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Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Bruce Trail Conservancy buys this 18-acre Burlington property
A purchase of land in north Burlington by the Bruce Trail Conservancy permanently protects 475-metres of the trail, while creating an 18-acre nature sanctuary. Ali Schofield, communications manager for Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC), said the Hollow Oak Nature Reserve on the west side of Guelph Line, between Millar Crescent and Dundas Street, features a hollow Red Oak tree — after which the site is named. Schofield said the section of Bruce Trail crossing the property has been there a while — but access previously relied on a handshake agreement with the property's former owner. 'When the property went up for sale, we knew that trail continuity and the protection of the surrounding environment could be in jeopardy, which motivated us to secure the property,' Schofield said. 'We purchased the property and now it is permanently protected as part of our conservation corridor.' She said the handshake agreement started in 1967, then lapsed from 1993 to 1999. It resumed for about 25 years, until BTC bought the property in October 2024. 'So, there was a six-year period when the trail wasn't on the land, but apart from that it's been there since the Bruce Trail first officially opened,' Schofield said. 'Had we not been able to secure the property when it went up for sale last year, the trail could have been rerouted onto 3.5-km of busy roads. 'Now the trail in this location is protected forever.' Schofield said BTC received $280,000 from Greenlands Conservation Partnership — a grant program funded by the Ontario government and administered by Ontario Land Trusts Alliance (OLTA). 'As part of the funding agreement, (the $280,000 grant) was matched by the committed community of Bruce Trail Conservancy donors who wanted to ensure this critical land remained natural and accessible,' she said. The property includes almost five acres of farmland. 'We see great value in maintaining the hay fields on the property because they support Bobolink, a grass-nesting bird species that is currently listed as threatened in the province,' Schofield said. BTC is in discussions with the current farmer to determine if they are interested in continuing to work the agricultural land. 'We have to ensure that they are willing to delay their hay times until late July as per our policies, to protect vital nesting habitat during the breeding bird season,' Schofield said. If the agricultural fields aren't maintained, BTC may look at other restoration options, such as native tall grass or meadow. Samantha Mills, communications manager of OLTA, said the program's goals are conservation of ecologically significant lands, and increasing access to greenspaces. 'Both of which are achieved through the Hollow Oak project,' Mills said. Mills said the site is rich in biodiversity and of ecological significance, as part of the Niagara Escarpment. 'Now both the forest and trail are conserved by the Bruce Trail Conservancy forever,' Mills said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Bird electric scooter program expanding across a big swath of Hamilton Mountain
Social Sharing No longer is whipping along a city pathway with the wind in your hair just for lower-city residents – Hamilton's electric scooter program, run by Bird Canada, has expanded to the Hamilton Mountain. Bird launched the expansion May 9, according to a City of Hamilton report that said 300 scooters in total will be added to stations across Wards 6, 7, 8 and 14, south of the Niagara Escarpment and north of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. "After two years of the program operations and data analysis, both the City and Bird Canada staff identified additional service areas for expansion," says the report, submitted by Steve Molloy, the city's acting director of transportation planning and parking. "City staff collaborated with councillors from the affected wards to create service area boundaries for the expansion." Bird Canada general manager Pat Graham says the company heard significant feedback from users who live on the Mountain and want to use the scooter to commute to work downtown. "It was a natural expansion of our current downtown operating zone," he told CBC Hamilton on Wednesday, adding that it will take until sometime in June to get the full complement of 300 new scooters stationed. "It will start small and gradually increase over time." The new scooters on the Mountain are in addition to the 600 scooters available in the lower city, from Ward 4 in the east to Dundas in the west. Bird scooters, which are reserved and paid for through an app, have been available in parts of the lower city since 2023. The company says riders must be over 16 years old to use the Hamilton system, and offers the following "tips" for scooter safety: Watch for pedestrians. Use caution and follow local safety and traffic laws. Travel in bike lanes or roads unless otherwise directed. Ride one person per Bird at a time. However, scooters with multiple riders are a common sight in Hamilton's downtown, and they can occasionally be seen on sidewalks. He also said the devices have geo-fencing technology that prevents them from going on sidewalks, but this is based on GPS and is "imperfect." The technology is also used to prevent them from using certain roads, a feature he says will be enacted in an enhanced way on the Hamilton Mountain. "There will be no-ride zones on certain streets as well as arterial roads," he said, adding that all roads with a speed limit about 50 kilometres per hour, such as the Sherman Access, will be off limits. Graham estimated that a one-off trip from Mohawk College to downtown would cost around $12, but that cost is cut significantly if users purchase a ride pass, which covers travel over a designated time period. For instance, he said a seven-day pass is $29.99, and allows 120 minutes of riding, a 43 per cent discount from the base fare. "If you are taking two rides a day for a week, it's a much friendlier option."
