Harper Park designation has no impact on casino
Although Harper Park is now under strict new protection from encroaching development, officials say it won’t affect plans to build a casino nearby.
The 150-acre park and wetland is located in the city’s southwest corner.
This week, the wetland was declared provincially-significant – meaning it’s among the most important wetlands in Ontario.
Ken Hetherington, the city’s planning manager, says that means no development can happen within 120 metres of the park.
But he says that won’t change much regarding the new casino that’s planned for Crawford Dr. and The Parkway, since the site is more than 120 m away.
Previously, Harper Park was designated a locally significant wetland – which meant development could happen within 30 m.
Hetherington said city officials knew the province might soon change the designation of the park, which has a stream populated with brook trout.
“It (the change of designation) wasn’t unexpected by any means,” he said.
Chuck Keeling, the spokesman for Great Canadian Gaming Corp., the private company that plans to build the casino, said the new provincial designation doesn’t affect the casino plans.
“It has no relevance - and thus no impact - on the development of our facility,” he said.
It’s not clear exactly when the casino might be built, although construction could start this spring.
Members of the Peterborough Field Naturalists say they are meeting with city officials Friday to weigh in on some of the site plans for the casino.
Last year, city council voted to ensure the field naturalists were consulted on the configuration of the building and parking lots on the site.
The naturalists are also expected to speak up if they think extra environmental studies need to be done.
On Thursday, members of the Field Naturalists gathered at the park.
Kim Zippel said the new wetland designation does carry weight – even if it won’t stop the casino from coming.
Zippel is a long-time advocate for the park and a member of the Peterborough Field Naturalists.
She pointed out that construction of the casino will involve excavation – which could potentially disrupt the watersheds that connect to the wetland.
That’s going to mean hydrogeological studies, she said.
Furthermore, the casino is expected to be the first big development in the area.
Ted Vale, president of the Peterborough Field Naturalists, said other new buildings are sure to follow. That’s why the new designation matters, he said.
“This is not just about the casino.”
It took three years for the Field Naturalists to collect the data necessary to upgrade the wetland designation.
Zippel said the naturalists determined that the wetland is home to the barn swallow, a bright blue and red bird with a forked tail (it’s a threatened species).
She said they also identified two rare plants in the park: purple avens (a dark purplish flower) and swamp-fly honeysuckle (which grows to four feet tall and produces red berries).