Great Lakes Heritage Coast and the Coast to Canvas Project
In January 2000, Natural Resources Minister John Snobelen announced
the launch of the Great Lakes Heritage Coast project, a forum to
create a vision for increasing the prosperity and long-term protection
of this area. The Heritage Coast is 4,200 kilometres of spectacular
coastline, running from Port Severn on Georgian Bay, north through
Sault Ste. Marie on the Saint Mary's River, along the north shore
of Lake Superior past Thunder Bay to the U.S. border, and including
Manitoulin, Cockburn and St. Joseph islands.
A Planning Vision
The Great Lakes Heritage Coast is not a land use designation --
rather it is an initiative that identifies the coast for special
planning and management consideration. This initiative supports
a comprehensive approach to the protection and enjoyment of the
significant values that are found along the coast. Past plans have
been developed for portions of the coast, but have not had an overall
vision for the area.
The Heritage Coast initiative recognizes the internationally significant
natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational values of the Lake Superior
and Lake Huron/Georgian Bay shoreline. The coast provides habitat
for numerous significant plant and animal communities, and has fisheries
habitat crucial to the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. The shoreline
was a key area for both Aboriginal peoples and early explorers.
The area offers some of the best -- if not the best -- freshwater
boating in the world. The windswept rocky shores are a key part
of the image of Ontario and Canada.
Comprehensive Management
The Great Lakes Heritage Coast will be managed to:
· protect its outstanding scenic beauty and natural ecosystems;
· promote the potential for recreation and tourism and other
economic benefits through the establishment of a network of parks
and protected areas and complementary tourism infrastructure;
· ensure that only development that is compatible with the
overall policy intent for the area is permitted; and,
· foster cooperation, education, and public information and
partnerships with other levels of governments, Aboriginal communities,
and interest groups in the planning and management of this coastal
area.
Art and the Coast
The majesty of the rocky, windswept shores of the Heritage Coast
has long inspired artists and writers. Rock paintings that date
back from 100 to several thousand years can be seen at a number
of sites along the coast, the work of early Objibwe and their Algonkian-speaking
ancestors. In the early days of European exploration and settlement,
artists such as Paul Kane, William Armstrong and Frances Ann Hopkins
documented frontier life on canvas. The members of the Group of
Seven are the most famous artists associated with the coast, particularly
the Algoma and Georgian Bay areas. Today, the rugged and beautiful
landscape continues to inspire artists and photographers.
The Coast to Canvas Project
In Spring 2000, the Ministry of Natural Resources commissioned artist
Cory Trépanier to create a painting that celebrated the Heritage
Coast, by depicting life above and below the waterline. The Living
Coast was the result. In his painting, Cory depicted over 25 lifeforms
of the Great Lakes coastal region.
(Click
here to purchase an artprint of The Living Coast from the Ontario
Parks store.)
It was during the research for this painting, that Cory experienced
Lake Superior and parts of Georgian Bay for the first time. This
short but inspiring trip sparked his desire to return and paint
this vast, magnificent region in great depth.
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