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  #1  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2012, 10:58 AM
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Waterfall Capital of the World

An interesting promotion of Hamilton from an American news site:

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/176...l-Of-The-World
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Old Posted Aug 8, 2012, 1:50 PM
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Interesting article! I had no idea!
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  #3  
Old Posted Dec 18, 2012, 3:48 PM
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Creek study finds ‘super high’ sewage counts at Chedoke falls
(Flamborough Review, Richard Leitner, Dec 14, 2012)

Illegal sewer hookups are once again being blamed as the likely source of “super high levels” of fecal contamination at three escarpment waterfalls along Chedoke Creek.

Biweekly tests by Redeemer University College chemistry students this fall found the worst pollution at Mountview Falls, whose flows run beneath the stretch of Chedoke radial trail where the city installed a new pedestrian bridge in January.

Coliform counts there averaged 342,000 per 100 ml of water and were as high as one million – the latter more than 400 times the provincial limit of 2,400.

Readings for E. coli were also highest there, averaging 550 times the limit for recreational use, as were those for other indicators of sewage, like phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and biological oxygen demand.

Testing at waterfalls to the east – by the escarpment stairs at Cliffview Park and the eastern edge of Chedoke golf course – also found fecal contamination of up to 100 times the provincial limit.
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Old Posted Dec 19, 2012, 2:12 PM
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City of faeces-contaminated waterfalls? Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
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  #5  
Old Posted Dec 19, 2012, 6:52 PM
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shitty of waterfalls
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Old Posted Dec 20, 2012, 12:35 AM
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You just went there...awesomeness.
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Old Posted Dec 20, 2012, 3:38 AM
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Good thing we don't offer a Maid of the Crapscading Mist.
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  #8  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2014, 7:58 PM
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Fecal counts still high at Chedoke waterfalls, study finds
(Hamilton Mountain News, Richard Leitner, Dec 11 2014)

Some numbers aren’t as far off the charts as two years ago, but a follow-up study at five escarpment waterfalls along Chedoke Creek is once again flagging “unacceptable” levels of fecal contamination.

Mountview Falls is still by far the worst, with E. coli levels averaging 200 times the provincial limit for safe recreational use, bi-weekly testing by Redeemer University College chemistry students found.

Total coliform, or bacteria, were 29 times the provincial limit at the falls, which discharges into a gully that runs beneath the main pedestrian bridge on the Chedoke Radial Trail and is a popular spot for hikers to splash about on a warm day.

While both results were substantially lower than in 2012, levels of phosphate, nitrate and biological oxygen demand, all indicators of sewage, were similar or higher.

Testing at waterfalls to the east – by the escarpment stairs at Cliffview Park and the eastern edge of Chedoke golf course – largely mirrored 2012 results, with fecal contamination at about half of Mountview’s.

Two falls to the west, in Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area and near the top of the radial trail, were comparatively pristine, although still well above the E. coli recreational limit.

“If it was a beach, they’d have a sign saying we suggest you don’t swim here,” Redeemer student Jacob Borgdorff said when asked if 2012’s advice to stay out of the water still holds. “Because it’s a creek they don’t put up signs all along the creek.”



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Old Posted Dec 17, 2014, 3:33 PM
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Maid of the Piss'd?
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  #10  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2014, 6:57 PM
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Originally Posted by coalminecanary View Post
Maid of the Piss'd?
"Merde of the Mist"?
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  #11  
Old Posted Mar 15, 2016, 1:08 PM
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Robert "Don't Call Me Frost" Pasuta

Greensville residents discuss weekend traffic, parking issues
(Flamborough Review, Mac Christie, Mar 14 2016)

There could be a light at the end of the tunnel for Greensville’s parking woes, after residents supported a plan to not allow stopping on any street east of Brock Road at a March 10 public meeting.

The meeting, hosted by Ward 14 councillor Robert Pasuta at Greensville Public School, was a chance for residents to air their concerns and provide input on possible solutions to the parking congestion in the community.

During busy weekends at Webster’s and Tews Falls, visitors often cram the streets with vehicles as they flock to the conservation areas. As a result, residents are concerned that emergency vehicles would not be able to navigate roads such as Short Road and Fallsview Road. Other issues raised included visitors leaving garbage in the community and trespassing on private property.

