Media Release
January 28th 2025 – Northern Bruce Peninsula – Today the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and the Greenough and North Bruce Wilderness Alliance (the Wilderness Alliance) announced that the 7.9 hectare (19.6-acre) Simon Bay Coastal Fen and Forest Nature Preserve, located near Stokes Bay on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula, is now preserved, thanks to the financial commitment of generous donors and grants from the federal and provincial governments, and private organizations.
The Simon Bay Coastal Fen and Forest Nature Preserve has 1,053 feet of Great Lakes (Lake Huron) shoreline in an area of increasing cottage development. The property is a provincially designated Area of Natural and Scientific Interest that is contiguous with conserved land to the north and east, and provides a vital ecological link between the Lake Huron shoreline and the interior coniferous forest. Several species-at-risk (Eastern Ribbon Snake, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Dwarf Lake Iris, Monarch Butterfly) and many provincially rare species can be found on the property. The land was zoned cottage-residential and was vulnerable to development and impairment of the highly sensitive habitat. Furthermore, the acquisition is crucial for climate change mitigation as it helps preserve land capable of sequestering and storing substantial amounts of carbon.
Beth Gilhespy, CEO of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, said “Protecting Ontario’s sensitive and vulnerable landscape has never been more urgent. Here in Ontario, habitat loss represents the biggest threat to Ontario’s biodiversity. When we were approached by the Wilderness Alliance about partnering on the project, we saw an immediate alignment of our goals. The biodiversity of Simon Bay is incredibly high and its shoreline, alvar, fen and forest features provide crucial habitat for endangered plant and animal species.”
Richard Sutcliffe, Wilderness Alliance President and Director, noted “Preserving Simon Bay was of utmost importance to the local community. We wanted to ensure that its sensitive species and its pristine shoreline were preserved from development. We reached out to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy due to their experience in land preservation, particularly along the Lake Huron shoreline. Their dedicated financial supporters and their capacity to ensure conservation in perpetuity, combined with our own donor support and commitment to stewardship of the land, made the partnership a terrific fit.”
Through the partnership, the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and the Wilderness Alliance will jointly own the property and share responsibilities for stewardship and public engagement. The Wilderness Alliance is grateful for donations from the local community as well as funding and guidance from the Greenbelt Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, and MapleCross Fund. The Escarpment Biosphere
Conservancy is grateful for the support of their dedicated donors, foundations, and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund provided through Ontario Land Trust Alliance.
Simon Bay was preserved as part of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy’s Wild Futures Campaign, which will see 182.1 hectares (450 acres) of land preserved by the end of January 2025.
Further Information:
-Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy – escarpment.ca
-Greenough and North Bruce Wilderness Alliance – wildernessalliance.ca
-Greenbelt Foundation – greenbelt.ca
