If granted recognition, the four land parcels will remain under municipal ownership and control, without any new land use constraints

Sault Ste. Marie city council will be asked next week to submit four city-owned land parcels for possible inclusion in the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD)2 .

If approved, the four properties would help meet the federal government’s 30 x 30 Conservation Target.

That’s a commitment to the United Nations to protect and effectively conserve 30 per cent of Canadian lands and waters by 2030.

The four Sault Ste. Marie properties will be submitted to Ontario Nature for evaluation this year.

Maps of the four land parcels may be viewed in the image gallery at the top of this article.

Here, as listed in a report to be presented at Monday’s city council meeting, are the four land parcels:


Block 1 – 321 Walls Side Road – Shore Ridges Wetland Block 1 is landlocked and mostly covered by a portion of the Provincially Significant Shore Ridges Coastal Wetland. The majority of the surrounding lands are owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority. The parcel is approximately 64.4 ha and primarily zoned Environmental Management (EM) Zone, with a very small portion of the northeast corner zoned Rural Area (RA). The Shore Ridges Wetland exhibits strong ecological value and already functions as a significant natural asset.
Block 2 includes Finn Hill and associated escarpment lands to the north. Combined, the parcels are approximately 28.1 ha and zoned Parks and Recreation (PR), accommodating one of the flagship John Rowswell Hub Trail sections, Finn Hill, and a number of recently constructed single-track bike trails.
Block 3 – Carp River Wetland Complex Block 3 includes a number of city-owned parcels within the Provincially Significant Carp River Coastal Wetland Complex, south of Herkimer Street and west of Carpin Beach Road. Together, the parcels are approximately 46.5 ha and zoned Environmental Management (EM).
Block 4 – 1173 Fourth Line East – Wishart Park The fourth parcel is Wishart Park, a prominent 31-ha municipal greenspace that combines new recreational opportunities with natural habitat value. The parcel is zoned Parks and Recreation (PR). Planning staff, in consultation with other relevant city staff, have determined that development potential on the 4four blocks of land is very limited, beyond that of long-term protection and public greenspace. Further, contributing the recommended blocks to the 30×30 project does not, in and of itself, impact any future development potential upon surrounding lots.

“Ontario Nature has supported more than twenty-five Ontario municipalities in submitting over 40,000 ha 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 Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and ward councillors.

“Participation is voluntary,” Cormier and Tonazzo say. 

“Lands included in the CPCAD remain fully under municipal ownership and control, with no change to land use permissions, public access, or recreation. Recognition as a protected or conserved area serves primarily as an acknowledgment of the city’s existing conservation intent and land management practices.”

“Planning staff, in consultation with other relevant city staff, have determined that development potential on the four blocks of land is very limited, beyond that of long-term protection and public greenspace.

“Further, contributing the recommended blocks to the 30×30 project does not, in and of itself, impact any future development potential upon surrounding lots.

“Participation in the CPCAD does not create new land use constraints,” the report states.

Monday’s city council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m.