The Hamiton Conservation Authority Board of Directors agenda package for the September 4, 2025 meeting included correspondence between a resident who lives near the Tiffany Falls Conservation Area and the HCA’s Executive Director Lisa Burnside.
The correspondence followed reporting by this publication regarding the HCA’s plans to transform the Tiffany Falls Conservation Area. The changes include building a new parking lot off of Lower Lions Club Road which will replace the existing parking area off of Wilson Street.
Burnside’s response explains the plan is “in the early stages of this process” and there will be many points of public engagement during the process of plan approvals and modifications.
Here is the full text of Burnside’s letter:
Dear Warren Waxman,
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding the proposed parking lot on Lower Lion’s Club Road related to Tiffany Falls.
As part of efforts to address growing pressures at this popular conservation area, staff recently completed a Visitor Use Management Plan. This plan, which was reviewed by both the Conservation Advisory Board and our Board of Directors, examined current trends and challenges related to visitor access and proposed strategies to better manage these pressures over the long term.
The framework used for this plan is a well-established approach also adopted by agencies such as Parks Canada. The approved strategy includes restricting access at the existing Wilson Street lot and developing a new parking area on Lower Lion’s Club Road. This approach is not focused on increasing visitor numbers; rather, it enables the introduction of tools that help better manage visitor flow and behaviour that cannot currently be achieved at the Wilson Street location, such as a reservation system, a longer trail to help disperse use, and opportunities for enhanced education and stewardship messaging.
A reservation system has been successfully implemented at the Spencer Gorge Conservation Area, resulting in significant improvements to traffic congestion and visitor impacts in the Greensville area. Municipal parking enforcement played a supportive role in addressing related street parking concerns.
At this time, we are in the early stages of this process. Additionally, a development permit from the Niagara Escarpment Commission which includes a public consultation process will be required.
I would be pleased to speak over the phone to better understand your concerns if you could provide me with the number to reach you.
Sincerely,
Lisa Burnside
CAO
Hamilton Conservation Authority
Update: The HCA launched a webpage with information regarding this project.
Production Details
v. 1.0.1
Published: September 6, 2025
Last updated: September 7, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.0.1 added links (September 7) and fixed content display issue. Thank you for the comments regarding the display error.
In Response to Mr. Howard D
Your comments seem more like a jealous tirade than an informed opinion piece.
I was impressed with your use of special words like ” enclave” and “spurious” interspersed amidst your own reality.
For your information fences are a rarity in the LLC area. Not to give you a civics lesson but fences are legal. They provide safety for children and pets. Fences do not preclude the existence of local wildlife. Even ” red herrings” from outside the enclave have been spotted feeding on certain manicured lawns in the area.
The residents in the area do however have very serious concerns involving traffic, safety and the environment. Your only comment in support of the HCA is that you liked their drawing. I trust that is not spurious acquiescence.
It is obvious that you do not live in the area. It is obvious that you have a counter agenda to our local concerned residents. It is obvious that you support government overreach!
I saw some signs advocating against this project but they are all on the rich peoples’ houses along lower lions club road who, presumably, quite enjoy their semi-private low-traffic enclave and do not want more of the general public driving on the road they share. Their petition claims that this 30-spot parking area will cause issues with wildlife migration patterns – a claim that seems quite spurious coming from people with fenced in and gated sprawling manicured properties that are each several times larger than this relatively small parking lot. Are they willing to take their fences down for the wildlife? I think not. People want to see the falls – and they should be able to. The city needs to improve access for bikes and transit too. But people are going to drive there no matter what. These nimby reactions hopefully will not derail the project. I looked at the drawings and the plan seems considerate to the environment and appropriately conservative in scale. This hiking area needs to be better managed and the HCA seems to be on the right track here.
Thank you for the comment. My apology on the delay approving it.
Hey Joey,
Just a heads up, the email you quoted was hard to read because there are parts of sentences that are doubled, including the first sentences of the first 3 paragraphs.
Thank you for your work.
Thank you for flagging.
There was a glitch between what I see logged-in and what was published. I’ve fixed it.
Thank you again, I could not see the error.