Pasuta, who is also chairperson of the Hamilton Conservation Authority board, told the crowd of more than 150 people that the HCA and city both want to solve the parking problems.

“First and foremost as your councillor, I want to help you,” he said. “If I have to, (I’ll) resign from conservation totally and fight for you people.”

He suggested the complete stopping ban east of Brock Road would be a good step toward solving the problem. He noted they would have to hit offenders hard with an enforcement blitz by bylaw officers, especially on weekends.

Pasuta noted the move would be costly, as bylaw officers don’t work on weekends, so they would have to pay overtime wages.

“It’s not about the money,” he said, indicating the parking ticket would come with a $75 set fine. “But I need your support to do that. That’s one of the things I can do for you.”

He said the conservation authority also has to find a solution to parking on its lands.

HCA chief administrative officer Chris Firth-Eagland said HCA is going to re-open the organization’s master plan, and rebuild it with the help of Greensville residents.

He noted the root of the problem is that the waterfalls are a popular attraction.

“We’ve got the second highest waterfalls in the province, perhaps with those two waterfalls together, the trail, the gorge and the lookout, we have perhaps the second-most visited waterfall site in the province,” he explained. “We all know how amazing it is and we all know there are many, many problems.”

Firth-Eagland noted the falls and the community are in transition. He pointed out that areas of Greensville, including Short Road, are built in 1820s fashion. He said the biggest issue with the falls is a lack of capacity – including a lack of parking capacity.

Consultants have told the conservation authority that the park has a maximum sustainable limit of 3,000 people, said Firth-Eagland. However, the HCA has no idea how many visitors use the park. “We have to do something to control how many people get in there.”

He added a major problem is visitors trespassing and cheating the system – not paying for parking, and instead parking in the neighbourhood. “There’s unsafe and inappropriate activities all the time,” he said. “Fence busting, selfies on the edge of the waterfalls, trespassing, trampling and snapping saplings off to make walking sticks, littering and parking behaviours.”

Marketing of the area has also contributed to the problem.

“We don’t have a handle on the marketing because it’s gotten away on us all,” Firth-Eagland said, highlighting the role of social media. “The wrong message is out there and we need to develop the right message.”

He noted based upon the registration on vehicles, visitors come from as far away as Halton and Mississauga.

Another big issue is that the park is porous.

“You can get in in so many different ways and so many aspects, until that is dealt with, it will be part of not being able to solve the problem,” he said. “We have to deal with perimeter management in some fashion.”

Pasuta countered that more fencing is not necessarily the answer.

“Good fences stop cattle,” he said. “Good fences don’t stop people – unless you’re in prison.”



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Last edited by thistleclub; Mar 15, 2016 at 1:26 PM.
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  #12  
Old Posted Mar 26, 2016, 1:34 PM
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Webster's Falls, Tews Falls, Christie Lake closed for icy tree hazards
(CBC Hamilton, Mar 25 2016)

If you were planning a holiday weekend jaunt to Webster's or Tews Falls, or to Christie Lake, you will need to look for other options.

The Hamilton Conservation Authority announced Friday afternoon it would close those areas on Saturday until further notice.

Freezing rain and ice that affected Greensville in Flamborough also affected the trees in the conservation area.

"The recent ice storm that hit the local Greensville area has much of the forest canopy wrapped in an icy grip posing serious hazard tree issues at these conservation areas," the authority said....

Meanwhile, the Dundas Valley Conservation Area has reopened to the public. But you should still be careful on the public trails, as there are still pockets of ice.
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  #13  
Old Posted May 10, 2016, 11:58 PM
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HCA increases Webster Falls admission price
(Hamilton Spectator, Joel OpHardt, May 10 2016)

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is increasing admission prices at Webster Falls in an effort to curb the influx of visitors on weekends.

Effective May 21, visitors will pay a $10 parking fee and an additional $5 per person to gain access to the Webster Falls/Spencer Gorge parking area, an HCA media release said.

