https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/baselands
That details the plan to cut up a very excellent birding area, at the base of the Tommy Thompson park / Leslie spit to put some 'high capacity trails' and the like through it.
This is one of the few 'woods' without a 'formal' trail system and these high capacity trials are ridiculous, paved or granular (usually paved) they are a good 3-4m wide (+ shoulders), so you can see how in a small area (about 400 x 400m), they would succeed in destroying it quite readily. Don't forget benches...
Most of the other areas in the city have had these added, and the only real use thereafter are for cyclists. They try to sell these as promoting 'nature activities', but there is a crock if there ever was one.
If you are in the area, toss your word at this. If they are going to do anything to this area at all, it should be build a large fence around and keep everyone out (I'd give it up for that, no issues). The city thinks they need to 'develop' places to give nature experiences, if there was ever a more backwards approach (city folk have odd mindsets), I have not encountered it. There is already a city street connecting to an adjacent trail, that connects to the road down the spit (to the lighthouse).
Overall needless development for the sake of development.
For those not in the area, the baselands are commonly referred to as the 'wet woods' by birders, it is a bit of a local hot spot during Migration. I had 10 odd species of warbler there yesterday (blackburnian, canada, magnolia, northern parula, chestnut-sided, ovenbird, yellow, black-and-white, Redstart, black-throated blue, wilson's) A blackpoll, golden-winged, blue-winged, and chat were seen (but not by me). It is a great little place, as is.
That details the plan to cut up a very excellent birding area, at the base of the Tommy Thompson park / Leslie spit to put some 'high capacity trails' and the like through it.
This is one of the few 'woods' without a 'formal' trail system and these high capacity trials are ridiculous, paved or granular (usually paved) they are a good 3-4m wide (+ shoulders), so you can see how in a small area (about 400 x 400m), they would succeed in destroying it quite readily. Don't forget benches...
Most of the other areas in the city have had these added, and the only real use thereafter are for cyclists. They try to sell these as promoting 'nature activities', but there is a crock if there ever was one.
If you are in the area, toss your word at this. If they are going to do anything to this area at all, it should be build a large fence around and keep everyone out (I'd give it up for that, no issues). The city thinks they need to 'develop' places to give nature experiences, if there was ever a more backwards approach (city folk have odd mindsets), I have not encountered it. There is already a city street connecting to an adjacent trail, that connects to the road down the spit (to the lighthouse).
Overall needless development for the sake of development.
For those not in the area, the baselands are commonly referred to as the 'wet woods' by birders, it is a bit of a local hot spot during Migration. I had 10 odd species of warbler there yesterday (blackburnian, canada, magnolia, northern parula, chestnut-sided, ovenbird, yellow, black-and-white, Redstart, black-throated blue, wilson's) A blackpoll, golden-winged, blue-winged, and chat were seen (but not by me). It is a great little place, as is.
Last edited:
