Waverly Woods/Erie Beach Fact Sheet
Version 2, January 28, 2018
1. Creating a Healthy Community
a. In addition to education, available health care, and economic growth, a healthy community needs access to natural areas and green spaces. An impressive number of scientifically based studies have shown that interacting with nature improves both physical and mental health. Spending time in natural areas reduces anxiety and depression and also improves self-esteem and cognitive performance.
c. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_571299_en.html
2. Heritage/History Are there any documents that can be referred to for this section?
a. This area contains the ruins of the Erie Beach Amusement Park that existed from the late 1800's to 1930. The area was set up as a picnic ground for the public in 1885 by 2 local landowners. People who have moved away and visitors who have heard about the park are thrilled to see that the ruins are still there. Many people stop to read the plaques along the promenade. Recently a plague was placed here to honour the Niagara Movement. The Niagara Movement eventually became the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
b. The vegetation in this area is at least 87 years old because the Park closed in 1930. Some trees are believed to be more than 200 years old.
3. Environmental Conservation Area
a. This area already has been given this status by the Niagara Region. No development should be allowed.
b. “Currently the entire subject property, which is 14.8 ha, is designated as an ECA (Environmental Conservation Area) and acts as a corridor between the Lake Erie shoreline and the Kraft Drain Wetland Complex, north of Dominion Road.” Page 27. Harbourtown Village, Fort Erie. Environmental Impact Study.
4. Sustainable growth and Smarter Niagara
a. This area is an ideal candidate for the Niagara Region’s Smart Growth Initiative and meets many of the suggested requirements. It provides a woodlands that many residents of Fort Erie can walk to and enjoy (walkable communities); a sense of place (unique features of Fort Erie); and preserve natural resources (people appreciate their connection to nature). https://www.niagararegion.ca/living/smartgrowth/default.aspx
5. Natural Heritage System
a. Waverly Woods/Erie Beach is an ideal candidate to be part of the Natural Heritage System for Niagara.
b. Ontario Nature. Best practices guide to Natural Heritage Systems Planning. 2014. https://www.ontarionature.org/discover/resources/PDFs/reports/nhs-guide-web.pdf
c. Niagara Region. Regional Official Plan. Natural Environment. 7B The Core Natural Heritage System. Pages 17-29.
6. Trees (further information required for this topic)
a. The EIS Tree Preservation Plan should respect wildlife needs and not accommodate a beautification of this area.
7. Songbird migration stopover area
a. Spring migratory birds survey have to be conducted. These surveys are weather dependent.
b. Block 107 is inadequate to present the mortality of numerous songbirds during migration. The block needs to be widened considerably as many birds feed in the area north of this block in the swamp/thicket.
c. Stopover areas during migration range from open fields to large woodlands. These areas provide food and shelter for many different kinds of species of birds. Many of the best sites are found within 2 km of Lake Erie. OMNR. 2000. Significant wildlife habitat technical guide. 151p. Page 27 Landbird migratory stopover areas.
d. Waverly Woods/Erie Beach may meet the criteria as a significant migratory stopover area. Further study is required. Criteria for the identification of landbird migratory stopover areas is outlined on page 15 of OMNRF. 2015. Significant wildlife criteria schedule for Ecoregion 7E.
8. Breeding Birds
a. Buffers need to be created around breeding bird area to decrease the amount of human disturbance. This will increase the success of breeding activity. Recommend buffer areas vary depending on the species for example:
a. Cavity nesting birds such as Red-headed Woodpeckers require a 400 m buffer. They have nested in the trees west of the pond. The nesting records from the summer of 2017 may have been the results of the disturbance at the east end of the property because the construction.
b. Red-headed Woodpeckers require a territory of 3.1 to 8.5 ha.
c. Wood Thrush require an average territory of 4 ha.
d. Eastern Wood-pewee require an average of 1.76 ha.
e. Ecological Buffer Guideline Review. Prepared for Credit Valley Conservation. 2012.
f. COSEWIC reports are available here https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=24F7211B-1
g. There is no mention in the EIS of the following species which probably nest on this site: Winter Wren, and Mourning Warbler. Mink and weasels also reside in this area but no mention was made in the EIS.
9. Migratory songbirds and collisions
a. There are two issues – night time migration and daytime foraging for food.
b. The annual mortality of birds due to window collisions in United States is estimated to be between 95-975 million birds per year.
c. Research recommends designing buildings to prevent daytime collisions by ensuring that the windows reflect the ground instead of the sky.
d. At night artificial light attracts migratory songbirds resulting in direct mortality. It will be difficult to prevent light pollution at night in this area due to residential lighting and street lights etc.
e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_migration_perils#Collisions_with_buildings
f. Key document about bird collisions with residential buildings Ontario government pub https://dr6j45jk9xcmk.cloudfront.net/documents/4773/mnr-swhmist-accessible-2015-03-10.pdf
10. Ecotourism
a. The article recently published in Buffalo
https://www.buffalorising.com/2018/01/save-waverly-beach-park-in-fort-erie/ generated hundreds of signatures on the petition. It shows how well known this area is and is ecotourism site which generated sustainable income for local residents.
b. Many people from Buffalo and southern Ontario are aware of this area and travel to view the songbird migration and enjoy a peaceful walk in the woods. These people spend money at local businesses for gas, food, accommodation, etc.
11. Wildlife corridors and buffers
a. The buffer around the pond needs to be larger and also requires an encroachment zone or barrier.
b. The proposed path that is 6 metre (20 feet) wide is inadequate as wildlife corridor. The EIS suggests this path is a pedestrian connection as well as a wildlife corridor. A wider wildlife corridor is necessary and needs to be even wider if it is to also be used as a pedestrian connection.
c. Barriers or corridors under Dominion Road need to be added to facilitate the safe movement of herptiles from the PSW on the north of Dominion to the wildlife corridor.
d. Corridors are “designed to facilitate species movement should be a minimum of 50 metres to 100 metres in width”. This guideline is based, in part, on a literature review that concluded that 50 m corridors were suitable for common generalist species, and that corridor widths of between 75 m and 175 m could support breeding birds. Environment Canada. How Much Habitat Is Enough? 2013.
e. Recommends that corridors less than 16 km in length be 300 m wide. MNRF. Natural Heritage Reference Manual. 2010.
12. Pollinators
a. Monitoring of the use of this area by monarch butterflies and bees for breeding and migration is critical
13. Compensation for the developer. (further information required for this topic.)
14. Current housing starts in Fort Erie
15. number of residential housing units for the first 3 quarters of 2017. The fourth quarter is not available yet.
a. Registered plans: 267 units
b. Draft Approval Plans: 2,427 units
c. Active Plans: 8 units
d. Total units: 2,692
e. A unit includes either single family dwelling, townhouse or apartment
16. How much brown field is available?
17. Duty of consult with aboriginal community
18.