Between May 21 and Oct. 31, HCA membership passes will not gain free admittance on weekends. In all other HCA conservation areas the membership passes will remain valid on weekends and admittance fees appear to remain unchanged.

The HCA cites the number of visitors affecting the conservation area's ecological health, and traffic congestion in the Greensville area as the primary reasons for the increase in price.
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  #14  
Old Posted May 11, 2016, 11:55 PM
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^Wow...
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  #15  
Old Posted May 16, 2016, 4:47 PM
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It was only a matter of time until the GTA found out how beautiful those falls are. It's too bad they have to charge money, but steps needed to be taken to limit the number of people visiting, otherwise the park would be ruined.
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  #16  
Old Posted May 28, 2016, 3:48 PM
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Webster Falls stairs gone to help protect natural wonder
(Hamilton Spectator, May 28 2016)

The Hamilton Conservation Authority has removed an aging set of stairs leading to the bottom of Webster Falls to help protect the natural wonder from environmental degradation.

"If nothing is done, the ecosystem will be eroded," Chris Firth-Eagland, chief administrative officer of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, said Friday.

Moreover, the 120-step staircase built about 60 years ago was narrow and not up to code, putting visitors at risk of going off the path and injuring themselves.

At the bottom, people climbing on the area's embankments and walking around the waterfall was causing environmental degradation.

In early May, the HCA announced a fee hike to lighten the impact of increased visitors to Webster Falls, which are off Harvest Road in Dundas.

The HCA estimates the park saw 140,000 visitors in 2015, up from about 80,000 two years earlier.

The staircase had already been closed for some time, but visitors were finding a way to bypass fencing to access the stairs, said Firth-Eagland.

As a result, they have been completely removed.



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Old Posted May 31, 2016, 4:57 AM
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I don't disagree with the reasons this was done, but the odds are probably high that one of the next Websters Falls news stories will be about someone who got stranded (or worse, hopefully not) trying to make their way down to the base.
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  #18  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2016, 8:53 PM
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Originally Posted by ScreamingViking View Post
I don't disagree with the reasons this was done, but the odds are probably high that one of the next Websters Falls news stories will be about someone who got stranded (or worse, hopefully not) trying to make their way down to the base.
Aug 8 2016: Rope rescue lifts injured man from base of Webster Falls
Aug 1 2016: Firefighters perform rope rescue at Webster's Falls in Greensville
July 18 2016: Man dies in Albion Falls plunge
June 9 2016: Young man dies after falling into Devil's Punchbowl
May 29, 2016: Teenager rescued after fall at Albion Falls
May 21 2016: Good weather keeps firefighters busy rescuing waterfalls visitors from gorges
Feb 28 2016: Man falls from Albion Falls
Feb 7 2016: Hamilton fire performing rope rescue at Tews Falls
Nov 7 2015: Rope rescue relieves family in distress at Borer’s Falls
Oct 15 2015: Hamilton fire crews rescue hikers in Greensville
Aug 24 2015: Fire crews conduct rope rescue to assist injured hiker at Tew's Falls
Aug 6 2015: Family narrowly escapes massive falling oak tree at Webster’s Falls
July 19 2015: Two women hurt after tumble at Albion Falls
June 25 2015: Twenty-five firefighters rescue lost teens from Devil’s Punchbowl
May 6 2015: Massive oak tree cut down at Tiffany Falls after nurse killed
July 28 2014: Police, fire, EMS perform rope rescue at Tews Falls
July 23 2014: Death at Devil's Punchbowl not considered criminal: police
May 25 2014: Women rescued at Tew's Falls lucky to escape with minor injuries
Aug 27 2012: Police investigating sudden death at Devil's Punchbowl
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Old Posted Aug 11, 2016, 7:46 PM
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Webster’s Falls to set become a car-free zone
(Dundas Star, Richard Leitner, Aug 11 2016)

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is preparing to close all parking lots at Webster’s Falls on weekends and holidays between Victoria Day and the end of October.

Chief administrative officer Chris Firth-Eagland said the change, set to take effect this fall, is awaiting some final discussions with the city on also imposing a parking ban on neighbouring streets on those days.

