November 24, 2023 Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Parks Canada
Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant examples of heritage and sharing the stories of these treasured places. The Government of Canada is investing in national historic sites and national parks across the country to support the health of our cultural and natural heritage, encourage sustainable tourism, and create jobs in our local communities, while supporting efforts to combat climate change.
Today, Vance Badeway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, and Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced approximately $6 million for the protection of the cultural value of Fort Mississauga National Historic Site through the final phase of a break wall installation along the eastern portion of the site on the shores of Lake Ontario.
As part of the $557 million in infrastructure funding announced by the Government of Canada in November 2022, this investment will support construction of a new 500-metre section of break wall to combat shoreline erosion near the mouth of the Niagara River. Caused in part by more frequent and severe storm events and high-water levels due to climate change occurring on the Great Lakes, this final phase of shoreline protection will conserve the cultural heritage of the east bank of Fort Mississauga National Historic Site. These measures will ensure public safety, safeguard historic artifacts along the property, and protect Parks Canada administered lands leased by the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club.
Previous completed project phases include the construction of the first 600 metres of break wall and installation of a new walking trail and boardwalk to provide a safe route for pedestrians to access the Fort Mississauga tower and earthworks. This completed walkway and boardwalk connect with the existing trail across the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club providing an enjoyable route for visitors to experience this national historic site.
Similar to the northern shoreline of Fort Mississauga National Historic Site, the east shoreline has many non-native and invasive tree and shrub species with root systems that damage archeological resources within the earthwork fortification and the surrounding grounds. As well, there are many trees and large shrubs that are falling or at risk of falling into the water as the shoreline erodes. Parks Canada will remove this vegetation to support the break wall construction and then plant native grasses, selected for their minimal maintenance and water requirements. This new vegetation will further support the newly stabilized shoreline. For every tree removed during this work, Parks Canada will plant two new native-species trees or shrubs in the area.
Parks Canada's wide-ranging infrastructure portfolio includes over 18,000 built assets such as highways, bridges, dams and other marine infrastructure, historic buildings and fortifications, water and wastewater treatment facilities, campgrounds, visitor centres and operational buildings and compounds. Since 2015, the federal infrastructure investment program has enabled Parks Canada to improve the condition of approximately 5,000 assets across the country. These upgrades help ensure public safety, quality and reliability in visitor offers, incorporate green technologies and climate resiliency, while connecting Canadians with nature and history.
