parkscanada.gc.ca/sli Français de l’autre côté St. L awrence iSLandS nationaL Park of canada MALLORyTOWN The Pitch Pine Post SPRING 2011 LANDING , O NTARIO Boardwalk crew wins CEO award The general works crew at St. Lawrence Islands National Park has built a reputation for ingenu - ity. Last summer, nine members COME CELEBRATE! of the park staff were honoured In 2011, Parks Canada is with a Parks Canada Agency CEO Award of Excellence. This award celebrating its 100th birthday celebrates their design and con - and its establishment in 1911 struction of a unique boardwalk as the world’s first national spanning Mud Creek on the Jones parks service. Creek trail system. Visitors can now move between the upper and lower sections of the trail by in thiS iSSue crossing an impressive 650-foot cedar platform that takes them through a serene wetland scene. Walking on the low-lying board - walk, a visitor has the perspective of being at one with the creek and marsh. The bridge at the centre of the boardwalk, with its expansive Paddling...........................7 360-degree aerial views, com - pletes this experience. The achievement originated in what seemed at first like an insurmountable challenge, both technical and financial. The Hikers on the floating boardwalk. Photo: Parks Canada boardwalk was to span a wide own. What they came up with was that large sections of the board - stretch of creek and wetland a floating boardwalk that cost a walk were assembled on land, and while allowing clearance for small emerald ash Borer..........9 fraction of the original estimate. some of the trickiest work watercraft due to the creek’s sta - When all was said and done, the involved floating the 60-foot sec - akwesasne’s Voice...........6 tus as a navigable waterway. The boardwalk cost approximately tions of boardwalk up the shallow initial design that included fixed facilities & activities......12 $80,000 to build. creek. platforms on piers came with a “Making a floating archway Dan Gaylord, who helped facility update................11 price tag of $600,000. bridge that was balanced was a assemble the structure, agrees That budget was simply out of hours of operation........12 big challenge,” says Kent that the most difficult aspect of the question, so the works crew Dowsley, asset support technician Looking Back...................2 started making plans of their See BOARDWALK on page 2 for the park. Dowsley explains Map................................12 Prescribed fire................4 New life on Photo contest.................10 Georgina Species at risk.................5 Xplorers Program............3 surprises park St. Lawrence islands national Park researchers In the post-fire environment Photos: Parks Canada 2 County Rd. 5, R.R.#3 on the west end of Georgina New life springs back just one year after the prescribed fire on Georgina. Mallorytown, ON Island Josh Van Wieren, park “Seeds can remain dormant pitch pine, red oak, and deerberry K0E 1R0 ecologist, has found an impres - for 40 to 50 years in the seed have co-evolved with the presence (613) 923-5261 sive amount of new life. Over 50 bed,” says Van Wieren. “After the of natural forest fires. Certain percent of the plant species he’s fire opened up the canopy, these characteristics like protected buds www.pc.gc.ca/sli found after the prescribed fire in fire- and disturbance-dependent See GEORGINA on page 4 Email: [email protected] 2009 are species that haven’t species took advantage of the been found on Georgina Island right conditions.” Printed in Canada © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, repre - for decades, like pilewort and Many plant species including sented by the Chief Executive Officer bristly sarsasparilla. So how did of Parks Canada, 2011. they get there? 2 - S Pring 2011 the Pitch Pine PoSt the Superintendent Says... award-winning By Jeff Leggo, St. Lawrence Islands National Park Superintendent construction Continued from page 1 Hello and welcome to St. Lawrence Islands the work was getting the pieces National Park for the 2011 season. Building on there without damaging the sur - the successes of 2010, we are looking forward to rounding wetland. He says fitting another year of enjoyable activities. This is a very the sections together using a special year for the park as it is the 100th anniver - hand-operated winch was no sary of the establishment of Parks Canada, the problem, “They’re really just world’s first system of national parks. For 100 building blocks,” but he adds that years, Parks Canada has been protecting the when you build something in the country’s natural and cultural heritage for you to shop and then assemble it later on Photo: Parks Canada enjoy and experience. Share your memories of the park by filling out site, it’s always a relief to see the Dan