Visitors will have the option of walking to the park or taking a new privately run shuttle bus service from Mizener’s Antiques and Flea Market on Highway 5.

It’s the latest attempt to address neighbours’ complaints about traffic congestion at the popular Greensville park and comes just months after the authority hiked parking and entrance fees to discourage large crowds.

“We’re trying to drive towards giving the community some relief from having all these cars and parking on their streets and jamming up the whole community,” Firth-Eagland said.

Think Greensville, the shuttle-bus operator, will be allowed to sell up to 3,000 wristbands per day at $5 apiece. The wristbands will give visitors access to Webster’s Falls and any other conservation area.

In return, Think Greensville will pocket the $10 charge for parking at Mizener’s, which is about four kilometres away and has room for 1,000 vehicles.

Firth-Eagland said the authority believes Webster’s can handle up to 3,000 people but won’t reach that peak at any time because visitors won’t stay the full day.

“We feel it’s a very reasonable number to not get the park over capacity,” he said. “It’s not at this time the capacity of the park; it’s the capacity of the surrounding lands. We don’t have the parking infrastructure to support that many people.”



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Old Posted Sep 20, 2016, 2:05 AM
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Funding shortfall, spiking population cited as culprits of Hamilton’s waterfall woes
(Hamilton Spectator, Teviah Moro, Sept 19 2016)

Wrist bands, parking fees, paid-duty police — it looks like a plan to control crowds at a massive rock concert.

But these are just some of the measures the city is exploring to manage a spike in visitors to Hamilton's waterfalls.

"That's all part of the brainstorming stage," Tennessee Propedo, the city's parks manager, said in recent interview.

After years of promotion, the surging popularity of Hamilton's waterfalls is starting to sting.

Great for tourism, but no so much for reluctant host communities, such as tiny Greensville, which is besieged with traffic — automobile and human — from spring to fall.

The spike in interest has led to more fire department-orchestrated rope rescues down the mouths of deep, rocky gorges.

The ecological fallout is also a big concern, with visitors leaving behind litter and wearing down vegetation, root systems, watercourses and rocks.

"It's a fine balance between nature and curiosity that you have to maintain," Propedo said.

Waterfalls in Hamilton are on city, private or conservation authority land. All types are feeling the effects of increased visits, their stewards say.

Propedo has met with Chris Firth-Eagland, chief administrative officer of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, to compare notes on how to strike that balance.

The HCA estimates Webster Falls hosted 140,000 people in 2015, up from roughly 80,000 two years earlier. (More than 80 per cent of those visitors are from the Greater Toronto Area, the authority notes.)

Social media and the quest for selfies with spectacular vistas as backdrops are driving more people to Hamilton waterfalls, Firth-Eagland said.

Loutish behaviour — fence-hopping, ignoring signs, littering, trespassing — has accompanied the influx.

"We're not prepared to deal with the selfie-taking, civil-disobedient crowd that doesn't come to see these areas for the same reasons as we used to go to these areas for," Firth-Eagland said.

Greensville is on the front lines of waterfall mania.

Residents along the small roads that lead to Spencer Gorge/Webster Falls Conservation Area are fed up with traffic jams, parking problems, litter and trespassing.

Some are critical of how the HCA has handled the issue, hiking fees and backing a private shuttle service — now stalled — to ferry 3,000 visitors a day on weekends to the falls while closing parking lots.

Such measures "seem inconsistent with trying to limit access, community impact or environmental impact," Marc Brittain, chair of the waterfalls' community liaison committee, wrote in an email to The Spectator. "They are consistent with a goal of maximizing revenue," he added.

That's not the end game, Firth-Eagland said.

"Sure, money is money, but we have pumped and continue to pump a lot of extra funding into the park," he said, noting HCA operates on about $14 million a year.

Webster Falls isn't an island of woe unto itself — over-visitation is a problem at many natural areas in Ontario, said Wayne Terryberry, vice-president of the Ontario Trails Council.

Park infrastructure — such as parking lots, signs, fencing, washrooms and trails — hasn't kept pace with a growing population, said Terryberry, who is also McMaster University's outdoor recreation co-ordinator.

"We kind of addressed it in the '60s and we haven't really kept up."



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