The Bruce Trail Conservancy is announcing their purchase of 120 acres of former Talisman Resort Lands.
The organization says that the acquisition permanently protects the parcel of land on the Niagara Escarpment from development pressures, and allows for the conservation and ecological restoration of the land.
The former ski hill and resort has been dormant for more than ten years, and during that time has been eyed by developers.
Those proposals were consistently met by community opposition, as area residents and visitors had voiced concerns about the potential environmental impacts.
Bruce Trail Conservancy CEO Michael McDonald said in an interview with Bayshore News, that in the organization owning that parcel of land, they’re able to take time to decide how they wanted to restore the land.
The first task is to complete three seasons of ecological studies.
“The great news that our whole model is about responsible access to nature, so whatever happens would be done with the thought of protecting ecosystems that are already there. Right now, the Bruce Trail has been [a] guest on this property for many, many years,” he explained. “So the Bruce Trail is already on that land and people will be able to through hike that little section, so that’s already in place. But more than that, we have more opportunity to decide what else we want to do, and that will depend on those ecological studies.”
The lands purchased by the BTC include the Escarpment brow, the former ski slopes, and the resort buildings at the base of the hill. The future of the existing buildings has yet to be decided, and the Bruce Trail Conservancy is carefully evaluating potential options.
McDonald explained that with the ski lodge buildings, the overall purchase was closer to 140 acres, and the organization is now deciding what to do with those buildings.
“We’re in early days of deciding what we’re going to do with that [section of land], but we know for sure 120 acres is going to be restored to nature, and we are just thrilled about that.”
The BTC is considering extensive restoration efforts to bring lands on the property back to peak ecological health. This includes large-scale reforestation and habitat remediation for the many threatened species noted in the area, including Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Least Bittern, Louisiana Waterthrush, and more.
The former ski slopes represent the only break in the forest canopy across a 10-kilometre stretch of the western Beaver Valley, making reforestation a key priority.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is one of the country’s most active land trusts and steward to more than 15,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands along the Niagara Escarpment.
The BTC will be launching a public campaign to raise funds for the planned restoration, and a landing page is already available on the organization’s website for anyone who wants to donate.
“This is an exciting day for nature,” said McDonald.
