Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
First, thanks so much Ken Fisher for the MetalCraftMarine pic this time. So wonderful to be able to see all these amazing boats being created and then sent on their way to destinations around the globe. For those of you who don’t remember, Kingston’s Inner Harbour is actually Canada’s oldest continuous historical boat building location.
Second, personally, it seems an absolute no brainer that the location of the proposed Patry waterplay thing would be best located at Lake Ontario Park where there is great family infrastructure including playgrounds, picnic benches and washrooms – not to mention much better water quality and safety.
This could really be a great addition to the city. Hoping the City and the community can come together on this. Do make your own views known to City staff and to Council.
LOCAL NEWS, ISSUES AND EVENTS.
1. Friends of Battery Park Update
2. Aerosnapper Video: Kingston’s Singing Bridge Remembered
3. Kingston Goes Lawn Free
4. Draw the Line Cross-Country Day of Action
5. Green Burial Kingston Update
6. Heritage Property Designation of 2555 Hwy 38
7. Natural Heritage Study: A Regenerative Version. (Draft using AI 2025 August)
8. Join Utilities Kingston in Creating a Better Customer Experience
9. Giveaway Day Sat, Aug 16, 2025
10. First Draft of Kingston’s New Official Plan
11. Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Partnering with KIngston to Host First-Ever Great Lakes Coastal Clean-up in Ontario
FROM FARTHER AFIELD
12. Canadian Armed Forces Deploy on Multiple Arctic Operations this Season
13. Thousands of Ontario Family Doctors to Get New Compensation Deal
14. Brownfields Can be Rich Habitats’: The Abandoned Oil Refinery Where Wildlife Now Thrives
FUN AROUND TOWN
15. What’s Happening.
LOCAL NEWS, ISSUES AND EVENTS.
1. Friends of Battery Park Update
Received, Aug 9, 2025
Editor’s Note: What is included here is a point form summary only.
If you want to be on their mailing list, contact batteryparkfriends.kingston@gmail.com
They define themselves as “A community voice for Kingston’s Historic Waterfront.”
They suggest 5 critical issues facing the Battery Park location for this water amusement park.:
- Safety Concerns for Users
- Environmental and Ecological Concerns in the Basin
- Heritage and Commercialization of Battery Park
- Neighvourhood Capacity
- Quiet Enjoyment
2. Aerosnapper Video: Kingston’s Singing Bridge Remembered
https://youtu.be/0Kbh3XUEvho?si=YuAYnjwJwDO7ROIx
Editor’s Note: This is a truly fascinating short doc on the famous designer and his work
3. Kingston Goes Lawn Free
Received from 1000 Islands Master Gardeners, Aug 9, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Olqwohk31&t=73s
This wonderful 2 ½ minute video explains how Kingston is ahead of the crowd, nationally, with a by-law allowing natural front lawns that include native species rather than grass. Last weekend’s front lawn garden tour included 10 naturalized front lawns in Kingston.
More info? Joyce Hostyn through either 1000 Islands Master Gardeners or Little Forests Kingston.
Websites available online
4. Draw the Line Cross-Country Day of Action
Received from Seniors for Climate Action Now Aug 5
Kingston Parade for Climate, for People, for Peace,
Sat, Sept 20, 2025
Assemble at Victoria Park 1:30
Parade to McBurney Park, 2:00 pm
All fossil-fuel free modes of transportation welcome.
Feet. Cycles. Skate boards. Mobility devices. Stilts.
Costumes and Puppets.
Contact: kingston@seniorsforclimateactionnow.org to RSVP, endorse, sponsor and/or donate by etransfer
Watch: Our Future is at Stake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFYY5cBi2XY
5. Green Burial Kingston Update
Received Aug 1, 2025
As you know, the City of Kingston has approved Pine Grove Cemetery as the first green (aka natural) burial site in our area. There were just over 100 plots available for sale, starting in March 2025, and all but 20 have been purchased by the summer.
Green Burial Kingston is organizing a celebratory event to recognize the opening of Pine Grove for natural burials.. The event will take place on Sunday, September 7, rain or shine, and we hope that many of you will plan to attend.
