Two year fundraising campaign thrusts OAC into land conservancy movement in partnership with Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.
Kimberley, ON – On October 8, 2014, the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC) presented the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) with a cheque for $130,000 to be used towards the purchase of a land parcel located at the base of Old Baldy Conservation Area in Kimberley, Ontario. This action initiates the OAC as stewards of the land conservancy movement and marks the culmination of a two year fundraising campaign to purchase the land. The partnership between the OAC and the GSCA addresses climbing access to Old Baldy and ensures its protection for future generations of recreational land use.
Old Baldy, the birthplace of the modern style of bolt-protected sport climbing in Ontario, is a historically significant climbing area for climbers. With over 100 rock climbs from beginner to expert, the area has been enjoyed by climbers for over 40 years. It affords expansive views for climbers and hikers over the lands of the Beaver Valley.
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), The Alpine Club of Canada – Toronto Section, OntarioClimbing.com and The Alpine Club of Canada – National demonstrated significant leadership in the community by supporting the OAC regarding this project. Their funding, with the additional support of numerous individual donors from the climbing community, were crucial in raising the necessary funds to make this OAC initiative a reality.
Major funding was provided by:
- MEC — $100,000
- The Alpine Club of Canada Toronto Section — $10,000 (plus $1,410 from members)
- Ontarioclimbing.com — $6,000
- The Alpine Club of Canada National — $5,000
The OAC especially recognizes the MEC contribution. MEC has been a partner of the OAC since 2009. With this donation, MEC continues to demonstrate support for access to recreational lands across Canada, particularly climbing access. The Ontario climbing community owes a special thanks to MEC for stepping forward early to kick start this initiative with their generous donation.
Additional Partners with the OAC and GSCA who supplied critical funds to finalize this initiative are as follows:
- The Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) donated $25,000. The BTC is a consistent champion of protecting the Niagara Escarpment and has been instrumental in working towards its environmental protection. Only fifty percent of the 890km Bruce Trail is safe from development; year after year, the BTC raises millions towards conservation.
- The Nature League donated $2,000. Several years ago the Nature League funded the current parking area for Old Baldy Conservation Area and continues to show its support through their donation.
The OAC plans to maintain partnerships with the BTC and the Nature League in a continued effort to preserve Escarpment lands from development.
The Old Baldy purchase demonstrates that climber-led groups are capable of raising significant capital to preserve access to Ontario climbing areas; a model that the OAC will continue to adopt. This community-led approach is consistent with an evolving access strategy model that sees access groups purchasing property to preserve lands and make them available for public recreation.
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ABOUT THE OAC
The Ontario Access Coalition is an independent volunteer nonprofit organization working to preserve access to climbing and bouldering areas. The OAC helps to conserve the climbing environment by resolving Ontario climbing access issues by engaging with and educating the climbing community. Our team is committed to and passionate about working with the community, land owners, conservation authorities, and other property managers to educate, mediate and negotiate on behalf of climbers, in order to bring all parties together in a manner that is mutually respectful of one another’s needs. www.ontarioaccesscoalition.com
For images and more information contact info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com
ABOUT OLD BALDY
Old Baldy Conservation Area, located near Kimberley, Ontario, is frequented by many outdoor lovers thanks to its trail system and stunning position overlooking the Beaver Valley. Rock climbers can sample over 100 routes from beginner to expert on the beautiful dolostone of the Niagara Escarpment. Old Baldy is a historically significant climbing area for Ontario climbers, who have enjoyed the cliff for over 40 years.
Read more about Old Baldy here: http://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/2014/10/20/old-baldy
courtesy Mike Penney
Old Baldy is an excellent Escarpment cliff with almost 100 rock climbs of varying grades. One of the first cliffs to dry in wet weather, Old Baldy features pocketed limestone sport and trad routes in a beautiful setting looking out over the Beaver Valley. We’re ecstatic to announce that, with the help of our partners and the Ontario rock climbing community, we have secured access to Old Baldy for rock climbing. On this page, you can read about the history of Old Baldy as a climbing area and how we have secured access to it.
Historical Context
The cliffs at Old Baldy are on Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) land, near the village of Kimberley. Old Baldy abuts the Bruce Trail and hikers have enjoyed the views for decades. The cliff base, as well as access to the cliff, have been on private land, and the GSCA has historically had an arrangement to permit access to recreational users.
Rock climbing’s recorded history at Old Baldy dates back to a visit by John Kaandorp and Pete Zabrok in 1982. (A pinnacle-top cairn and various documentary evidence indicate that technical climbing occurred even earlier; there are mentions of an outing to “Kimberly Rock” on June 17-18, 1972, led by Dave Read.)
Sport climbing became popular at Old Baldy around 1989. Soon thereafter, the GSCA closed Old Baldy to climbing, as reported in the 1991 Escarpment guidebook. [1] In the mid-90s, the Alpine Club of Canada Toronto Section’s Access Committee and the GSCA negotiated a permit system to allow climbing access. This system was primarily negotiated by the important Ontario climber Judy Barnes. The permit fees covered the cost of administering access to the crag, including the arrangement with the private landowner.
Recent Events
courtesy Mike Penney
In 2013, the private landowner listed the land adjacent to Old Baldy for sale. This land is key to Old Baldy access; a friendly landowner ensures that access will continue, while an unfriendly landowner would threaten access to the cliff. The GSCA indicated that it would be interested in helping to preserve access to Old Baldy by administering this land, if the OAC could find money to purchase it. Over the next 18 months, we’ve managed to build a coalition of institutional and grassroots donors. Our many supporters have worked hard to make the land transaction a reality. Much thanks!
