GuelphToday received the following letter about plans to declare as surplus one of the agricultural fields of the Niska property.
On June 28, the Board of the Grand River Conservation Area voted to approve the Niska Management Plan, which includes a recommendation to declare surplus one of the agricultural fields (8 ha) of the Niska property at the outlet of Hanlon Creek into the Speed River in Guelph.
This would be a mistake.
In 1948, Horace Mack purchased that land for a public purpose. Mack was a pioneering Canadian waterfowl conservationist and set up the “Niska Farm” as a place to breed geese, ducks, swans, etc. to restore the region’s threatened populations. To fund the venture, the Farm included a zoo of exotic birds and animals, which was a popular destination for enthusiasts and school trips.
In 1965, the farm was renamed the Frank Kortright Waterfowl Park (FKWP), after Francis Kortright, president of the popular Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, who funded its further development.
Supporters included former Ontario premier Leslie Frost, who cut the ribbon on the FKWP, former Guelph mayor Norm Jary, who dedicated the Kiwanis Lookout Tower there, and artist Robert Bateman, who led tours and donated prints for auction to raise funds for the park.
Though officially closed in 2005, resting between Crane Park and River Bend Park, and across from the Speed River Trail, the old FKWP still receives many visitors as an attractive and convenient walking and visiting area.
The citizens of Guelph have also made a significant investment in the Park. In 1977, the GRCA paid $320,000 to purchase of the property. Half of the cost was paid by a provincial grant, 40 per cent by the city of Guelph, and 10 per cent by the GRCA itself. Today, the site may well be worth over $100 million, meaning that the plan to sell it off represents an appropriation of a substantial economic interest taken by Guelphites on its acquisition decades ago.
Considering its historical, recreational, and economic value to Guelph’s citizens, it is not appropriate that the park be sold off for development. If you agree, then join other concerned citizens and contact the GRCA Board, your local city councillors, Mayor Cam Guthrie, and MPP Mike Shreiner, to let them know that the park should continue to be a valuable, public space.
Cameron Shelley
Guelph