For those of you who have already purchased sites, you may be interested to know that ‘cornerstones’ have now been put in to delineate the edges of gravesites, a gravel path surrounds, the perimeter of the green burial area and signage has been erected. Loretta Young, the cemetarian, will be on hand on September 7th to answer questions and help folks find their plots.
Details
We have rented on of the Kingston Trolleys to head up a cavalcade that will drive through downtown and out to the cemetery. We invite members to purchase a $10 ticket (+fee, $11.98 total) to be on the trolley – https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gbk-pine-grove-cemetery-celebration-trolley-tickets-tickets-1533770712489?aff=oddtdtcreator – or to join us in other vehicles – car pooling is strongly encouraged. We will decorate the trolley and encourage you to do the same on your vehicle if you wish.
| The cavalcade will begin boarding and gathering in the parking lot of The Woolen Mill, at 4 Cataraqui Street, at 3:15pm on September 7th. At Pine Grove Cemetery (shown at both 4251 Church Lane, Kingston on Google Maps or at 3645 Brewers Mills Rd., Kingston) we will have a ribbon-cutting and short ceremony, beginning at about 4:15pm, followed by some light refreshments. We will begin boarding the trolley for the return trip to the Woolen Mill at about 5pm. If you do not want to join the procession, you are more than welcome to join us at the cemetery at 4pm. If you plan to attend, please respond to communications@greenburialkingston.com to let us know! The Trolley also has a waitlist on Eventbrite, so if there is enough interest we will gladly open more seats. Looking forward to seeing you there to celebrate this milestone for Kingston together. |
6. Heritage Property Designation of 2555 Hwy 38
Letter to Council received from Pater Lawton Aug 8
Editor’s Note: At its most recent Council meeting, Council chose to ignore the contents of this letter and allow the owner to avoid official heritage designation. Do consider whether you agree with this decision or not.
Dear Members of Council,
I was pleased to read about the Heritage Properties Committee’s recent decision and recommendation with respect to the heritage designation of the property at 2555 Hwy 38.
I am very proud and privileged to live in a home that has been designated as a heritage house. It was built in about 1840 by an immigrant family from the United States, who followed their earlier UEL family to Kingston.
This case is a classic example of how heritage decisions should be made. The decision to designate and maintain the designation of a property is not an emotional decision. It’s clearly based on the qualities and characteristics of the property itself, not the current circumstances of the owner. In this case, the owner claims that she cannot get insurance for the property at an affordable price. On the other hand, the insurance industry reassures us that a heritage designation does not increase maintenance costs and is no reason for insurance companies to deny insurance or to raise insurance rates.
The insurance companies are definitely getting tougher, but it’s also a very competitive industry. Insurance rates are based on a number of factors to do with maintenance, house improvements and owner financial viability. It also appears that the owner was motivated to appeal for support because of the financial situation she finds herself in. I’m very pleased that most of the committee did not fall for this personal story.
The beauty of heritage is that it’s here, it doesn’t need expensive building, it just needs care and protection. It’s true that heritage will never dangle the bright new shiny objects in front of council, with money and naming rights attached, that are so attractive to this council and its administration. Heritage attractions are already here, ready to be appreciated for the value that they have brought, and will continue to bring, to the pride and benefit of all Kingstonians and to our visitors.
I thank the Heritage Properties Committee for recognizing and supporting the fact that heritage designations are decisions made in the best long-term interests of our community. We must protect the heritage that we have, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. I am very pleased that my own house is now safe and protected for the benefit and enjoyment of our future generations, because of its heritage designation.
The council should support its recommendation and not reverse their earlier decision to designate the property at 2555 Hwy 38.
Recommendations.
- The owner needs to do her homework.
It’s the responsibility of anyone who owns property to research the insurance market for the best quote. One broker and two or three quotes is not sufficient to argue that reasonable insurance is not available in this marketplace.
