The following are urgent priorities for Lake Hiawatha and surrounding parklands
Storm sewer mitigation.
The Timely, comprehensive and effective mitigation of the “north pipe” storm sewer system as defined in previous planning discussions by the MPRB as the “open channel” option. Lake Hiawatha receives tons of trash and myriad pollutants that dump directly into the Lake via the north pipe storm sewer. This pollution severely impacts the water quality and ecological health of the Lake and its habitat. Given the scale of this particular urban sub-watershed, it is essential that an effective mitigation system be installed at the end of the line without delay, and should be a given in any public use scenario going forward.
Protection of existing habitat.
A rich and diverse community of wildlife calls Lake Hiawatha home. Any use of the Land should include protection and preservation of the areas where existing wildlife populations reside, including generous buffer zones to limit intrusion into vital habitat areas.
The creation of new wetland habitat
We support the increase of habitat zones by increasing the ecological diversity of the land surrounding Lake Hiawatha. We want to see more biodiversity, climate resilience and flood storage capacity.
Chemical Use
Discontinuation of the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on the parkland surrounding Lake Hiawatha. Given the park’s proximity to this important water resource and the porousness of the substrate, the use of these chemicals is unacceptable because of their impact on water quality, wildlife and ecological health.
Park access
Equitable and accessible uses of the Park that invite all members of our community to benefit from it as a resource, while focusing on sustainability and ecological health. We honor the Indigenous People of this land and believe they should be involved in the planning processes related to Lake Hiawatha and the surrounding parkland.