An about-face by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) has put smiles on the faces of Pelham nature lovers.
The Authority had recently decided to introduce automated gates and paid parking at St. Johns Conservation Area starting next spring to recoup costs for a series of upgrades to improve the “visitor experience” at the site. On December 4, Jeffrey Sinibaldi, the Manager of Strategic Business Planning and Public Relations at NPCA, told PelhamToday that “better-managed access will help to restrict unauthorized activities and vandalism, to improve the overall public safety of the site.”
But a backlash of public opinion was swift following reporting by PelhamToday, with park users condemning the fees as a regressive tax on those who could least afford it. Users commented that if additional funding is required at the park, it should come from provincial coffers. Longtime visitors at St. Johns also indicated that they had not seen significant vandalism at the park.
On Friday, Sinibaldi contacted PelhamToday to say that the board had revised its stance, based on a request by Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson, who had earlier asserted she was unaware of the paid parking scheme, that the issue be added to the agenda.
“At today’s NPCA full board meeting, the decision was made not to proceed with the pilot program related to paid parking at St. Johns Conservation Area for the duration of this board’s term,” said Sinibaldi. “New modern and efficient automated gates to manage site access will soon be installed and managed to allow free access to the local community, as in past years. We sincerely thank the public and our valued stakeholders for their passionate input, and we encourage those groups to continue to assist NPCA by continuing to be responsible stewards for this cherished conservation area.”
The current board’s term has another three years to run.
Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin, who attended the NPCA board meeting along with Pelham Town Councillor Wayne Olson, said, “I was very happy that the NPCA board, with strong support from Ms. Huson, decided to put off, for at least three years, any sort of fee structure at their St. Johns Conservation facility. I remain hopeful that other financial streams will be discussed in the interim. I thank the board for their re-consideration on this matter.”
Huson told PelhamToday that “user fees at St. John’s are off the table for the remainder of this board’s term of office. Of course, this board can make a decision that another board can change. I can't guarantee what another board is going to do.”
With reference to the purported vandalism at St. Johns, Huson asserted that the board was shown slides of spray paint on the washrooms, and a traffic box smashed with a baseball bat. Huson did not respond to a request to provide the images to PelhamToday.
“There has been extensive damage, especially around the bathrooms,” she said. “A new memorial bench was installed, and someone stomped all over the wet cement, which is going to cost $2,500 to replace. I was shocked at the level of damage that had actually occurred.”
Much of the damage at St. Johns has taken place in the evenings, when most conservation area users are not present, she said.
Sinibaldi said that the NPCA respects the wishes of the public and will continue to work “in collaboration with the communities that it serves to find ways to reinvest in St. Johns and its other conservation areas to keep them accessible, sustainable and safe.”
Sinibaldi said that there are many ways to support conservation, restoration, and education initiatives within the Niagara Peninsula watershed.
“We ask that members of the public consider donating to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation, which supports the next-generation conservation work of NPCA, to ensure that green spaces like St. Johns are protected and remain safe to our community and visitors to the watershed.”
