Municipalities partner with Georgian Bay Land Trust to protect over 32,900 acres of wetlands across the region

Article published in the Parry Sound North Star, July 6, 2024

‘A terrific concept’: Parry Sound-Muskoka municipalities partner up with Georgian Bay Land Trust to protect over 32,900 acres of wetlands across the region

GBLT has already secured the southern part of the corridor through an agreement with the Township of Georgian Bay, and is securing lands up north through agreements with the Township of Archipelago.

The Township of Archipelago has teamed up with the Georgian Bay Land (GBLT) Trust for the Corridor Project — an initiative already protecting over 32,900 acres of wilderness and counting.

Although the proposal had been before council since May, it was not until the last meeting on June 21 that council members decided to support GBLT in its project to create a corridor to protect wetlands along Georgian Bay — from Port Severn to beyond the French River.

Here is what you need to know

  • The Georgian Bay Land Trust is a not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organization founded in 1991 with the intention of preserving ecosystems in Georgian Bay. GBLT currently has 79 protected areas, including nine provincially significant wetlands, habitats for 43 species at risk, over 3,000 acres of aquatic habitats, and over 3,000 acres of unfragmented forests, some of which are old growth.
  • The proposed GBLT Corridor Project is a 150-kilometre strip of land stretching along Georgian Bay and divided into three migratory corridors — south, middle, and north. The whole corridor connects wetlands from Port Severn to Bayfield Inlet and aims to protect the environment and a wide variety of species at risk.
  • As GBLT is looking to secure lands to the north, it started conversations with the Township of Archipelago in May. At the last council meeting held on June 21, the municipality partnered up with GBLT to establish a migratory corridor throughout the north and south of the township — covering approximately 5,000 acres — through conservation easements.
  • According to GBLT, these easements still permit public and Indigenous land use and access to Crown lands while prohibiting subdivision or widespread commercial use. The agreement doesn’t prevent the exercising of fishing and hunting rights, nor does it prevent telecoms from accessing the land if it’s necessary to install fiber-optic cable or hydro extensions.
  • Council also directed staff to work with the not-for-profit to develop a plan for the competition of the Corridor Project.
  • “This is a terrific concept that doesn’t impede various individuals, organizations, or corporations from accessing Crown land. Yet, at the same time, it provides us with some protection against attempts to develop lots outside our settlement areas or other areas of our township.” — Coun. Earl Manners.