership of government and not-for-profit groups, including Conservation Halton, Hamilton Conservation, Royal Botanical Gardens, Bruce Trail Conservancy, Halton Region, City of Burlington, City of Hamilton, Hamilton Naturalist’s Club and McMaster University. 

As a partner, Conservation Halton uses sustainable practices to protect, preserve, and restore this area, support the ecosystem services it provides and promote responsible appreciation of nature.

“We are proud to be a partner in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System and to receive this funding from Parks Canada,” says Hassaan Basit, president and CEO, Conservation Halton. 

“For nature to thrive, especially in complex regions like ours where development needs to be in balance with the area’s rich biodiversity, it needs to be connected.  

Conservation Halton has been working with diverse community groups to help prepare our environment and communities to be more resilient to climate change and we are honoured to have the federal government’s support on this important initiative.

Minister Karina Gould has been a champion for this project for close to a decade and the collaboration we have had with all of our partners is what turns ideas like these into reality.”

Protecting and restoring natural areas plays an important role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, but for these efforts to be most effective, the areas must be strategically planned, located, and connected, like the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark. 

Ecological corridors support the movement of plant and animal species between natural areas, and allow other natural processes, like pollination, to take place.  This approach to conservation also provides more opportunities for community members to access, enjoy, and appreciate nature.

Conservation Halton is the community-based environmental agency that protects, restores, and manages the natural resources in its watershed. 

The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a board of directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. 

Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services. Learn more at conservationhalton.ca.