There are a number of discrepancies in the information provided in this case. For example, we are told that Aviva will not insure heritage properties or properties more than 20 acres, but Aviva has been insuring this property up to now, even though it is 200 acres! I am aware of a property that Aviva is quoting on today, for a reasonable price, that is well known as a heritage property. Why hasn’t this owner contacted Aviva directly for a quote?
Why are TD and Intact Prestige quotes so incredibly high when the actual house coverage quoted is not that excessive? There has to be more to these stories that is not disclosed. Perhaps it’s because of the extensive property updates and improvements, such as the hot tub and swimming pool, or perhaps she has a history of non-payment.
- Ask the Heritage staff to continue contacting insurance companies and to compile a list of ‘heritage friendly’ insurance agencies.
The staff report says that:
“Heritage staff have engaged with various insurance companies, brokers, the National Trust and the Insurance Board of Canada on this matter. Staff have also contacted insurance companies on behalf of property owners and successfully clarified the provincial policy on the matter of insurance and heritage designation, resulting in competitive coverage for the property owner.”
It would be interesting for the current heritage house owners to know what the staff have learned about the insurers that have spoken to and what their plan is to continue this valuable research activity. For example, I have learned that a heritage designation is not an issue for CAA, it’s just that it’s their policy to not insure any buildings over 100 years old. If I had a question about my own house insurance, my first step would be to contact the heritage people at City Hall for advice. I would not expect a specific recommendation, but a list of heritage and age friendly insurance companies would be a very helpful and valuable start.
- Ask the Heritage staff to identify any available information on the effect of a heritage designation on property prices.
The broker has pulled up a figure of a $400K increase in property value because of the designation. Where did this come from? Is it at all valid and reliable, because it sounds very suspicious? What is the research available, perhaps provincially, on the effect on house prices following a heritage designation? Perhaps house prices fall! What information do professional house appraisers have? It would make sense to say that a designation by itself is no reason to increase house insurance, but a realistic change in house evaluation may be. Again, I would look to the professional heritage staff at City Hall for this information.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Peter Lawton
1553 Sunnyside Road
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 4V4
peterlawton@bell.net
7. Natural Heritage Study: A Regenerative Version (Draft using AI, 2025 August)
Received from James Brown Aug 11, 2025
Editor’s Note: Something for City Staff to play with for fun. Fascinating what AI can do.
Recognition of the value and import of the natural environment to planning in Ontario is rooted within the Act (sub-section a).
A side-by-side comparison of the original NHS text and the regenerative reframing. This layout highlights how each concept is transformed from institutional language into one rooted in ecological stewardship, reciprocity, and regeneration.
Original vs Regenerative Reframing
To recognize the decision-making authority and To honor the responsibility and ecological
accountability of municipal councils in planning. Guardianship entrusted to municipal councils in
shaping land relationships
Planning decisions must reflect a deep
commitment to the living systems that sustain
Recognition of the value and import of the communities. The foundational recognition of
natural environment to planning in Ontario is the natural world’s intrinsic value is embedded
rooted within the Act (sub-section a). in Ontario’s legislative framework.
Land use planning is guided by Provincial Land stewardship is guided by ecological
policies (sub-section b) and through them the principles which call for the co-creation of a creation of a regenerative natural heritage regenerative natural heritage system – one that system. not only protects but actively restores
ecological integrity.
The Act is also clear on the need for The Act affirms the need for municipalities to
municipalities to integrate matters of Provincial align their decisions with the Province’s
interest in their planning decisions; per Section 2 ecological priorities. Section 2 outlines key
of the Act, this includes several that relate to the responsibilities that support the regeneration
identification and mapping of natural systems: and resilience of place-based systems.
Sample:
Original Point Regenerative Framing
-The protection of ecological systems, -Safeguarding interconnected ecological
including natural areas, features and communities, including wild habitats,
functions; keystone species, and ecosystem functions.
-The protection of the agricultural resources -Protecting and nurturing agricultural
of the province; landscapes as living systems that feed both
people and biodiversity
-The conservation and management of resources -Restoring and co-managing natural resources and the mineral resource base; resources with respect to their cycles,
limits, and cultural significance.
