Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority 50 Years of Conservation

Cataraqui Region
Conservation Authority
50 Years of Conservation
Highlights
1964
The Cataraqui Region Conservation
Authority (CRCA) was established
by an Order-in-Council of the
Province of Ontario on December
17, 1964. The first meeting of the
CRCA board was held on February
1, 1965 and James D. McCowan
served as the first Board Chair.
1965
Formation of the Cataraqui Region
Conservation Foundation to raise
funds for key programs of the
Authority such as conservation
education.
1965
Start of the CRCA’s cooperation with
Ministry of the Environment (MOE)
in its water quality monitoring
program. CRCA staff collected water
samples for MOE testing at 11 sites
along area streams and lakes and
also recorded water quantity data.
1967
Acquisition of land at Gould Lake,
Little Cataraqui Creek, Blue
Mountain and Buells Creek for
recreational use.
Also this year, official opening of the
Broome-Runciman Dam and the
Buells Creek Reservoir.
Mayor John Broome,
Harvey Benton (Elizabethtown),
Dr. J D McCowan (CRCA Chair)
Opening of Broome-Runciman
Dam
1968
Frontenac Board of Education
started using Gould Lake
Conservation Area for their
education programs. 2,300 students
from three school boards attended
the school programs in the first year.
May 16, 1968
First class at Gould Lake
Conservation Area.
Dennis Reed, Glen Snook, W. B.
Doublebay, H. C. Hunter, Jane Van
Dorsser
1968
Construction of boat ramps at Hay
Bay, Loughborough Lake,
Sydenham Lake and Charleston
Lake.
1969
Establishment of rain and stream
gauging stations mainly on the
Gananoque River system.
1971
Construction & completion of the
Little Cataraqui Creek Dam.
1972
Acquisition of Marble Rock
Conservation Area.
1972
Flood Plain Mapping.
First water management studies of
this type were started in 1972 when
a flood plain mapping study of Little
Cataraqui Creek was undertaken to
determine hazard lands throughout
the basin south of Hwy 401.
1973
 To
celebrate Kingston’s Tercentenary year a
group of employees from Bell Telephone
Company planted a grove of trees near the
Perth Rd. entrance to Little Cataraqui Creek
Conservation Area. These trees represented
each baby born in Kingston that year.
1974
Opening of Little Cataraqui Creek
Conservation Area to the public, and
establishment of winter programs
including skating, snowshoeing,
cross-country skiing and
snowmobiling.
1974
 Fill
regulations were implemented on Little
Cataraqui Creek watershed south of the 401.
Studies were also initiated on flood plain
mapping and fill regulations on Buells, Butler
and Collins Creeks.
1975
Acquisition of Lemoine Point
Conservation Area
1976
 Completion
of Millhaven Dam and Reservoir
Project. The project was created in order to
provide the town of Odessa with a safe
source of drinking water.
1976
Official opening of the CRCA
Administration Building at Little
Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area.
1980
Implementation of Phase One of
Buells Creek Flood Management
program through the construction of
a water detention basin, north of St.
Lawrence College property in
Brockville.
1982
Development of the maple syrup
demonstration area at Little
Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area.
Sugar shack was constructed and
an interpretive trail laid out. The first
program offered to the regions
school children was booked to
capacity - over 1,800 children took
part in the maple syrup program.
1982
June was the official opening of
Lemoine Point Conservation Area. In
attendance was Mayor Gerretsen of
Kingston, Reeve Smale of Kingston
Township, MPPs Keith Norton and J.
Earl McEwan, MP Flora MacDonald
and Parliamentary Assistant to the
Minister of Natural Resources Paul
Yakabuski.
1982
 Creation
of year-round curriculum for
conservation education.
 The maple syrup program was followed up by
spring and fall nature study programs.
Wetland ecology, a study of natural
communities, animal adaptions and survival
were included.
1983
Implementation of the Private Lands
Reforestation Assistance Program.
