Point Pelee National Park is getting some help to pay for its main road.
Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced Thursday a federal infrastructure investment of $9.9 million for the park.
McKenna says the funding will support upgrades to the park’s main road.
“Delivered in partnership with Indigenous partners, this project will help restore habitat in Canada’s most biodiverse national park and protect Parks Canada’s infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather,” says McKenna.
The main road project involves:
- the underground installation of electrical and phone lines to minimize impact of utility corridors through important forest and coastal savannah habitat;
- upgrading sewage treatment to protect the park’s wetland ecosystems; and
- repaving the 7km main road, which runs from the park’s entrance to the visitor centre.
Officials say the improvements will benefit species at risk and the park’s natural habitat, improve water quality, and significantly decrease long-term maintenance costs.
The first phase of the project focuses on archaeological work in the construction areas.
Any artifacts found in the area will be protected and studied to help better define the cultural history of the park and region. Caldwell First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation are assisting Point Pelee National Park with concept development and archaeological monitoring.