-The conservation of features of significant -Preserving features of deep cultural
architectural, cultural, historical, memory and ecological wisdom, including
archaeological or scientific interest. those of architectural, historical, and
scientific importance.
-The supply, efficient use and conservation of -Rebalancing energy and water flows
energy and water; through conservation, circular design,
and community-scale resilience
-The appropriate location of growth and -Locating growth in harmony with
development. ecological thresholds, ensuring development regenerates rather than depletes
-The mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions -Reducing carbon footprints and
and adaptation to a changing climate. cultivating climate resilience through
adaptive, nature-based solultions.
Section 3(5) of the Planning Act requires Section 3(5) of the Planning Act calls for
decisions ‘in respect of the exercise of any all decisions affecting land relationships
authority that affects a planning matter’ shall to be rooted in ecological coherence and
be consistent with the PPS and conform to aligned with the Province’s regenerative
Provincial Plans vision for the future.
8. Join Utilities Kingston in Creating a Better Customer Experience
Received from Utilities Kingston, Aug 14, 2025
Throughout August and into September, Utilities Kingston will connect directly with customers to better understand what matters most to the people who rely on its services every day. The insights gathered will help shape a strategy that enhances how customers experience their utility at every stage of interaction.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to stay in step with customers and plan for the future. It supports Utilities Kingston’s mission to deliver safe, reliable services and a personal customer experience.
“Reliable service is about more than keeping the lights on or the water flowing. It is about how every interaction feels for the people who count on us,” says David Fell, president and CEO of Utilities Kingston. “By listening to our customers, we can better understand what matters and shape a strategy that reflects their expectations and daily lives.”
To help gather these insights, Utilities Kingston has partnered with Overlap Associates to offer engagement opportunities including street team conversations,
an online survey at https://form.jotform.com/OverlapAssociates/utilities-kingston-customer-survey, one-on-one interviews, and small-group engagement labs at
https://utilitieskingston.com/News/Article/share-your-ideas
“This initiative is about listening with purpose,” adds Fell. “By learning directly from our customers, we can create an experience that reflects their priorities and ensures every interaction feels supportive and connected.”
This work builds on Utilities Kingston’s commitment to making everyday interactions easier and more responsive. Whether customers are calling about their bill, experiencing an outage, or looking for conservation programs, the utility is working to better understand and meet their needs.
Register for a session, complete the online survey, or learn more about the project at UtilitiesKingston.com.
About Utilities Kingston: Utilities Kingston operates multiple utilities through a single service structure, allowing it to deliver cost savings and customer service excellence. The company is unique in Ontario, combining water, wastewater, gas and electrical services, and broadband networking services in one company. Trusted by customers to deliver reliable utilities for more than 150 years, employees are proud to provide personal, responsive services. You can count on us!
Connect with Utilities Kingston – all your utility needs under one roof.
X: Follow at www.twitter.com/utilitieskngstn
Facebook: Like us at www.facebook.com/utilitieskingston
YouTube: Subscribe at www.YouTube.com/UtilitiesKingston
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/utilities-kingston/
www.UtilitiesKingston.com
9. Giveaway Day, Saturday Aug 16
Giveaway Days keep items out of landfill! This Saturday, Aug. 16, put out items you no longer want for neighbours who might like them.
Help divert waste from the landfill and give possessions a second life.
More details: Collection Calendar | City of Kingston
10. First Draft of Kingston’s New Official Plan
Received from Laura Flaherty, Project Manager, Planning Services, Aug 13, 2025
I am excited to share that the First Draft of the new Official Plan has been released on the project website– https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/yg220k
a major milestone in the new Official Plan project. This is the first opportunity for the community to see the draft policies and maps together, and for us to begin meaningful conversations about how these ideas can best reflect Kingston’s collective vision. Before you dig into the draft policies and maps, I encourage you to watch the recorded presentation introducing key elements of the first draft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVf08p3TZto
Feedback on this First Draft is open until November 28th. We will be hosting a series of events and engagement opportunities this fall on the First Draft. Event dates will be released in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more information.