Private landowners were able to
come to the CRCA for assistance in
reforesting their property. 25,000
trees were planted that first year.
1983
Summer Federal Employment
Program helped the Authority bring
the conservation message to local
communities, agencies and youth
groups through a mobile interpretive
program - the Conservation Cruiser.
1984
 Authority
computer was programmed to
receive flood forecasts directly from the
Stream Flow Forecast Centre in Toronto. This
step allowed staff to respond quicker to flood
emergencies and decrease time needed to
relay the necessary info to our regions
municipalities.
1986
Agreement by the Authority to
purchase lands surrounding Parrott’s
Bay in conjunction with the Township
of Ernestown.
1987
Re-dedication of Mac Johnson
Wildlife Area (formerly Buells Creek
Conservation Area) and Fred Grant
Dam, Brockville.
John Conley, MPP Robert Runciman,
Mrs. Johnson & Mrs. Grant
1993
The official opening of the Outdoor
Centre at Little Cataraqui Creek
Conservation Area.
1994
Introduction of the CRCA’s summer
day camp program.
1995
 The
CRCA, RVCA and the Parks CanadaRideau Canal Office came together to form
the Rideau Waterfront Development Review
Team (RWDRT) to regulate development
along the Rideau Canal.
1997
CN Rail donates (transferred
ownership for $2) a stretch of rail
line to the CRCA to be converted to
a year-round multi-use recreational
trail known as the Cataraqui Trail.
1999
The CRCA participated in the
Trumpeter Swan Restoration
Program at Mac Johnson Wildlife
Area. A pair of breeding swans, Mac
and Milli, were acquired and in the
spring of 2000 an additional 11
swans were released.
2001
The CRCA received two livable city
design awards for environmental
protection and enhancement from
the City of Kingston. One award was
for our land assembly program on
Little Cataraqui Creek and the other
was for our tree planting program.
Cat tales winter
2002
2001
In November the CRCA received a
certificate of appreciation from the
Ontario Field Ornithologists for our
acquisition and protection of the Owl
Woods property on Amherst Island.
2001
OAC students from Athens District
High school worked with CRCA staff
to develop a comprehensive web
site for the CRCA. It was introduced
as www.cataraquiregion.on.ca
2004
 Source
Water Protection Planning Funding
Announced. $10 million will be directed to
Conservation Authorities to prepare for source
water protection plans and for developing
water budgets that will identify the availability
and use of water on a watershed basis.
2005
Completed fisheries compensation
project on Little Cataraqui Creek.
(photo April 2014)
2005
Completed phase 1 of the
accessibility trails at Lemoine Point
Conservation Area.
2006
Official opening of the Lemoine Point
Native Plant Nursery.
2006
Two decades after visionaries vowed
to acquire and preserve one of the
last provincially significant coastal
wetlands of the area, Parrott’s Bay
Conservation Area land acquisition
was complete.
2007
Source Protection Committee was
created. Chair was appointed in
August, John Williamson, with the
balance of the committee appointed
in November.
2007
CRCA took over operations of
education programs at Mac Johnson
Wildlife Area, 921 students
participated in 2007.
2008
The CRCA expanded its jurisdiction
to include all 953 islands within the
Township of Leeds and the
Thousand Islands.
2009
CRCA produced its first watershed
report card.
2011
Climate Change and adaptation tree
planting project started at Lemoine
Point Conservation Area.
2012
The proposed Cataraqui Source
Water Protection Plan was
submitted for the review and
approval of the Ontario Minister of
the Environment.
2012
New canoe launch on Centennial
Road at Mac Johnson Wildlife Area
officially opened in June.
2013
In December the CRCA launched
their new website www.crca.ca
2013
Official opening of the Harrowsmith
Junction link of the K&P and
Cataraqui Trails.
2013
Demolished and rebuilt the main
boardwalk leading from the Outdoor
Centre to the trail network with
$30,000 in funding assistance from
the Rotary Club of KingstonFrontenac.