When I saw and read about the proposed Geopark for the area, I was intrigued and excited.
Another Park? Nope, far more. United Nations? Sort of, but actually UNESCO. United Nations Education, Science, Culture and Communication.
It is the 21st century and what has this to do with Midland and why is it being promoted by Midland Bay Landing Corporation?
To clarify: This Preliminary Study, to examine the possibility of a Geopark is for an area bounded by the Georgian Bay Biosphere at Parry Sound in the North and, possibly all the way to Tobermory. It may include all that area within and on the Bay. This is not about the old Unimin Site, though it is a part of the larger vision.
Smart move as a Geopark. It is the perfect rubric for development within the mandate of UNESCO’s sustainable development programs. Midland has been focused on geotourism already through the Official Plan and all the amended plans. This area has been preserved in the planning documents specifically for this type of development.
The future is geotourism and adding value is what this process is about. The arduous process of remediation of brownfield sites, many former rail or industrial lands under the Technical Standards and Safety Association, is one of the major hurdles that the Town of Midland and prospective development firms must resolve. No work on site can proceed and no ‘value estimates’ can be proposed until these issues are remediated.
Popularizing our knowledge of the earth and our intimate relationship and dependency on these interrelated factors is the work of an informed press, especially, knowledgeable writers who are able to clarify rather than obfuscate.
Wind, Water, Earth and Sky is the story of Cognashene. Have you read these books? Georgian Bay edited by Nick Eyles? Georgian Bay Land Trust 25th Anniversary book. How about John Wiley’s astonishing analysis of this area, entitled Once and Future Great Lakes Country?
Astonishing how unique this area is.
The world famous UNESCO Georgian Bay Biosphere of Thirty Thousand Islands and our proposed Geopark are adjacent.
Think of the major geological features and one can confirm a vast archipelago of thirty thousand rocky islands contained within a freshwater sea.
These are unique geological features in which deep rock formations are exposed all over this area in the form of islands on an inland sea.
Spirit Lake the Natives named it. What, I think, will we name our Geopark?
As Canadian citizens, we all, are already members of UNESCO, so that is a start.
It is possible that the Midland area will be part of a Geopark stretching from Parry Sound south and perhaps encompassing Tobermory.
I poked around on the Internet. I found a few links of interest and here they are: Number 4 is the Self Evaluation Kit for aspiring Geoparks: 1) https://en.unesco.org; 2) www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/ unesco-global-geoparks/; 3) https://en.ccunesco.ca/networks/geoparks; 4) https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/checklist_vf.pdf.
René Hackstetter works as a real estate broker
