Bold claim: Four city-owned parcels could become recognized as protected or conserved areas, yet remain wholly under municipal control with no new land-use restrictions. And this is exactly what Sault Ste. Marie is exploring. Next week, the city council will consider sending four municipal parcels to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) for potential inclusion. If these parcels are approved, they would help the federal government reach its 30 x 30 Conservation Target—an international commitment to protect and effectively conserve 30 percent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030, in cooperation with the United Nations.
The plan is to forward the four properties to Ontario Nature for evaluation within the current year. You can view maps of the four parcels in the image gallery at the top of this article. Here is a concise rundown, as outlined in a report prepared for Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and ward councillors for Monday’s meeting:
- Block 1 – 321 Walls Side Road – Shore Ridges Wetland: This landlocked block is largely covered by part of the Provincially Significant Shore Ridges Coastal Wetland. Most surrounding lands are owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority. The parcel spans about 64.4 hectares, mostly zoned Environmental Management (EM), with a tiny portion in the northeast zoned Rural Area (RA). The Shore Ridges Wetland holds strong ecological value and already functions as a major natural asset.
- Block 2 – Finn Hill and adjacent escarpment lands to the north: Together, these parcels total roughly 28.1 hectares and are zoned Parks and Recreation (PR). They host a flagship segment of the John Rowswell HubTrail, Finn Hill, plus several recently built single-track bike trails.
- Block 3 – Carp River Wetland Complex: This includes multiple city parcels within the Provincially Significant Carp River Coastal Wetland Complex, located south of Herkimer Street and west of Carpin Beach Road. Collectively, they cover about 46.5 hectares and are zoned Environmental Management (EM).
- Block 4 – 1173 Fourth Line East – Wishart Park: Wishart Park is a prominent 31-hectare municipal greenspace that blends recreational opportunities with natural habitat value. It is zoned Parks and Recreation (PR). Planning staff, after consulting with other city staff, have determined that development potential for these four blocks is very limited beyond long-term protection and public greenspace. Contributing these blocks to the CPCAD does not, by itself, affect future development potential on surrounding parcels.
"Ontario Nature has supported more than twenty-five Ontario municipalities in submitting over 40,000 hectares of municipal and conservation authority lands to the CPCAD," say Emily Cormier, the city’s sustainability coordinator, and Peter Tonazzo, director of planning, in a report prepared for the mayor and councillors. "Participation is voluntary." They also note that lands included in the CPCAD remain fully under municipal ownership and control, with no changes to land-use permissions, public access, or recreation. Recognizing a site as protected or conserved primarily acknowledges the city's existing conservation intent and land-management practices.
The report reiterates that development potential for the four blocks is very limited, beyond protecting greenspace. It also emphasizes that CPCAD participation does not impose new land-use constraints. The Monday council meeting will be streamed live on SooToday, starting at 5 p.m.
