Ganaraska Forest:
Historical roots of
Ontario Conservation

Ganaraske (Fr.) c. 1650 -
"the spawning place"


 

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History 1
History 2
E. J. Zavitz
Chief of Reforestation
V.B. Blake
Pioneer Historian
Blake's Ardfree
A.H. Richardson
Forester
Dr. R.C. Wallace "Wallace of Queen's"
G.M. Wrong
History Prof./Author
Lois James
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hampion of Rouge
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"History matters to us as individuals because it locates us in time and place and gives meaning to our lives. It matters to us as citizens because through an ordering of the past into discernible patterns, we can better understand how past choices have present day consequences. What we remember, what we stress as significant, what we omit from our past, and what we don’t know or understand about the stories of our fellow inhabitants, is critical to our ability to endure as a collectivity... The past is part of our present and thereby part of our future…"

Thomas S. Axworthy, 1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ganaraska - History 2

The Ganaraska Watershed survey (1942/43)

As a result of the Guelph Conference, the Ganaraska Watershed was chosen in 1942 as the first test project in Ontario. 

"The Guelph meeting gave birth to an outstanding project, the Ganaraska Watershed survey, jointly sponsored by the government of Ontario and the government of Canada."  A.H. Richardson, 1974, p. 105 

The survey work was conducted in the Fall of 1942 and Spring of 1943:

"The work in compiling the report (Ganaraska), including maps and photographs, was done during the fall of 1942 and the spring of 1943.  In this work, Verschoyle B. Blake (and the Interdepartmental Committee) were of great assistance..." (A.H. Richardson (1974) p. 16) 

The first edition of the Ganaraska report was published in 1943.

 "On June 15, 1943, the original report of 450 pages of The Ganaraska Watershed was delivered by A.H. Richardson to Dana Porter, Minister of Lands and Forests (only six copies of the original full length version were printed). Porter complimented Richardson on the survey and said in his affable manner, "Mr. Richardson, this is a classic." (A.H. Richardson, 1974, p. 18)

A shorter abridged version of The Ganaraska Watershed report for public use followed and in 1944 was published by the Ontario Ministry of Planning and Development  in two editions.

"Entitled The Ganaraska Survey, the report was unlike any other ever produced by the Ontario government, and represented a significant departure from the way in which resources were traditionally regarded in Ontario." (Steve Jobbitt, (2001) p.74)

The Ganaraska survey was seen as an example of conservation study for all of Canada. The content of the Ganaraska Study was seen by Dr. R.C. Wallace of Queen’s University as:

 "general significance for the conservation and rehabilitation of all our resources throughout Canada." (A. H. Richardson, Conservation by the People: The History of the Conservation Movement in Ontario to 1970, (1974) 

As the first test pilot area in Ontario, Ganaraska led the way for the development of watershed conservation policies and conservation authorities in Ontario.

"While primarily a study in land use with plans for the rehabilitation of this particular watershed during the post-war period, the Ganaraska Report would become the model for future conservation studies throughout the Province of Ontario."  (John C. Carter, Ontario Conservation Authorities: Their Heritage Resources and Museums, Ontario History/Volume XCIV, No. 1, Spring 2002)

The most important recommendation in The Ganaraska Watershed report was for the establishment of a 20,000 acre forest.

"... the most important conservation measure recommended is the establishment of a 20,000 acre forest on marginal and submarginal land at the north of the watershed..." (A.H. Richardson, The Ganaraska Watershed (1944) xv)

New concepts like the ecosystem approach and watershed planning were formed and were two of the most significant innovations of the Ganaraska study.

The work of three key individuals stood out in The Ganaraska Watershed report, including Dr. R. C. Wallace (1881-1955), A. H. Richardson (1890-1971) and V. B. Blake (1899-1971). A.H. Richardson was given the responsibility of organizing the initial test survey  for the Province of Ontario. Dr. R.C. Wallace, Principal of Queen's University wrote the Introduction in the Ganaraska report and was actively engaged as the central figure for the Canadian Government.  Blake helped compile the Ganaraska Report and was the only area resident and historian on the original survey team.

The book was an immediate success and considered a landmark for the future of conservation in Ontario:

"The results of the survey of the Ganaraska River basin and recommendations based thereon, have recently been published in a report which may well become a landmark in Ontario Conservation literature... The general subject covered by the report - the condition of the soil, water, woods, wildlife, etc of a particular area of agricultural Ontario and recommendations for its restoration based on exact knowledge - is one vital to the future welfare of our province..." (A.H. Richardson quoting Prof. J.R. Dymond (1974) p. 17)

The Ganaraska Watershed report proved to be monumental, nationally and provincially:  

"the document proved to be monumental in terms of the resurgence of the conservation movement in Canada generally, and in Ontario in particular." (Steve Jobbitt, (2001) p.74)

The Ganaraska Watershed report became a model for future conservation studies in the province:

