News clips: Historic deal relaunches Springwater Park

New five-year agreement for Springwater Provincial Park

By Heather Butts CTV News Barrie
Springwater Provincial Park will reopen after a five-year deal was agreed to between the Beausoleil First Nation and the Province of Ontario.
The gates will reopen thanks to the unique deal between the two sides.
“It’s our treaty territory, Treaty 16, so for us to be able to do something beyond our First Nation. Ontario has given us the opportunity to prosper and it’s time for us to showcase ourselves, not only ourselves but also as Ontarians that we can be successful at economic opportunities just like they can,” says Beausoleil First Nation Chief Roland Monague.
Springwater Provincial Park was deemed non-operational in September 2012. The province said there weren’t enough visitors and it was losing money. Les Stewart fought to keep the park open and helped push for the new partnership.
“It’s really important that people be able to drive in and use the facilities and see the ponds and the pavilions. This is a very important area in our community, has a history back to 1922,” says Stewart.
Beausoleil First Nation will be responsible for the maintenance and general operation of the park. The park will be staffed by a member of the First Nations community and someone from Ontario Parks.
The park has always been for day use only and it will remain that way for at least the next three years, but Monague says there is a possibility overnight camping could be allowed in the years to come.
“We got a lot of planning to do to make it there, what we want to do is add a cultural component to this park which includes bringing in crafts people, vendors, Pow Wows,” adds Monague.
Attractions that might help keep the park going for a long time.
“We don’t have a lot of parks around Barrie and it’s such a large, open space, I’m hoping people will realize the jewel we do have and actually start frequenting it a lot more than they had maybe for the last few years,” says Springwater Mayor Bill French.
An official opening ceremony is scheduled for July 31.

New five-year deal will see Springwater park reopen

By Cheryl Browne, Barrie Examiner

The locks will be popped off the gate at Springwater Park on Friday.

While most visitors have been able to skirt around the padlocked gate, vehicles have been locked out since the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) changed the park’s status to non-operational March 31, 2013.

However, a deal that’s been in the works between the MNR and the Beausoleil First Nation since Dec. 2013 has finally been approved by all parties indicating the nine-month long occupation by the First Nation ladies was not in vain.

“I am very pleased the province of Ontario is standing firm to their commitment to partnering with First Nations to partner and participate in the government’s economic plan and recognizing First Nations have always been the true stewards of our land,” Chief Roland Monague of Beausoleil First Nation said in a press release Thursday.

The five-year Beausoleil and Ontario Parks deal runs until 2019. Together with funding from the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, the Beausoleil First Nation will be the operating authority of the park for day-use purposes only.

Beginning July 10, day rates will be paid at the gate (credit or coins only) at $11.25, four-hour visits will be $6.50 and two-hour stays will be $3.

The First Nation will staff, perform maintenance and operate the park with a goal of increasing visits and revenue to the 12-kilometres of hiking trails, picnic facilities and a large playing field.

The annual cost of operating Springwater Park previously was $240,000 each year, said Jolanta Kowalski of the MNRF.

“These costs reflect some expenditures that Beausoleil First Nation will not incur such as maintaining the wildlife that were in captivity on site and maintaining some facilities that are no longer present, for example the playground structure,” Kowalski said.

When the MNRF announced the closure of the park, Springwater was home to 29 orphaned animals, which included a bobcat, a black bear, a timber wolf, two foxes (one red and one silver), two raccoons (one of them albino), two wild turkeys, a turkey vulture, a great horned owl, a peregrine falcon, a rough-legged hawk, a trumpeter swan, two mute swans, three Canada geese, four white tailed deer, two lynx, two bald eagles and two skunks.

All the animals were moved to an assortment of wildlife sanctuaries across Canada, and the change resulted in transferring two full-time staff to other parks and laying-off two seasonal employees.

Of the other 10 parks the MNR changed to non-operational status, including Caliper Lake in Nestor Falls, Fushimi Lake in Hearst, Greenwater in Cochrane, Ivanhoe Lake in Foleyet, Mississagi in Elliot Lake, Obatanga near Wawa, Rene Brunelle in Kapuskasing, Tidewater in Moosonee and The Shoals in Chapleau, three parks were kept open by their municipalities: Ivanhoe, Rene Brunelle and Fushimi.

Springwater Township’s Mayor Bill French, who inherited the non-operational park, said he’s delighted to hear of the agreement.

“The park is a natural treasure and brings people from near and far to appreciate the beauty of our landscapes,” French said. “This agreement shows the power of partnerships and we look forward to working with the Beausoleil First Nation and the province of Ontario.”

Initially, two grassroots organizations made an effort to keep the park open, the Springwater Park Citizens’ Coalition and the Friends of Springwater, but it was the attention of the Beausoleil First Nation women who occupied the park throughout the spring, summer and fall, that brought attention to the 107-year-old park’s status.

Janet Anderson drove her three children and two dogs from Angus on Thursday to hike in Springwater Park.

“We come here quite a bit because it’s a lovely place for a stroll,” Anderson said.

Although she said they miss visiting the animals, they still appreciate the long hiking trails and tranquility of the park.

“I think it’s a great idea to have the Aboriginals here. It will raise more awareness for them and they need more awareness now.”

Springwater Park near Barrie reopens

By Janis Ramsay Barrie Advance

Springwater Provincial Park has re-opened

Through a a five-year agreement between Beausoleil First Nations and the province, the park is now open for day use, Springwater Township announced today.

“I am very pleased the Province of Ontario is standing firm to their commitment to partnering with First Nations to participate in the government’s economic plan and recognizing First Nations have always been the true stewards of our land,” Beausoleil First Nation Chief Roland Monague said.

The 193-hectare park became non-operational in March 2013 due to low visitation and financial loss, which prompted First Nation members to take up camp inside the park land.

Eventually, a traditional First Nations teaching lodge and sweat lodge were put in the park.

Beausoleil First Nation will staff, maintain and operate the park with the goal of increasing visitation rates and revenue over the next five years.

“The park is a natural treasure and brings people from near and far to appreciate the beauty of our landscapes,” Springwater Township Mayor Bill French said.

“This agreement shows the power of partnerships and we look forward to working with the Beausoleil First Nations and the Province of Ontario.”