I have a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physical Geography from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. After numerous other positions with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), for the past 13 years I have been the District Planner for MNR’s Parry Sound District, which covers all of the District Municipality of Muskoka and much of the Territorial District of Parry Sound. Amongst other responsibilities, as District Planner, I lead our District’s involvement in a variety of Crown land planning activities. This included leading our District’s participation in MNR’s Ontario’s Living Legacy (OLL) process, through which 55 new conservation reserves and 8 new provincial parks or park additions were created on Crown land in our District. I have been leading the subsequent process of taking the new OLL protected areas through public consultation to regulation, and also lead the planning process through which site-specific planning documents are prepared for each OLL conservation reserve. I was not actively involved in the creation of Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve, which pre-dated the OLL process.

Ontario’s Commitment to Dark Skies

I will discuss the commitment of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Parry Sound District to maintaining “dark skies” in various conservation reserves. These conservation reserves are located on provincially owned Crown land in the District Municipality of Muskoka and in much of the Territorial District of Parry Sound. Through a planning process for each of the conservation reserves, MNR is in the process of committing to maintaining dark sky values in individual conservation reserves, that is, MNR will not permit “unnecessary, undirected light pollution”. This commitment is in recognition of the wilderness values provided by a pristine night sky.

To date, dark sky provisions have been specifically included in the planning documents for 23 conservation reserves in MNR’s Parry Sound District, totalling 27,877 hectares of Crown land. Planning documents for another 15 sites are currently underway. It should be noted that MNR does not currently have any plans to develop facilities in these conservation reserves which would require any lighting at all. The dark sky commitments are most important over the long term, to guide any future development that might eventually be determined appropriate.

I will briefly discuss how and why Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve was created. This conservation reserve is located about 6 kilometres west of Gravenhurst, and was created in 1997 in response to strong “grass roots” support. Based on specific requests from the supporters of the conservation reserve, it has been termed a “Dark Sky Reserve” in recognition of the excellent night viewing opportunities in the site. It was the first conservation reserve for which MNR made specific commitments to maintain dark sky values.

Dark Sky Protection In Crown Land Conservation Reserves In The Muskoka-Parry Sound District (pdf)
Dorothy Shaver
 

SPEAKERS

Bidwell, Tony
Buchanan, Bryant
Crawford, Dr. David L.
Dick, Robert Stephen
Dickinson, Terence
French, Randy P.
Hill, Tom
Hills, Reverend Johanne
Hollan, Jenik
Hummel, Monte
Lickers, F. Henry
Lockley, Steven W.
Mesure, Michael
Moore, Chad A.
Reid, Ron
Riley, John L.
Roberts, Dr. Joan
Rutenberg, Tony
Shaver, Dorothy
Welch, David
Whitehead, Brian
Wise, Sharon