We look forward to your participation in the engagement process and to working together toward a final plan that reflects Kingston’s shared priorities and vision. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Laura Flaherty
11. Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Partnering with KIngston to Host First-Ever Great Lakes Coastal Clean-up in Ontario
Received from the City of Kingston, Aug 14, 2025The following information is shared on behalf of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is pleased to announce that it has secured a grant from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment,
Conservation and Parks to host Ontario’s first-ever Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup. The Cites Initiative will receive $85,000 through Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund to host six shoreline cleanups for this inaugural event.
This World Rivers Day, September 28, the Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup will bring together more than 250 volunteers to collect up to 200 kilograms of litter at beaches, parks, and other shoreline areas along Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, along with the St. Lawrence River. The Cities Initiative is partnering with six communities for this first multi-site cleanup: Thunder Bay, Chatham-Kent, Owen Sound, Collingwood, Cobourg, and Kingston. These municipalities will partner with local organizations to set up cleanup sites, provide supplies, and train volunteers.
Mayor Bryan Paterson of Kingston: “Kingston is proud to be one of the founding cities of the Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup. Our community understands the deep connection between a healthy environment and a vibrant future. This initiative is a powerful way to bring residents together, raise awareness, and take real action to protect the Great Lakes shoreline. We’re excited to roll up our sleeves and make a meaningful impact this September.”
Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: “Our government is proud to support the first-ever Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup – a fantastic community initiative to clean plastic and litter from local beaches, parks and shorelines across the province. By investing in this project led by Cities Initiative, the Great Lakes Local Action Fund is making a lasting impact on the health of lakes and rivers in Ontario, contributing to stronger, healthier communities – now and for the future.”
Mayor Mat Siscoe, Co-Chair of the Cities Initiative and Mayor of St. Catharines: “We thank the Government of Ontario for their generous support, along with the six participating communities, to host the province’s first Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup. This investment shows the Province of Ontario’s and these communities’ engagement and passion for protecting our most precious freshwater resources. We hope this cleanup will be the first of a growing annual movement across Ontario and all the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.”
It is estimated that 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year, a source of drinking water for more than 40 million Canadians and Americans. Shoreline cleanups help reduce pollution at the source, as well as raising awareness around the impact of waste and litter in our lakes and rivers.
In addition to the Government of Ontario’s generous support, the Cities Initiative recognizes financial and in-kind support provided by participating municipalities and Greenland Consulting Engineers. FROM FARTHER AFIELD
12. Canadian Armed Forces Deploy on Multiple Arctic Operations this Season
Received from the Government of Canada, Aug 10, 2025 – Patrick Barkham
Canadian Armed Forces deploy on multiple Arctic operations this season – Canada.ca
13. Thousands of Ontario Family Doctors to Get New Compensation Deal
Received from TorStar, Aug 7 – Megan Ogilvie, Health Reporter
https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/ontario-has-a-family-doctor-crisis-heres-one-reason-why-its-hard-to-find-one/article_9ed4e2db-dc2c-4f97-aa42-a578a6433735.html
Doctors providing comprehensive family medicine in Ontario are poised to get a new compensation deal from the province — the first revamp of their payment structure in almost 20 years.
The Ford government and the Ontario Medical Association are close to finalizing a deal that will update the compensation model for doctors working in a family health organization, a move that will affect about 6,500 family physicians in the province.
The proposed deal comes amid a primary care crisis that has left two million Ontarians without a family doctor. Both the province and the OMA say the updated model will encourage more doctors to practise comprehensive family medicine — and prevent others from fleeing the profession.
“Family doctors are going to be better compensated for the work of being a family doctor,” said Kimberly Moran, CEO of the OMA, which represents roughly 43,000 doctors, medical students and retired physicians.
Ontario has a family doctor crisis. Here’s one reason why it’s hard to find one
The updated model — called FHO+ — recognizes that practising comprehensive family medicine has changed in recent years, with administrative tasks taking up more of a doctor’s time. It will allow doctors to bill for clinical and administrative tasks, such as such as charting, reviewing test results and filling out forms.
