THUNDER BAY — The Sturgeon Bay area is critical habitat for peregrine falcons, who like to nest on cliffscapes in the area and survey the Lake Superior shore for prey.
Those falcons are among the species at risk in the 935 hectares now under Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) protection in the non-profit organization’s Nor’Westers project, so named because it includes some of the Nor’Wester mountain range.
It’s a “huge win” for conservation, said Kaitlin Richardson, the NCC’s program director for northern Ontario.
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MPP Marcus Powlowski was on hand at a local business Friday as the NCC announced the purchase of land along North America’s biggest lake.
The land purchase was made possible by the support of the federal and Ontario governments as well as private donors, foundations and other contributors.
Powlowski said the Nor’Wester project is important to the region because nature “is a big part of who we are as a community.
“And I’ve lived all around the world and I think some of the most beautiful parts of the world are right here around Thunder Bay,” he continued. “We want to preserve that for future generations, and that’s what this is doing.”
A news release said the land purchase means protection of “vast expanses of forests, wetlands and mesas (isolated, flat-topped landforms with steep sides).”
“The Nor’Westers project strategically protects spaces that bolster existing protected areas, helping to create contiguous habitat for wide-ranging mammals in the Lake Superior natural area,” said Richardson.
It “protects a key area from deforestation and development, allowing the forests and wetlands here to continue to sequester carbon, while also protecting important cliff habitat for nesting at-risk raptors,” she added.
The Nor’Wester land purchase builds on a network of protected lands that support wildlife and communities near on Lake Superior's north shore.
The project protects a variety of habitats, including forests and wetlands that sustain species like moose and at-risk turtles.
NCC regional vice-president Dana Kleniewski said this project showcases how the NCC is accelerating the pace of conservation in Canada.
"And conservation does require all of us," she added.
Durham MPP Todd McCarthy, Ontario's acting environment minister, was also at Friday's announcement.
“With backing from our government’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, protection of this 935-hectare ecologically significant property will play a crucial role in preserving Ontario’s natural heritage and biodiversity, helping to ensure a sustainable future for all,” McCarthy said.