Residents could have access to Aurora's Wildlife Park by end of year
Yorkregion.com
July 10, 2019
Teresa Latchford
Shovels will soon be in the ground to take Aurora’s Community Wildlife Park from concept to reality.
The Town of Aurora is undergoing the bidding process for the work to be completed on the first of three phases for the construction of the park that will include the installation of approximately three kilometres of at-grade trails, several raised boardwalks in marsh areas, two lookout stations and one bridge location to the tune of $2.6 million.
The project will maintain and enhance the significant lands located in the natural open space corridor north of Wellington Street East between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street. The idea is to give the public controlled access to the lands, but to protect the area at the same time so park visitors will be able to watch the waterfowl and songbirds but not impede or interrupt the breeding areas.
The area has been designated as a provincially significant wetland by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests.
“It will be kind of a jewel to have in Aurora and it really is a unique area,” Aurora parks manager Sara Tienkamp said. “It will be a destination for people interested in bird watching and experiencing nature.”
The first phase will also connect the existing trail systems and amenities in town.
“This system of trails is integral to the 2C development lands and the trails systems help support essential links between green spaces and residential areas and is supported by the Trails Master Plan,” she added. “The trails provide important connectivity for residents helping alleviate the reliance on automobiles, decrease carbon footprints and increase the health and wellness of the community objectives in both the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Environmental Action Plan.”
Residents and visitors won’t have to wait until all three phases are complete to experience the park, as portions will be open for public use as soon as they are complete, Tienkamp confirmed.
The park was the vision of Aurora resident, environmentalist and landscape architect David Tomlinson after many years of studying the flora and fauna in town. He approached the town with the idea of establishing a Community Wildlife Park and, in 1998, council endorsed the proposal.
Since, the town has acquired land, negotiated development agreements and completed a number of studies. The design began in 2016.
Detailed design is nearing completion for the phase 2 works, which will include the creation of wetland habitats and other ecological habitat features. Phase 2 works will also include additional sections of trails and boardwalks that cannot be addressed in phase 1. Completion of phase 2 design work is dependent in large part on design approvals from the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority for the wetland habitat features.
Tomlinson originally proposed the additional ponds be online, meaning the water flows from the creek into the pond and vice versa. However, the LSRCA policies do not allow the creation of online ponds so the wetland park ponds will have to be offline, meaning the water from the pond can flow into the creek but the water from the creek will not flow into the pond.
Further consultations and approvals are required before the design can be completed.
Construction for phase 2 is proposed to begin in 2020.
It was the intention to spread construction within the wildlife park over a five-year period. Funding has been allocated for $1 million per year for a total of $5 million in the Ten Year Capital Plan 2017-2021.
To date, council has approved $2 million, with half being allocated in both the 2017 and 2018 capital budgets and more recently, another $1 million in the 2019 capital budget.
Beyond the three phases of construction, the park may also feature a physical facility as suggested in the town’s master plan that would invite the public in, offer information about the habitats and possibly provide guided tours in the future.
For more information, visit Aurora.ca.