Gaylord puts the finishing one of the birthday cards that will be circulating in the park. This pieces come together properly. touches on a smaller floating board - year there will be opportunities for celebration throughout the sum - Gaylord was one of two team walk on the Jones Creek Trail. mer. representatives on hand to “We had an excellent team,” While visiting the park you can be a part of these celebrations on receive the CEO Award in a cere - says Gaylord. “Everyone involved July 1 for Canada Day, when we will bring the party out to the mony at the Chateau Laurier in in building it was also involved in islands, or June 25 for Aboriginal Day. The centre page of this issue Ottawa last June. He was joined designing it.” has the summer season’s events schedule and you are welcome to by his co-worker Kevin Harris. He also notes that he and his have a look and plan to attend. In addition to the season’s special The awards are given out co-workers have put to use what events, the trail system at Jones Creek provides a wonderful oppor - annually to a select number of tunity to explore the park at your own pace and enjoy a day in the Parks Canada employees in they learned on the boardwalk outdoors. recognition of outstanding contri - project on a smaller scale. A new Park staff, including managers, will be available to provide infor - butions in the workplace. The St. boardwalk that will be completed mation and answer any questions you may have during your visit. Lawrence Islands crew was recog - this spring along a beaver pond We are always interested in your comments and input. I hope you nized in the category of improving on another section of the Jones have a safe and enjoyable experience and return home refreshed operations and services. Creek trails incorporates similar after your time in St. Lawrence Islands National Park. In presenting the award, design elements. Parks Canada CEO Alan This is the fifth time St. Latourelle said that the award Lawrence Islands National Park Regional cooperation in recognized their “extraordinary employees have been recognized contribution to services and oper - with a CEO award. Past recipients ations improvements, shown in include: Jeff Leggo in 2002 for the Mud Creek Floating Board - new management plan partnering and engagement, Mike walk / Bridge, which was manu - St. Lawrence Islands National ilar organizations and developing factured in a remarkably swift Ronan in 2003 for rescuing Park has a new management plan a stronger link with the Mohawks and proficient manner.” boaters on the river, Chris Belle - that takes a look outward, beyond of Akwesasne to learn about that Harris and Gaylord share the hon - more in 2007 for Species at Risk the bounds of the park, to build a community’s traditional knowl - our with Kent Dowsley, Tom Lusk, outreach and communications, sustainable model of operations edge and stories of the area. Mike Ronan, Lindsay Shannon, Peter and Harry Szeto in 2009 for the for the future. For the park, looking outward Sine, Tim Jowett and Scott Buell. Island Stewards program. The 2010 Management Plan also means attracting new visitors provides direction to managers in and getting a better picture of areas of visitor experience, her - their needs and interests. With its Looking Back... itage protection and public out - location along the Hwy. 401 corri - reach. The park consists of frag - dor, the park is ideally situated to mented land holdings spread tap into visitation from urban Young anglers at the Landing across a wide geographic area and centres such as Ottawa, Toronto on a blustery day last february there were a few hardy souls ice fish - located on both the mainland and and Montreal. On a national scale, ing at Mallorytown Landing during the front of Yonge winter festival. on islands. Spread out as it is Parks Canada is investing in among them were some of the under-10 set. clockwise from top left, ava across the landscape, the park research with regard to current and angus Sinclair tried their luck that day, continuing a long-standing needs to work closely with resi - and potential visitors, and this tradition of fishing on the point. in the early 80’s, another set of siblings, dents and stakeholders in the drive to better understand Cana - travis and ryan Birtch, set up their fishing lines at the landing. region, and this plan puts an dian audiences is reflected in the emphasis on external partnering. park’s management plan. Photos: Parks Canada “When we work with like- “Understanding audiences is minded agencies on common the very first step in reaching out issues the number of possible to Canadians who haven’t tradi - solutions goes up and the costs go tionally visited national parks,” down,” says park superintendent says product development officer Jeff Leggo.