Currently, doctors are not compensated for most of these tasks and the growing administrative burden has led to burnout and pushed a growing number away from the profession. According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, doctors spend 19.5 hours a week on average on administrative work.
The lack of compensation for this behind-the-scenes clinical administration was among the top concerns for family doctors, Moran said.
“This model recognizes the additional workload that they’re carrying,” she said.
FHO+ is an update to the current family health organization model, in which doctors are paid through capitation. This means doctors receive payment from the government determined by the number and complexity of patients on their roster. In a family health organization, doctors can also bill OHIP for some services.
In Ontario, about 6,500 physicians work in a family health organization, according to the OMA. A spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones called a family health organization “the most widely adopted primary care model in Ontario.” Ontario has a number of family medicine payment models, including fee-for-service, which is not a part of the proposed deal.
Among the updates, the FHO+ model opens additional spaces for doctors to join family health organizations. Both the OMA and the government say this will increase access to comprehensive primary care.
Ema Popovic, Jones’s spokesperson, said in a statement that FHO+ includes bonuses to encourage family health organizations to enrol new patients, while also strengthening incentives for after-hours care, helping more patients get access to their family doctor.
“The modernized model intends to retain current physicians, attract new ones, increase patient enrolment, and reduce administrative burdens for physicians,” Popovic said. She noted investments in FHO+ will help the province’s Primary Care Action Plan, which pledges to connect every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029.
14. Brownfields Can be Rich Habitats: The Abandoned Oil Refinery Where Wildlife Now Thrives
Received from the Guardian, Aug 10 – Patrick Barkham, shared from Bruce Bursay. Thanks Bruce.
Conservationists say Canvey Wick in Essex shows potential for brownfield sites as havens for nature
“You must see this!” Marc Outten shoulders past tangles of blackthorn and shimmies around hummocks of blackberries the size of buses and glades filled with wildflowers. What beautiful wildlife spectacle awaits?
Weaving across carpets of bird’s foot trefoil, we reach our destination: a vast, barren circle of asphalt, 70 metres across – the ruins of an uncompleted oil refinery.
“You’ll find rare bees and reptiles around the edge and you’ve got these lovely stonecrops and lichens,” enthuses Outten, a naturalist and RSPB’s site manager for Canvey Wick nature reserve. The derelict asphalt pad is buzzing with rare nature.
This “ruined” landscape – where disused street lamps poke up above rampant scrub – resembles some kind of post-apocalyptic London. But in its ruination, this brownfield site beside the Thames in Essex has become one of the most nature-rich places in Britain, home to 3,200 species including endangered shrill carder bees, pantaloon bees, water vole, cuckoos and long-eared owls.
Canvey Wick is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) as conservationists warn many similarly wildlife-rich brownfield sites are threatened by development, particularly in the Thames Gateway.
Tilbury ash fields, home to 185 invertebrate species of conservation concern including the great sneak-spider, is imperilled by plans to expand the port of Tilbury. Meanwhile, a Google datacentre is proposed on a local wildlife site close to Lakeside that is home to nightingales, rare plants and scarce invertebrates such as the brown-banded carder bee.
The site has attracted rare bees and wildflowers.
Canvey Wick shows what can happen when a brownfield site is protected. Since it was bought by the Land Trust and managed by the RSPB in partnership with Buglife, an astonishing range of rare species have made their home on its 93 hectares (230 acres): 11.7% of its 3,200 species are classified as rare, scarce, threatened or near threatened.
Eight years ago, there were no nightingales on Canvey Wick. Today there are 21 nightingale territories in the thickets of blackthorn, hawthorn and bramble – a vital new stronghold for the much-loved but endangered songbird.
“People assume that brownfield sites are very low value for biodiversity – until they see what a brownfield site can really do,” said Outten, on a tour of the site during which we find pantaloon bees, spectacular Jersey tiger moths and increasingly rare wall brown butterflies. “If brownfield sites are left to sit around for a while, they develop into really rich habitats. This would’ve been a very desolate space full of sand, concrete and tarmac and now we’ve got this wonderful nature reserve. There’s so much structural diversity and the more structural diversity you have, the more biodiversity you have – that’s what makes this place so special.”
