Council approves land restoration project at Pioneer Tower in Kitchener

Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower is seen in this image from June 2017. (Facebook/Woodside National Historic Site, Parks Canada)

An Indigenous-focused land restoration project at the Pioneer Tower Natural Area has been approved by Kitchener city council.

The project, given the green light on Monday, will help create sustainable, traditional food and medicines, increase biodiversity through habitat restoration and reintroduce natural species, the city said.

Working with local Indigenous organizations, White Owl Native Ancestry Association and Wisahkotewinoak Urban Indigenous Garden Collective, along with Conestoga College, the city said they are planning a restoration of the 15-hecatre property.

A portion of the land, located by the Grand River near Sportsworld Drive, is owned by the city and another portion is managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).

The city said it is currently working with the GRCA to finalize a maintenance agreement.

Conestoga College is funding the project through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) grant, which will help support education and land-based learning in the college’s Indigenous studies program.

Early stages of the land restoration project are slated to start late spring 2023. Public engagement is expected to take place in the coming weeks.