Gus Alexandropoulos, who runs the ontarioclimbing.com internet forum, organized a climber-focussed fundraising campaign which raised over $6,000. This contribution helped improve the viability of an OAC proposal to Mountain Equipment Co-Op’s Land Acquisition grant program. We gratefully acknowledge MEC’s significant support of $100,000, a capstone donation for this project. The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority and the Bruce Trail Conservancy also made large donations of $25,000 each, along with the Alpine Club of Canada Toronto at $10,000, ACC National at $5,000, and the Nature League at $2,000, which were instrumental in enabling us to complete the transaction.
The Future
The Old Baldy transaction has been made official. What does this mean for you as a climber?
- GSCA and OAC have agreed (in writing) that rock climbing is a permitted activity on some GSCA lands (e.g. Old Baldy);
- Going forward, GSCA will own and administer the Old Baldy lands.
Enjoy the rock!
See also: Old Baldy Press Release
[1] “Unfortunately, the cliff has been closed to climbing, as both the private landowner and Grey Sauble Conservation Authority have refused to grant climbers permission to use their property. Please respect their decision, and climb at the other cliffs in the area where access is not a problem.” p138, Escarpment: A Climbers’ GuideWe are pleased to release a new edition of the Crag Status Document [download PDF]. Use it to find out about the access status of crags in Ontario. New in this version: short area descriptions and Google Maps links for the crags. It includes information about crags in Niagara, Milton, Beaver Valley, Bruce Peninsula, Eastern Ontario and Lake Superior. Happy climbing!
“You are adventurers, you are people who have love for the earth, and so we have more common ground than we would think” – words of Gaisheda Kheawok from Whispering Song Teaching Lodge during the Beaver Valley Climbing Festival’s opening ceremony at Metcalfe Rock. “The earth has a consciousness, and it is talking to you, which is why you came here. It speaks to you and soothes your soul in every way that is right for you. That is really the alchemy of the earth’s consciousness and your consciousness. It is a conversation.” Kheawok’s blessing left everyone feeling high-spirited and gallant for the day’s journey.
The festival, now in its second year, had a large turnout of climbers, curious non-climbers, families and friends. Envisioned and organized by local companies, Free Spirit Tours and On The Rocks, the festival was an amazing success, raising over $6000 to support current and upcoming OAC projects, such as a proposed climber’s parking lot at Devil’s Glen. An even greater success of the event was uniting climbers with land managers and local businesses – a rare opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the Beaver Valley together.
Rock climbing may have been the reason we all gathered together, but it was not the only activity featured in the festival. Throughout the day, alternative activities such as caving, rappelling, and slack-lining were popular, as were the yoga sessions led by Two the Core and the bike demos by Ride Guides. The family-friendly festival offered lots of fun for the young adventurers in attendance with a scavenger hunt, a Kids Survival Camp, and face painting. Of course, being a climbing festival there was plenty of climbing happening – beginner clinics, a training and nutrition session by At Last Adventures, climbing comps, and the Women’s Rock Star clinic put on by festival organizer Leslie Timms.
Metcalfe’s bridge area acted as the central hub for the day’s events. Participants gathered here before venturing out for their clinics. Representatives from the OAC and the Alpine Club of Canada answered questions about climbing and access.
The bridge’s most popular spot was with Sonya Lee Reimer, the massage therapist from Living in Balance. Offering massages at just a dollar a minute it is easy to see why she was fully booked all day, with all the proceeds being donated to the OAC!
The festival volunteers were easy to approach and very personable; the whole atmosphere of the event was warm and welcoming. And the day ran without a hitch, which is a testament to the great organization, energy and commitment put in by everyone involved.
The aerial silk performance by Aerial Silks Collingwood wowed the audience, and wrapped up the activities at Metcalfe Rock. The festival continued at Rob Roy Dogsled Farm with live music and food catered by The Flying Chestnut (a very climber friendly establishment located in Eugenia). Activities continued into the night with the G6 Rock Climbing pull-up competition, and the Canadian National Ice Climbing Team’s figure-4 challenge, which not only raised $155 for the OAC but also created awareness for competition climbing in Canada. It is safe to say that everyone who participated had a great time!
Thank you On The Rocks Climbing and Free Spirit Tours for organizing such a wonderful event in support of the OAC. Thank you to all the sponsors and to those who have put a lot of time and energy into making this amazing festival a reality.
–written by Elli Levene and Justin Dwyer
–photos by Elli Levene and Dennis Barnes
The OAC is calling on photographers to submit their best photos of Ontario crags for the annual Ontario Crags Calendar!
Amateur and professional photographers will have a chance to be featured in the 2015 calendar and win a rope! To enter the OAC 2015 calendar photo contest, post your best photos on the Ontario Access Coalition Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ontario.climbing) or on Twitter (@OACclimbing) by Sept. 24, 2014. All Facebook and Twitter entries should include the hashtag #OACcalendar.
Please submit photos with landscape orientation (i.e. horizontal) and of climbers at Ontario crags. We aim to highlight the wide variety of climbing that Ontario has to offer, i.e. ICE, SPORT, TRAD and BOULDERING and as many different crags and different times of year as possible.
Submit your photos before Sept. 24 to be eligible to win. Three finalists will be chosen by the OAC board of directors for an online public vote. From Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, OAC followers will be invited to “like” their favourite photo in an online Facebook gallery; the photo with the most likes will be awarded the grand prize.
All photo submissions will be considered for the 2015 Ontario Crags Calendar. If yours is selected, it will be credited and you will be gifted a free 2015 calendar!
Share your photos and help raise awareness and funds in support of the Ontario Access Coalition!
Click OAC 2015 Calendar Photo Contest Rules for contest’s official rules.