Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands
The Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands comprise 762 ha of land and marsh located at the north end of the City of Hamilton. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands includes an area generally extending between Olympic Drive east to Highway 403 and from Cootes Drive/McMaster University campus and Westdale neighbourhood in Hamilton north to York Road (including all of Cootes Paradise and adjacent lands). Of the 762 ha within the Heritage Lands, 711 ha (93%) are currently owned and managed by partner organizations (the Current EcoPark System Lands) (Figure 2). The majority of the Current EcoPark System Lands are owned by the RBG (582 ha), with smaller areas owned by the City of Hamilton (98 ha) and Hamilton Conservation Authority (30 ha). The lands to the south, west, and northwest of Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands are largely urban, including McMaster University. North of York Road, the Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands is bordered by privately-owned lands, some of which is open space, as well as rural residential areas. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands is adjacent to the Burlington Heights Heritage Lands (on the east) and the Borer’s Falls-Rock Chapel Heritage Lands (on the northwest).
Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands includes several recognized environmental designations including Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA), Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), Important Amphibian and Reptile Area (IMPARA) and a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) which comprises the largest river mouth wetland on Lake Ontario. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands is generally classified as a deciduous forest and wetland area. This area contains multiple small watersheds and floodplains, including Spencer Creek, Chedoke Creek and Ancaster Creek. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands include over 320 ha of marshland known as Cootes Paradise Marsh, the largest in western Lake Ontario, and approximately 25 km of shoreline.
The Heritage Lands include a diverse network of trails, which is connected to the escarpment via a Bruce Trail side trail and the Hamilton Waterfront/Desjardins Trail with a rapidly increasing level of usage. The Heritage Lands also contain traditional urban parks with sports fields and playgrounds (Olympic Sports Park, Coronation Park, Volunteer Field Park, Martino Memorial Park and Churchill Park). The north shore of Cootes Paradise itself is wholly within the RBG and includes an arboretum and interpretive centre. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands are used extensively by hikers, dog-walkers, birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts and the surrounding community due to their aesthetic, recreational, and natural value. The area provides spectacular views of Hamilton, Hamilton Harbour, deciduous forest and marshland.
Some of the Current EcoPark System Lands support existing infrastructure. Hydro and gas lines intersect the site. Several utilities border the site including a railway across the northern edge. The Dundas Transfer Station, City of Hamilton Public Works, and Dundas Water Treatment occur on the western border of the Heritage Lands. The Desjardins Canal opened in 1837 and contributed to the development of the Hamilton area. The Great Western Railway was completed in 1853, including a rail bridge over the Desjardins Canal.