As the Province of Ontario announces the reopening of businesses and services in Niagara and Hamilton as part of phase two of their reopening framework, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is excited to expand the facilities, services, and amenities available at its four flagship properties — Ball’s Falls, Binbrook, Chippawa Creek, and Long Beach Conservation Areas.
Beginning Friday, June 19, Binbrook and Ball’s Falls Conservation Areas will open for active day-use recreation, with Long Beach and Chippawa Creek Conservation Areas scheduled for the following day, Saturday, June 20.
“Our staff have been trained with new protocols, rules and regulations, and are pleased to serve our conservation area visitors as we enter our new normal,” says Chandra Sharma, NPCA CAO and Secretary-Treasurer. “As always, we ask that all visitors continue to respect provincial guidelines on physical distancing and group gatherings, complying with regulations that keep people safe and allow us to keep our conservation areas open for everyone to enjoy.”
While facilities, amenities, and services will vary at each of the NPCA’s flagship conservation areas, some of them will include:
- Gatehouses
- Membership pass sales and activations
- Washrooms (Limited to one family/household at a time)
- Beaches
- Splashpad (Binbrook only)
- Volleyball and sports courts
- Picnic areas (Bring your own picnic blankets, tables are not deployed at this time)
- Fishing piers and onshore fishing
- Paddling and non-motorized watercraft use (Bring your own, no rentals)
Additional services being offered include Adventure Day Camp programming at Ball’s Falls beginning June 29, with each week of camp featuring nature hikes, historical tours, games, crafts, experiments, and nature play and discovery. Ball’s Falls will now also welcome indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies, with several venues and backdrops featuring picturesque and scenic views while still following provincial guidelines.
“We know that members of our community are eager to step into nature and visit our properties for active recreation once again,” says Alicia Powell, Manager of Conservation Areas. “As lines and wait times will sometimes be longer than usual given the new protocols, we kindly ask that guests continue to be patient as we enter this new phase.”
Visitors are asked to follow these guidelines when at NPCA conservation areas:
- Practice physical distance by staying 2 metres (6 feet) apart from other visitors
- Do not gather in large groups of more than 10 people
- Alcohol is prohibited at all NPCA Conservation Areas. Please refrain from bringing any glass bottles.
- Keep pets on leash and clean up after them
- Do not litter
- Take trash with you when leaving the property
- Respect wildlife and plant-life
- All visitors must vacate by 8 p.m.
- As regular day-use admission rates apply, contactless and credit/debit payment options are highly encouraged.
Please note that children’s play areas and structures remain closed, in addition to some washrooms. Transient camping is still not available at Chippawa Creek or Long Beach Conservation Areas. No rentals such as boats, BBQs, or pavilions for group gatherings are available at this time.
A detailed list of facilities and amenities available at each of these conservation areas can be found at www.npca.ca/parks and within corresponding park webpages.
For more information about the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, please visit www.npca.ca. Follow updates on NPCA operations during the pandemic at Get Involved NPCA, or Facebook and Twitter.
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About NPCA:
The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is a community-based natural resource management agency that works to protect, enhance, and sustain healthy watersheds. With 60 years of experience, the NPCA offers watershed programs and services that focus on flood and hazard management, source water protection, species protection, ecosystem restoration, community stewardship, and land management.
The NPCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in the Province of Ontario and manages 41 Conservation Areas within the Niagara Peninsula watershed held in public trust for recreation, heritage preservation, conservation, and education. These natural and shared greenspaces marry nature, culture and adventure to create limitless opportunities for discovery.
Questions related to the above release should be directed to:
Erika Navarro, Communications Specialist
Mobile: 905-650-4027
enavarro@npca.ca