Integrated Community Planning Frv_m_'_ M • 7 · Office of the Regional Clerk Nlagara Reglon 220l St. David’s Road W, PO Box l042, Thorold, ON L2V 4T7 905-685-4225 Toll-free: I-800-263-72|5 Fax:905-687-4977 . Telephone: WWW.I1I&g3f'3.Y€gIOI1.C3 November 15, 2013 CL 16-2013, October 31, 2013 ICPC 15-2013, October 23, 2013 Report ICP 105-2013 I Holly Dowd, Town Clerk Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake ‘ P.O. Box 100 1593 Creek Road Virgil, ON LOS 1T0 SENT ELECTRONICALLY Welland Canal National Historic Site Application ICP 105-2013 Dear Ms. Dowd, Regional Council, at its meeting of October 31, 2013, approved the following recommendations of its Integrated Community Planning Committee: That Report ICP 105-2013, October 23, 2013, respecting Welland Canal National Historic Site Application, BE RECEIVED; Council the Welland Canal National Historic Site That Regional ENDORSE ` Application (attached as Appendix I to Report ICP 105-2013); That the Regional Chair BE AUTHORIZED to sign the Welland Canal National Historic Site Application (attached as Appendix I to Report ICP 105-2013) and submit the application to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada for consideration; That the Regional Chair BE AUTHORIZED to write to Members of Parliament Dykstra, Nicholson and Allen to provide an overview of the application and summary of the work undertaken to develop the application, including the involvement of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation; and That a copy of this report BE SENT to the parties to the Memorandum of Understanding for the Study of the Welland Canals Corridor and Federal Heritage Designation of the selected portions of the Welland Canal Corridor (the MOU) with a request to endorse the application and notify the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada of their endorsement; and .../2 That a copy of this report BE SENT to Haldimand County, local area municipalities and their Heritage Committees for their information. Your Council’s consideration for endorsement of the application is greatly appreciated. Once a decision has been reached, please forward your Council’s resolution to the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board: Julie Dompierre, Directrice/Director Commémoration/Commemoration Branch Parcs Canada/Parks Canada 5ieme étage, 25, rue Eddy 5th Floor, 25 Eddy Gatineau OC K1A OM5 [email protected] Please forward a copy of your Council’s resolution to Ms. Danielle De Fields, Senior Planner, by email at danielle.defie|[email protected]. A copy of Report ICP 105-2013 is enclosed for your information. Yours truly, Janet Pilon Regional Clerk znld cc: Clerks ofthe Local Area Municipalities of Niagara Region S. Burman, St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation D. Norton, Ontario Power Generation P. Robson, Commissioner, Integrated Community Planning D. De Fields, Senior Planner M. L. Tanner, Associate Director, Regional Policy Planning ICP 105-2013 October 23, 2013 Page 1 of 5 Niagaraw Region · REPORT TO: Integrated Community Planning Committee SUBJECT: Welland Canal National Historic Site Application RECOMMENDATIONS 1. That Regional Council ENDORSE the Welland Canal National Historic Site Application (Appendix I- available electronically only). 2. That the Regional Chair BE AUTHORIZED to sign the Welland Canal National Historic Site application (Appendix I — available electronically only) and submit the application to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada for consideration. 3. That the Regional Chair BE AUTHORIZED to write to Members of Parliament Dykstra, Nicholson, and Allen to provide an overview of the application and summary the work undertaken to develop the application, including the involvement of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. 3. That a copy of this report BE SENT to the parties to the Memorandum of Understanding for the Study of the Welland Canals Corridor and Federal Heritage Designation of the selected portions of the Welland Canal Corridor (the MOU) with a request to endorse the application and notify the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada of their endorsement. Note: the parties to the MOU are identified on page 2 of this report. 4. That a copy of this report BE SENT to Haldimand County, local area municipalities and their Heritage Committees for their information. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to provide information to Regional Council related to an application to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to designate portions of the Welland Canal as a National Historic Site. This report is consistent with CounciI’s Business Plan Theme 2 — Healthy Community. ICP 105-2013 October 23, 2013 Page 2 of 5 BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS There are no business implications associated with this report. The costs associated with developing the National Historic Site application are accommodated in the Integrated Community Planning Department’s 2013 budget. REPORT Background For several years Niagara Region, in partnership with the local area municipalities, has sought the recognition of the Welland Canal Cultural Landscape as a National Historic Site (DPD 40-2008, ICP 68-2010). The designation is honorific in nature - there are no legal obligations or requirements by the owner(s) of any lands that are designated, nor any specific/required permitting or approval processes associated work in a designated area. Areas that are designated as a National Historic Site are commemorated with a bronze plaque. In 2009 Niagara Region made an application was made to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) to designate the entire Canal (first through fourth canals) as a National Historic Site (DPD 40-2008). At the time, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) indicated their unwillingness to support the proposed designation. They were concerned that a National Historic Site designation on the operating canal could be in conflict with their mandate of moving goods in an efficient manner. The HSMBC stated they were unable to consider the application until all of the major parties involved agreed on the proposed areas for National Historic Site designation. The Welland Canal Working Group of the Culture Committee was formed in response to this and tasked with moving the applicationifowvard collaboratively, to come to a mutually agreed upon proposal. In 2012 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Welland Canals Corridor was formalized (ICP 100-2012) that outlines the duties, responsibilities and expectations of all parties involved in studying the potential for all or part of the Welland Canal Corridor to be designated as a National Historic Site. The parties to the MOU include Niagara Region, Town of Niagara-on—the-Lake, City of Port Colborne, City of St. Catharines, City of Thorold, Township of Wainfleet, City of Welland, St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and Ontario Power Generation. The City of Niagara Falls is not currently a party to the MOU. The City of Niagara Falls Council has indicated support in principle, but declined active engagement in the process to achieve designation until consultation with local residents is undertaken to explain the nature of a National Historic Site Designation (DPD 40-2008 Appendix IX). Haldimand County, while not part of the MOU, has indicated interest in the National Historic Site Designation and joined the working group in the summer of 2013 to stay informed of progress- on the application. The MOU included exploring the use of · a cultural landscape approach to the designation. A Welland Canal Cultural Landscape Study was completed by Stephen Bedford Consulting following extensive, specialized research on the Welland Canal Cultural Landscape (see appendix II of ICP 111-2012). ICP 105-2013 October 23, 2013 Page 3 of 5 The Application Following completion of the Cultural Landscape Study, staff drafted an updated application to designate portions of the Welland Canal as a National Historic Site - (Appendix I available electronically only). The application was developed with the assistance of Stephen Bedford Consulting, in collaboration with the Welland Canal working group, and presented for review and comment to the Niagara Region Culture Committee in September 2013. The Welland Canal Cultural Landscape Study concludes that the Welland Canal Cultural Landscape extends across local area municipalities associated with the historic and operating canal. The Cultural Landscape Study provides detailed reasons for why the Welland Canal Cultural Landscape, in total, deserves to be recognized as a National Historic Site. However, during the · development of the application the SLSMC indicated (through staff level correspondence), that they are concerned over the designation of the operating canal, or any touch points between the operating canal and historic canals, for reasons relating to marine security, public safety, interference with operations and environmental impact. To accommodate concerns brought fonlvard by the SLSMC, the application does not propose to designate the operating canal, or touch points between the operating canal and the third canal. The application contains a map outlining the areas that are proposed for designation, as well as those that are omitted from the proposal to accommodate the SLSMC staff concerns. For the information of members of the Integrated Community Planning Committee the map is also provided in Appendix II to this report. Recently SLSMC staff provided additional correspondence to Regional Staff reiterating that they that they do not support the designation