Ten years of working toward a shared vision of a UNESCO designation is coming to a crest for the principals behind the Niagara Geopark this summer.
The non-profit organization recently passed a major milestone in its quest for official recognition with the United Nations agency when the Canada Revenue Agency granted the organization charitable educational status.
“It gives us instant credibility for donors,” says Geopark board chair and Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Perry Hartwick. “With this certification, potential contributors will know our financial statements are audited, that we have very tight governance and that we run this operation very effectively.”
Hartwick adds that charitable educational status makes it easier for the Niagara Geopark to approach foundations across Canada such as the Greenbelt Foundation, already a supporter, for their assistance.
“There are several foundations across the country who are interested in what we are doing,” says the Geopark’s resident geologist. “As a charity, it’s now much easier to report to foundations like the Greenbelt.”
UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. They combine conservation with sustainable development while involving local communities. At present, there is a network of 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 48 countries.
Canada currently boasts five UNESCO Geoparks: Stonehammer (New Brunswick), Tumbler Ridge, (B.C.), Percé, (Québec), Discovery (Newfoundland and Labrador), and Cliffs of Fundy (Nova Scotia).
“It started when Darren Platakis (Niagara Geopark founder and board member) looked at Stonehammer and thought we should have a geopark in Niagara,” Hartwick tells The Local. “There’s so much more to this place than Niagara Falls. So much more going on to enrich people’s experience and to get them to stay longer.”
As Hartwick explains, geoparks are built on a foundation of geology and geoheritage.
“Both figuratively and literally,” Hartwick says. “As a registered educational charity, our mandate is to teach about the geology under our feet. It’s the grapes, the power, the Welland Canal, it’s all built on a geomorphology and a glacial history that spans over 100,000 years.”
He adds that it’s also about the cultural layers sitting atop that geology.
It also includes the history of Niagara’s Indigenous peoples. Hartwick points out that artifacts from Indigenous nations dating back as early as 10,000 years ago have been found in the region. It also includes colonial history and the culture of cooperation with the British that helped make Canada the country it is today.
“And there’s everything that has come on since then,” adds Hartwick. “Look at the grapes. Our grape-growing areas are all to do with geology. Everything is built on top of it.”
The Niagara Geopark celebrates the internationally significant geohertiage of the Niagara Region, bringing together more than 20 natural sites across the region’s 12 municipalities.
Those sites include the perhaps more well-known NPCA properties Balls Falls, Cave Springs and Rockway Conservation Areas. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Landscape of Nations at Queenston Heights Park, the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts and the Woodend Conservation Area are included in the list.
The next big step for the Niagara Geopark is expected within the next month or two. Hartwick and other board members are looking forward to welcoming a team of international UNESCO evaluators to the region sometime this summer. They will be squired through each location site by site to see everything Niagara has to offer. It is also expected to include a welcome ceremony at the Niagara Regional Native Centre.
“We’re in the final stages of this 10-year journey,” says an excited Hartwick. “This next step is a really big one.”
The Niagara Geopark is a Registered Education Charity (Registered Charitable Number: 75977 3336 RR0001). To learn more or to donate visit niagarageopark.com.
To learn more about registered charities visit the Canada Revenue Agency’s website.
