IN THE NEWS: Wayne on Turtle Ponds in the House of Commons

'Rare' salamanders widen debate on turtle ponds
Richard Leitner, Stoney Creek
Published: June 15th 2007

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is asking the city to consider extending environmental protections to school board properties by turtle ponds near the Stoney Creek lakeshore.

Directors voted unanimously last week to request a more comprehensive study of two Community Beach ponds previously earmarked for protection, as well as a man-made one also reportedly home to birds, turtles and salamanders.

Should the city decide to officially designate the ponds and neighbouring land as an environmentally significant area, directors also left the door open for the conservation authority to assume ownership.

The move came as an authority letter to the city suggested the ponds may require a 164-metre buffer zone under Environment Canada guidelines because of "a locally significant population" of blue-spotted salamanders.

The letter takes issue with an environmental study conducted to support a minimum 15-metre buffer for a since-withdrawn proposal to build 42 block townhouses on land owned by the Catholic school board.

"The rationale behind the minimal buffer, especially in light of the Blue-spotted Salamander within the property, is not acceptable," states the letter by Kathy Menyes, director of watershed planning and engineering.

"A population of these species, although ranked as uncommon in the City of Hamilton, is a very rare natural heritage feature in Stoney Creek. Due to its isolation and the overall decline of amphibians across Ontario, we feel that it is an important feature to protect."
Sherry Revesz, who formed the Community Beach Turtle Ponds Association to fight the townhouse plan, welcomed the call for the city to do more study.

She said the third pond has thus far been ignored even though it's home to salamanders and turtles and herons nest there.

A 2001 environmental survey of the two other ponds led city council to designate them and portions of adjoining school board properties as an environmentally significant area in Hamilton's official plan two years later.

But council removed the designation in 2005 because staff had failed to notify the boards, which were trying to sell their land.

"They need to step up, realize what's in there and give it the designation it deserves," Ms. Revesz said."It needs to be turned over to someone who will have the passion to preserve it."

During a presentation to authority directors, Ms. Revesz said her association is trying to raise money to purchase the school board properties -- a task complicated by a proposal for 44 townhouses on the public board's property.

If successful, her group would donate the land to the authority if it is willing to accept stewardship, she said.After much discussion, directors opted to ask the city to do more study first and decide on the site's fate afterwards.

Director Jim Howlett said the ponds are part of a chain along the lake that includes protected ones at Confederation Park and by the Van Wagner's Beach wetlands.
He said they deserve similar protection, but school boards must also be compensated.
"I think these people are doing a good thing," Mr. Howlett said of Ms. Reversz's offer. "The public in large numbers would say that this is a no-brainer that we should own it.
"We should also recognize that's a no-brainer that groups out there need somehow to be compensated for the land that they bought. I don't know how we're going to work that."

Concern over the fate of the ponds even hit question period at the House of Commons last week. In a member's statement, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek NDP MP Wayne Marston urged the Harper government "to act now to preserve this natural area and ensure that it is safe from development and remains a protected area of bio-diversity for the community and future generations."

The school board sites and a neighbouring park were part of a four-hectare property sold to the then-Town of Stoney Creek for $1 in 1974 by a developer in return for approval to build two apartment towers at the foot of Green Road.

According to land registry documents, the town in turn granted 3.2 hectares to the Catholic board for $1 on the understanding that the land would be severed, with half going to the public board.

The town kept the balance for what is now known as Edgelake Park.

Both boards have declared their land surplus and are required to seek market value under existing provincial regulations.

Mr. Howlett suggested one potential way to compensate the boards would be for the authority to issue a tax receipt to any private purchaser who then donates the sites.