"While primarily a study in land use with plans for the rehabilitation of this particular watershed during the post-war period, the Ganaraska Report would become the model for future conservation studies throughout the Province of Ontario."  (John C. Carter, 2002)

The Ganaraska Report (1944) identified a number of projects which should be undertaken. In addition to the above noted recommendation for reforestation of 8,100 hectares (20,000 acres), other recommendations included:
  • new legislation be enacted
     

    "It soon became obvious that the Conservation Authorities Branch was pioneering in new fields. There were no terms of reference, no guide lines to follow, and until a conservation authorities act was produced to present to the municipalities, the branch was really not in business."  (A.H. Richardson, Conservation by the People – The History of the Conservation Movement in Ontario to 1970 – (1974)
     
  • natural land-use planning borders

    the use of natural, rather than political boundaries was one of the most significant innovations of the Ganaraska study. 

    The Conservation Branch of the Ontario Department of Planning and Development subsequently was established in 1944.  It was charged with administering conservation work in Southern Ontario on the basis of drainage basins. (Richardson, A. H. 1960. "Ontario's Conservation Authority Program", Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 15, No. 5, p. 252).
     
  • formation of conservation authorities

    combine "the best features of the Grand River Conservation Commission and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District so that municipalities in any part of Ontario may undertake a similar conservation programme." (Richardson, A. H.  1944, The Ganaraska Watershed, King's Printer, Toronto. p xviii).

Grounded in history

The Ganaraska Report (1943) opened with a chapter on the history of the area. Its inclusion was controversial at the time because history was considered by many technical men to have little if anything to do with conservation:
 

The Ganaraska Report (1943): Grounded in history

The Ganaraska Report opened with a chapter on the history of the area. It presence was controversial because history was considered by many technical men to have little if anything to do with conservation. This report established that human heritage would be considered a resource from which lessons would be learned and applied, and that it would be included in the mandate of conservation authorities...

When it was decided to print the Ganaraska report, a meeting was called in Toronto of those responsible for the promotion of the survey to decide the general format and to discuss abridgements or additions. Dr. R.C. Wallace, principal and vice- chancellor of Queen's University was in the chair.

After some discussion on the historical section as to its length, contents, and whether or not it was germane to the survey, Dr. Wallace asked for a show of hands. A few were in favour of reducing it considerably but the majority voted that the whole section should be deleted; they considered history had little relation to the technical aspects of conservation.

Then, as chairman, Dr. Wallace took the floor and with diplomacy and tact, said he did not agree; on the contrary, he said, he considered the section on history the most interesting in the report. It would, he said, go far to making the report more acceptable to a wide circle of readers. He then ruled that the section should be left in and any abridgement be left to Dr. Marsh and me. With this excellent support from an eminent educator, it was evident that here was an open sesame to promote and encourage historical projects in the programmes of the authorities, if they should be formed..."

Conservation - Chapter 5, 75 (2000)
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

(Dr. R.C. Wallace served as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University from 1936 to 1951 and was President of the Royal Society of Canada in 1941. During the war he was active in the re-establishment of returning veterans, their education and employment in the expanding development of the natural resources of the country through the Federal Committee on Reconstruction.)

The Ganaraska report established that human heritage would be considered a resource from which lessons could be learned and applied, and that it would be included in the mandate of conservation authorities.

"Owing to the linkage between heritage and conservation, Conservation Authorities have a significant role to play in both areas. Conservation reports are a goldmine of information for historians doing research on local history." James H. Marsh,  Conservation Chap. 5 p.75 The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 2000 


Creation of Ganaraska Forest

The recommendations of the Ganaraska report quickly led to the establishment of Ganaraska Forest.

In 1947, the first trees of Ganaraska Forest were planted on 640 hectares (1,580 acres). By 1991, the total amount of land acquired by GRCA was 4,200 hectares (10,400 acres).

The Ganaraska Forest was the first large-scale conservation program on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

As the first test pilot area in Ontario, Ganaraska also led the way for the development of watershed conservation policies and studies in other watersheds throughout Ontario and across Canada.


Department of Planning and Development

Responding to the recommendations of the Ganaraska Survey, in 1944 the Provincial government established the Department of Planning and Development

A watershed-based and an integrated approach to conservation planning quickly followed with the establishment of the Conservation Branch (later the Conservation Authorities Branch) within the Department.

Office space was at such a premium during wartime years, the branch was originally housed in the former butler's pantry at the rear of the dining room at 15 Queen's Park Crescent in Toronto.

The Conservation Branch of the Department of Planning and Development became the Conservation Authorities Branch in 1962 under the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests (now Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources).


Conservation Authorities Act (1946)

Following up on the recommendations of the Ganaraska Survey, in 1946 the Ontario government passed the Conservation Authorities Act (CCA) which led to the creation of 36 conservation authorities across the province. 

The Ontario government had to look south of the border for its model. 

