LRCA News
BOARDWALK CLOSED FOR SEASON
ATTENTION: The Mission Island Marsh Conservation Area boardwalk has been CLOSED for the season.
High lake levels and increasing winds have caused the waves to over-top the boardwalk, which will soon begin to freeze. We ask that, for your own safety, please respect the signage that has been placed on-site and refrain from using the boardwalk until further notice.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Flood Watch on Lake Superior
The LRCA has issued a Flood Watch for Lake Superior, within its area of jurisdiction. The LRCA advises that water levels on Lake Superior continue to set new record highs. The main concern during high lake levels is shoreline erosion and flooding of low-lying shorelines including beaches and wetlands along the shore. Residents in low-lying areas along Lake Superior should anticipate further water level increases into the fall and a prolonged period of above average levels.
LRCA 2018 Traffic Report
The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (LRCA) has recently completed its 2018 traffic study. Based on data collected via traffic counters and trail counters installed at our Conservation Areas, there were over 147,000 vehicles that entered Conservation Areas throughout 2018. Only 1.3% of those vehicles paid the $2.00 per vehicle parking fee, amounting to approximately $3,800 in coin box revenue. Silver Harbour Conservation Area in the Municipality of Shuniah had the lowest rate of users paying the parking fee of all of LRCA’s Conservation Areas at 0.9% of vehicles paying, while Little Trout Bay Conservation Area in the Municipality of Neebing had the highest rate of users paying at 11.4%.
Additionally, 172 Explore Card Parking Passes were sold during 2018.
With the recent Provincial cuts to Conservation Authorities across Ontario (the LRCA’s Provincial funding was recently cut by 50%), we are now more than ever in need of your assistance. The LRCA receives no provincial government funding for recreation. Coin box revenue and municipal levy (i.e. municipal property taxes) fund Conservation Areas.
Funds from the $2.00 per vehicle parking fee and the $30.00 annual Explore Card Parking Pass go directly towards paying for:
- gas in lawnmowers and trimmers,
- toilet paper,
- garbage removal,
- maintenance in areas,
- repairs to docks and boat launches,
- repairing and replacing picnic tables, benches, pavilion,
- cleaning up vandalism,
- paying property taxes (the LRCA is a private land owner and therefore pays property taxes to the Municipalities and Townships where we own property).
If you are user of our Conservation Areas, please consider paying the parking fee or purchasing an annual Explore Card to ensure that the LRCA is able to continue to provide the facilities and experiences you enjoy. Both the parking fee and Explore Card can be purchased on our website or at our office.