Expanding recreational uses
Destination: Albion Hills

NRU
April 5, 2017
Leah Wong

A new master plan for Albion Hills, Ontario’s first conservation area with active recreation infrastructure, expands its facilities to accommodate population growth in surrounding communities.

With a focus on adventure recreation and improved accessibility, the plan is intended to attract a broader range of visitors to the area and generate spinoff economic benefits.

Begun by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in October 2013, in collaboration with the Town of Caledon and Peel Region, the Albion Hills Conservation Area Master Plan was presented to Caledon council last night.

“[The plan] is really branding the conservation area, not only for today but for tomorrow. It’s preparing to grow with the [population] and enhance the recreational opportunities there,” Caledon regional councillor and TRCA board member Jennifer Innis told NRU.

In addition to increasing recreational opportunities for local residents, the plan has the potential to generate tourism opportunities for the town.

“The tourism is a huge win-win for our community,” said Innis. “Because of [Albion Hills’] proximity to...such a large population [base], I think there will be a lot more people coming to this area and [generating] new revenues that the community will see.”

Located within Caledon, Albion Hills is TRCA’s most visited conservation area with about 158,000 annual visitors. TRCA is anticipating an increase in visitors as the surrounding communities grow.

“We feel we can accommodate a fair number of visitors to the conservation area,” TRCA master planning and greenspace conservation associate director Mike Bender told NRU. “There is a lot of capacity within the park that can accommodate [additional visitors]. We’ve also got land adjacent to Albion Hills...that has less active uses so we can make sure we have a balance between outdoor recreation opportunities and environmental protection.”

Caledon’s tourism strategy, completed in preparation for the 2015 Pan Am Games, identifies the Palgrave community, located near Albion Hills, as an area for increased tourism. The strategy identifies  opportunities for market growth in the conservation area by adding adventure recreation, such as mountain biking and cross country skiing, bicycle touring and eco-tourism.

“There is a diversity of activities in the plan. [For example] one of the plan’s themes is adventure,” said Bender. “We think we can capture the interest and the market that is out there in terms of getting involved in different events and activities.”

Albion Hills is already used for a few adventure-related events, including North America’s largest 24-hour mountain biking festival and the Mud Hero adventure race.

Following council’s consideration of the plan, Innis said the town will need to focus on generating spinoff economic benefits from the improvements to the conservation area. The town, for example, is working to be designated a bike-friendly community by the Share the Road Coalition. With Albion Hills’ connection to the Trans Canada trail, this would make the area attractive to cycling tours. Innis added that the town’s economic development team will need to work with local businesses to attract tourists that are visiting the area.

Another goal of the master plan is to increase accessibility so that the conservation area can accommodate users with physical limitations. As Caledon’s population ages and the physical abilities of its residents change, it is important the facility caters to people with different skills and abilities.

“Everybody deserves to [be able to] enjoy our outdoors. That fact that a lot of this area will be accessible is inviting those with disabilities, particularly physical barriers, to use and enjoy our outdoors,” said Innis. “Creating a place where people can go despite their abilities to connect with nature, and each other, is really a beautiful thing.”

The plan incorporates improvements to the accessibility of certain trails, camping facilities and the Albion Chalet and introduces a new multi-use trail system with accessible components. Bender said there will be a hierarchy of trails and information will be provided about the terrain along each trail so users can determine whether it is suited to their abilities.

The first project in the works is the restoration of the Centreville Creek. TRCA has completed design work to re-naturalize the creek when it removes the Albion dam to allow for greater public access.

Restoration work will start once the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry approves the work. Bender said once they receive the go-ahead, TRCA will stabilize the creek channel and create a new a trail system so people can walk near the creek. While funding for the creek re-naturalization is in place, TRCA does not yet have funding commitments for other projects. Bender said TRCA has been working with Peel Region and Caledon on the master plan and funding requests will be brought forward to regional council on an annual basis. He added that other partnerships - such as with private  businesses - will need to be initiated to fully fund the plan.