 "As a direct result of the Guelph Conference and with its eye on the Grand River Conservation Commission, the Tennessee Valley Authority (USA) and the Muskinghum Conservancy District (Ohio, USA), as models for water management on a river basin basis, the Province of Ontario passed the Conservation Authorities Act in 1946." 

Mitchell and Shrubsole, 1992; Statues of Ontario, C. 11, 1946

Based largely on similar U.S. legislation, the purpose of the CCA was to provide a foundation for a comprehensive conservation strategy for Ontario's heavily-populated river basins.  The legislation was broad in scope and dealt with issues pertaining to flood control, reforestation, woodlot management, underground water supplies, wildlife and recreation. Significantly,

"The passing of the Conservation Authorities Act was significant within the broad context of Canadian  environmental history, in that it marked a revival of state-sponsored conservation in Canada."

Steve Jobbitt, "Re-Civilizing the Land: Conservation and
Post-war Reconstruction in Ontario, 1939-1961", 2001

Tree Planters at work in eroded Ganaraska gully on  May 14, 1947 
Photo courtesy of John Bacher and Ed Borczon

Following up on the recommendations made in the Ganaraska report (1944), massive restoration through reforestation and other conservation measures were undertaken to control erosion and downstream flooding problems associated with the deforested sandy soils.

The plan for rehabilitation of the watershed included reforestation of approximately 8,100 hectares (20,000 acres) - particularly on the Oak Ridges Moraine in the northern section of the watershed (including water retention ponds and improved agricultural practices). 

“The Ganaraska Authority was the first to undertake reforestation on a large scale. Some 20,000 acres, largely on the interlobate moraine (the Oak Ridges Moraine) and consisting of many plantable areas and woodlands was proposed as the area for the Ganaraska forest. The Authority determined that the best solution for managing the forest would be to bring it under the same agreement as that used for county forests. However, whereas the agreements with counties required that they must acquire and pay the full price of the land, the authorities were given a grant of 50 percent of the cost of the land (Richardson 1974). By 1970, twenty-two authorities had forests with a total of 36,796 hectares managed by the Department of Lands and Forests.” 

Critical Review of Historical and Current Tree Planting Programs on
Private Lands in Ontario
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources March, 2001)

In 1947, the first trees of Ganaraska Forest were planted on 640 hectares (1,580 acres). By 1991, the total area of land acquired by GRCA was 4,200 hectares (10,400 acres).


First Conservation area (Garden Hill)

The Province of Ontario did not support the creation of recreation areas until the mid 1950’s, when the CA Act was amended to enable the payment of grants for development of facilities with Conservation Authority lands (known as Conservation Areas):

"An Authority shall have power…  to acquire lands with the approval of the Minister, and to use lands acquired in connection with a scheme…" (CAA, R.S.O. 1950, Ch.62)

Acquired on June 3, 1956 on 53 acres of land, Garden Hill Conservation Area was the first conservation area to be owned and managed by Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority. Today, there are nine conservation areas within the Ganaraska region.

Spring-fed pond on the Oak Ridges Moraine


Summary

Ganaraska Forest is very important for the following reasons:

  • the largest forest in southern Ontario;

  • the site of Ontario's first large-scale conservation program on the Oak Ridges Moraine;

  • the initial test area in Ontario to demonstrate the benefits of conservation;

  • Ganaraska led the way for the development of watershed conservation policies and conservation authorities throughout Ontario and Canada.
  • first watershed to demonstrate new concepts like the ecosystem approach and watershed planning (where land-use planning borders were based on the use of natural boundaries, rather than political boundaries);

  • reforestation and other conservation measures especially on the Oak Ridges Moraine has controlled flooding downstream, particularly in Port Hope where Cameco (formerly Eldorado), the world's largest uranium refinery is located;

Today, the Conservation Authorities of Ontario are composed of about 38 conservation authorities in charge of over 400 conservation areas.

The Conservation Authorities of Ontario are also amongst Canada's largest public landowners. Collectively, the Conservation Authorities own and protect approximately 144,000 hectares (355,800 acres), including forests, wetlands, areas of natural & scientific interest, recreational lands, natural heritage and cultural sites as well as land for flood and erosion control.

Conceived during World War 2, the Ganaraska Forest was the catalyst in the conservation movement in Ontario. As a major cultural landscape with distinct cultural and aesthetic values, it provides an understanding and appreciation of a unique cultural and natural heritage resource first laid out in a world recognized conservation plan seventy years ago.

"The conservation authority movement in Ontario is world renowned, and professionals and parliamentarians from other provinces, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world have come to study it. Unique in Canada until 1970, the program has proved so effective that is now being emulated in two other provinces – Manitoba and Quebec."

A.H. Richardson, Conservation by the People: The History
of the Conservation Movement in Ontario to 1970
, (1974) 

 

    

 

 
Researcher:  M. Martin
C2014