It's a rare example of a collaboration between a local group of naturalists, a municipality and a multinational giant mining company.
Tuesday morning, all three gathered to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Broken Hills Proprietary Company (BHP) (formerly Rio Algom Ltd), the City of Elliot Lake and the volunteers from the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists, coming together in a shared stewardship project at the Sheriff Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in the city.
They did it at a signing ceremony at nearby Westview Park.
The Penokean Hills Field Naturalists group has been the stewards of the bird sanctuary, also a great city recreational asset, for a quarter-century.
“The Sheriff Creek sanctuary is a great example of what can be accomplished when organizations with divergent interests and goals cooperate with each other," said Penokean President Marg Reckahn.
"The sanctuary has become an area where wildlife can thrive and also an area where people can get out and walk and benefit from what nature can give to us," she added.
She displayed the Tom Peters Award trophy which the group won for its work at Sheriff Creek. The award was presented by the Canadian Mining Reclamation Association.
Reckahn noted the sanctuary attracted 4,609 visitors last year. They came from all over Canada, parts of the United States and even Europe.
There was no doubt many more but those are just the people who signed the visitor's registry.
The bird sanctuary is located on the site of the former Milliken Tailings Management Area.
The original joint stewardship agreement was signed by the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists and Rio Algom Limited (now BHP) in 1997. The work of the volunteer members and friends of the group, with support from BHP and the City of Elliot Lake, has been going on ever since.
When you walk the trail, any sign of years of mining operations in the sanctuary and wildlife area developed on 182 hectares (450 acres) of wetlands are barely detectable.
The area includes marsh, bog, and shoreline, along with mixed forest, regenerating woodlands and areas that resulted from forestry and mining in the late 1950s.
“This is a historic day here in Elliot Lake as we come together in the spirit of renewing a partnership that reinforces the ideals of environmental stewardship,” said Mayor Dan Marchisella.
He said the city looks forward to another 25 years of successful partnership.
“Being able to personally see and monitor over the last 25 years as damaged land from decades of mining has been able to convert back into lush, clean and safe marshland hosting a multitude of life, has been amazing,” the mayor continued.
The renewed shared stewardship agreement outlines how the three entities will work providing continued public walking and hiking access while protecting biodiversity and the habitats of birds, animals, and native plants.
BHP provided funding to the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists this year to improve the educational experience in the area through better interpretive signage on the walking paths.
Reckahn said BHP does all the heavy lifting while her volunteers clear branches and do maintenance work.
“We are proud to partner with the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists and the city on this important nature and volunteer-driven restoration project that continues to flourish and benefit the community of Elliot Lake, " said Kate Sommerville, BHP General Manager of Legacy Assets for North America.
She concluded, "BHP greatly appreciates the tremendous volunteer work of the dedicated members of the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists, and the continued collaboration with the City of Elliot Lake.”