Public Notice

Demolition of Structures, Minor Construction and Removal of Debris – Long Point National Wildlife Area

June 25, 2024 – The authority must determine whether the proposed demolition of structures, minor construction and removal of Debris at Long Point National Wildlife Area is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, the authority is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

 

Written comments must be submitted by July 26, 2024 to:

John Viengkone

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service

4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M3H 5T4

416-884-5148

John.Viengkone@ec.gc.ca

 

The Proposed Project

 

Environment and Climate Change Canada-Canadian Wildlife Service (ECCC-CWS) is proposing to undertake a building construction and demolition project at two separate sites at the Long Point National Wildlife Area (LPNWA): the Squires Ridge site and the Bluff's Point site. The LPNWA is located along the Long Point Peninsula, bordered by the shores of Lake Erie, in Norfolk County, Ontario. LPNWA is federal land administered by ECCC-CWS. All buildings on site are owned by ECCC-CWS and are located on existing, maintained yards near the shoreline within the NWA.

 

 The purpose of the project is to achieve the following:

1. Demolish the Squires Ridge Workshop (small storage shed). This shed is utilized by ECCC-CWS staff to store ATVs, but is now beyond repair with health and safety hazards. A new shed will be built on the old building footprint.
2. Demolish 2 vacant cabin structures at the Bluff's Point Site and restore the area to a natural condition. These formerly leased buildings have no future utility to ECCC-CWS and present a public safety hazard.

 

The project work will occur between August – October of 2024. The project will be divided into two phases. Phase I will include the demolition the original Squires Ridge Workshop and the building of the new shed (to begin August 2024). Phase II of the project will include the demolition of the two vacant Bluff's Point cabins (to begin September 2024).

 

The demolition portion of the project will involve temporarily docking a barge on the Lake Erie shoreline at each location for loading and unloading of materials and equipment, as well as the transport of waste disposal containers to each site to safely contain generated waste. Demolished materials from all 3 sites are to be appropriately contained and transported offsite via barge across Lake Erie to appropriate waste disposal locations. The work will occur in accordance with the Species at Risk Act, Canada Wildlife Act, and Migratory Birds Convention Act, with appropriate measures to avoid impacts to species and habitats. This includes appropriate timing windows and searches of the work area prior to commencing and for the duration of the work. Excavation tools will be used for demolition but will be limited to the buildings' existing footprints and maintained yards. Exposed soil and excavated material will be re-graded, stabilized and/or re-seeded as needed using appropriate soils and seed mix to benefit wildlife including species at risk.