5 Frames on a Foggy Day in the Dundas Valley

We are blessed here in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – once known as “The Steel City”.  Blessed in terms of possessing nearly 4,400 hectares (10,900 acres) of land preserved for its natural beauty.  The City of Hamilton certainly was, and remains today, although to a much lesser degree – an industrial and manufacturing hub for both national and international exports. There is another side to the city however.

In the 1950’s some of the rural municipalities outside of the city pushed the provincial government to establish a watershed management program for the region.  At the time, the city was rapidly expanding and it was important to temper urban expansion with prudent stewardship of the environment.  Through numerous incarnations, what began in the 50’s has become the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA).  In addition the the 4,400 hectares of natural land it now controls, it also influences, with the cooperation of privately held land, the land use of an additional 5,820 hectares (14,380 acres).  Broadly speaking the mandate of HCA is to stabilize local ecosystems, habitat protection and restoration, water quality monitoring, flood forecasting and control, and wildlife management.

HCA holdings are spread primarily over 13 “parks”, most of which are accessible by way of extensive trail systems.  The Dundas Valley Conservation Area is the largest among them. I happen to live less than a 10 minutes drive from one of its entry points.

One foggy early May morning I loaded my Hasselblad 500C/M with a roll of Kodak Tri-X.  These photographs are some of the more satisfying to me, but less consequential dividends enjoyed today as a result of the foresight of those of a generation ago.  These images would not be possible if not for the forward thinking souls who conceived the concept of the management and preservation of our local natural resources.

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