Southwestern Ontario farmers asked to donate portions of land for wetland conservation
Ontario is investing $30 million over five years to restore 60 wetlands in the province, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited (DU) Canada.
Environment Minister Jeff Yurek made the announcement in St. Thomas, Ont. on Wednesday morning, telling those in attendance the new projects will help improve water quality, preserve habitat and help with impact of climate change.
The funding will help create wetland projects like two wetlands in Elgin County, under the auspices of the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority, while others in the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority are underway, with the goal of "capturing and filtering surface water before it enters Lake Erie."
"These types of wetlands excavated wetlands they capture surface water so as surface water comes across the land comes into the wetland, it stays here and that's their purpose," says Lynnette Mader, manager of provincial operations in Ontario for Ducks Unlimited Canada.
"They provide flood, flood attenuation properties as well so they slow that water it comes across the land they trap it. This wetland will vegetate so you'll see bull rushes. It will take some more rainfall to fill it up, but even as it is right now it's already attracting wildlife. There are tons of deer print there and if you put water on the landscape creatures will find it".
The Kettle Creek watershed has less than 2 per cent wetland cover, and studies show that should be around 8 per cent.
Wetland at Kettle Creek Conservation Authority north of St. Thomas, Ont. on June 16, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
Wetland at Kettle Creek Conservation Authority north of St. Thomas, Ont. on June 16, 2021. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
The Elgin Stewardship Council (ESC) says not all land is created equally. They're encouraging local farmers to donate some of their property to create local wetlands.
'People are very generous in contributing for the good of the country and the county here in promoting better habitat for wildlife, water recharge areas through the wetlands and helping control erosion," says Ron Casier, of the ESC.
That's exactly what private land owners Scott and Linda Dunn did by working with partners partners Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, ALUS Elgin and Elgin Stewardship Council to create a small wetland at their family farm near the shores of Lake Erie.
“The new wetland name, Lake Antonuk, comes from Linda's parents who grew tobacco and cash crops here for more than 50 years,” said Scott Dunn, in a statement though DU.
“Our plan to change our property to a more natural area happened after we watched many landowners remove trees and fill in or tile wetlands on their property. It only made sense to add a pond to support wildlife and help with the watershed.”
The Dunn’s new wetland is among the first to be completed by DU and its partners this spring.
Casier says with help from conservation authorities and Ducks Unlimited they can secure funding for those wishing to get on board.
"It's the old saying , if you build it they will come," says Casier.
"Mother nature abhors a vacuum and she'll fill this space with life and by the end of the summer."
The Stewardship Council is working on 18 projects, and with more proposals put forth by landowners, they can get complete funding from conservation authorities and DU.
"We'll probably be funding through our program through Ducks Unlimited around six or seven of them in Elgin County and Middlesex County over this next year," says Yurek.
"Every year I said 'get your applications in because we have a lot of money to spend' to create these wetlands, protect these wetlands and grow our wetlands in Ontario."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.