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In 2022, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) advised the City that, in order to protect the Fowler’s Toad, the longstanding practice of parking cars on Nickel Beach needed to end. The City accepted this direction and began taking steps to transition away from beach parking, including exploring and creating off-beach parking options.

In May 2022, construction occurred at the entrance to Nickel Beach to create a parking area and fence within what had historically been a grassy park space. This work included the removal of playground equipment and dead trees, stripping of grassy topsoil (which was stockpiled along the western edge of the lot), and the placement of granular material. 

On the basis that this former park area constituted Fowler’s Toad habitat under Ontario Regulation 832/21, and laying the gravel occurred without a permit,  the Ministry instituted charges against the City under the Provincial Endangered Species Act.

 Yesterday, the City entered a guilty plea to this charge in Provincial Offences Court.

The City was fined $1 and was ordered to make a payment of $80,000 to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to support Fowler’s Toad habitat protection and restoration efforts.

CLARIFICATION: The gravel was laid inside the current Nickel Beach gates. The charge is not related to the construction of any of the current Nickel Beach parking lots.