Canvey Wick was green grazing marshes until humans ruined them – and inadvertently made one of the most nature-rich places in Britain.
An oil refinery was planned for Canvey Wick in the early 1970s. The ground was raised with dredging from the Thames: sands, shingle and even seashells. Concrete roads and street lamps were built. Thirty two and a half circular asphalt pads were constructed as bases for vast oil storage containers. And then the 1973 oil price shock halted work. The refinery was abandoned.
Over the next 50 years, nature raced in. The unusual diversity of soil types and hot microclimates attracted an unusual range of invertebrates: there are 250 species of bee, wasp and ant on the site, including the brown-banded carder bee, five-banded weevil-wasp and carrot mining bee. They feed on an unconventional mix of native and non-native flowers including bristly oxtongue and everlasting pea.
As the human ruins subside beneath greenery, conservationists must manage the rapidly changing site to balance the competing needs of different rare species. What’s great for nightingales – more scrub – will cause many heat-loving invertebrates to disappear. When the site was first designated an SSSI in 2005, there was just 15% scrub and tree cover. Today it is more like 70%.
Outten on the nature reserve, showing where man-made meets wildlife. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
“Some scrub is great but having that open mosaic flower-rich grassland is really important,” says Outten. “How do you strike the balance between clearing areas and retaining nightingale habitat? A lot of this is cutting-edge stuff. ‘Restoring’ brownfield is not something many organisations have got into.”
A three-year project at Canvey has cut back some scrub, and created new scrapes of bare sand required by rare invertebrates and species such as adders. The cut-and-scraped areas are now burgeoning with wildflowers and insects again, while cleared ditches are home to scarce emerald damselflies and blue-eyed hawker dragonflies.
Conservationists hope it will inspire the creation of more brownfield nature reserves. “Canvey Wick demonstrates how brownfield sites can be transformed into vibrant green spaces that serve the community and provide important habitats for wildlife,” says Alan Carter, the chief executive of the Land Trust. “We are extremely proud of the regeneration efforts carried out since taking on the ownership of the site in 2012. The site is now one of the top locations in Britain for endangered invertebrates, an impressive achievement.”
Some of the vibrant plants that have been able to grow on the brownfield site.
Although important parts of Swanscombe peninsula were saved from development threats when Natural England designated it an SSSI in 2021, Buglife is calling on the government’s wildlife watchdog to urgently give more sites the same protection, including Tilbury ash fields. Natural England has “Thames estuary invertebrates” in Essex and Kent listed in its SSSI designation “pipeline” but the watchdog has been criticised for failing to designate many endangered places in recent years.
Carl Bunnage, head of nature policy at RSPB, said: “Brownfield sites are not always just dead, ugly and abandoned spaces. Indeed, as Canvey Wick shows, they can provide specialist habitats and be havens for nature – full of life of all kinds. With the government currently driving reforms to the planning system in England, and prioritising the re-development of brownfield sites, it is vital that the nature-value of sites is properly assessed before planning decisions are taken.”
Conservationists hope Canvey Wick can also inspire smaller ways of attracting rare wildlife: depositing piles of sand or crushed concrete on a place may not look conventionally pretty but it will create soils and microclimates where myriad wildflowers and invertebrates can thrive.
Outten, who was raised in the area, hopes Canvey will inspire the creation of other similar nature reserves so there is a network for rare species, which can be enjoyed by the local community as well.
“People feel passionately about it. We want to strike the balance between giving people a place where they can access green space but also protect the species that the site is important for. It’s a unique place. There’s nowhere else like it,” he said.
JUST FOR FUN
15. What’s happening in Kingston
There are so many sources of info these days it hardly warrants a space here. Personally I still rely on Visit Kingston – Visit Kingston | Fresh made daily but there is also a lot of stuff on YGK:
ygktoday@mail.beehiiv.com
Wishing you all a happy end of summer.
Cheers,
Mary Farrar,
Friends of Kingston inner Harbour