Niska parkland

Land acquisition

In January 2026, the City of Guelph and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) announced intentions to reach an agreement for the City to purchase 126.16 acres of land along Niska Road for $756,960. The organizations are working towards an agreement for the City to purchase:

101.41 acres north of Niska Road, including the site of the former Frank Kortright Waterfowl Management Area and the neighbouring agricultural field; and
24.75 acres of Natural Heritage System south of Niska Road.

In working towards the land transfer agreement, the City asked the GRCA to commit a portion of the land sale funds to trail development, in recognition of the City’s historical financial contribution to the land assembly. The GRCA board has approved the contribution of up to $350,000 from the GRCA’s Master Plans reserve fund to be used for trail construction and restoration work as a demonstration of its resolve to honour the commitments in the Niska Landholdings Management Plan and conserving the environmental features on these lands.

Map of the proposed acquisition, with the land up for transfer outlined in yellow. Shaded areas on the map indicate other City-owned properties.

Parkland plans and timelines

Completion of the land purchase will take place over the early months of 2026 and is just the beginning of future development of the park space. No specific budget or timelines are associated with park creation on the property currently, but the land coming into City ownership opens future potential. We anticipate:

quickly starting work on partnering with the GRCA and community groups to restore access to former trails through the property, in line with our Official Plan,
future budget planning for:
- community engagement,
- park space development and amenity design and construction

While the final form of the new park is years away, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Guelph community to guide what takes shape. This webpage will share all the latest project updates and details.

What about the other parcel of land zoned for development?

There’s lots of community interest and advocacy around the 20-acre agricultural field bounded by Niska Road, Pioneer Trail and Ptarmigan Drive. That parcel of land, also owned by the GRCA, is currently not up for sale. If the GRCA begins the land disposition process, guided by the policies found on their website, the City will continue our advocacy as directed by Council and in acknowledgement of the City’s role in the property’s initial assembly and the community’s concerns and perspectives.

That property is zoned as medium density residential and low density residential, permitting development, and the community has questions as to how and why it’s zoned that way.

Funding for GRCA’s land acquisition

In 1972, the provincial Treasury Board issued the Review of the Planning for the Grand River Watershed report, which included a recommendation to acquire land to support the construction of the Hespeler Reservoir.

In 1976, the City of Guelph Council directed the City to provide up to $124,000 for the GRCA to acquire the Ontario Waterfowl Park along Niska Road.

In 1977, the GRCA acquired 116 acres, known as the Ontario Waterfowl Park (or Kortright Waterfowl Park) for $300,000, as per the property deed. According to historical records, the property was purchased by the GRCA for $300,000, funded approximately:

60% by the province,
30% by the City, and
10% by the GRCA.

The Conservation Authorities Act (1970) in effect at the time required the City’s financial contribution as a municipal levy and did not give the City any ownership stake in the land. The City did not enter into an agreement to be on title and has not acted as an owner of the property for the duration of GRCA’s ownership.

Land use restrictions and zoning changes

In the 1970’s, many conservation authorities in Ontario actively acquired and assembled lands with provincial funding available from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) for watershed capital projects. In 1971, through a report titled Review of Planning for the Grand River Watershed, the Treasury Board recommended that the GRCA acquire lands to support the Hespeler Reservoir as a flood control project. In 1971, the GRCA purchased approximately 44 acres of land on Niska Road in Guelph. In 1977, the GRCA purchased an additional 116 acres from the Ontario Waterfowl Research Foundation in support of the same project. In 1982 the construction of such a reservoir was deemed unnecessary, and the recommendation was removed through the GRCA’s 1982 Grand River Basin Water Management Study.

Dating back to at least 1950, the 20-acre parcel south of Niska Road has been used as an agricultural field and historically functioned as a potential source of feed stock for the waterfowl or was leased as source of revenue for the facility.

This parcel is not in the floodplain, and does not have any identified natural heritage features or perform a conservation function according to the best information available. Parts of the other parcels of the Niska land are designated as part of the City’s Natural Heritage System. The Natural Heritage System is made up of various natural heritage features and areas, such as wetlands and woodlands. Generally, development is not permitted within the Natural Heritage System.

A timeline of the planning decisions pertaining to the parcel of Niska land zoned to allow medium density residential development is as follows:

June 16, 2006 – the provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe takes effect, directing municipalities to designate and plan for growth to the year 2031.
June 10, 2009 – the City of Guelph Council adopts Official Plan Amendment 39 (OPA 39), aligning the City’s Official Plan with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 2006. No changes were made to the Niska property’s land use designation, and it was identified as Greenfield Area. This was considered Phase 1 of the Envision Guelph Official Plan Update.
November 20, 2009 – The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approves OPA 39.
March 17, 2010 – The Ontario Municipal Board modifies OPA 39. The Ontario Municipal Board modifications did not affect the Niska property.
April 2010 – Early drafts of what will become Official Plan Amendment 48 (OPA 48) are made available.
January 30, 2012 – the City of Guelph Council receives a report on Phase 3 of the Envision Guelph Official Plan Update. A staff-prepared draft of what will become Official Plan Amendment 48 is made available for public review and comment prior to a Statutory Public Meeting. The draft shows the parcel of Niska property as proposed for re-designation to medium density residential and low density greenfield residential. A public comment against the change is responded to, with the staff recommendation remaining in support of the re-designation.
February 29 and March 6, 2012 – Open houses about OPA 48 are held, in accordance with the Planning Act, featuring presentation slides and display boards.
April 2, 2012 – City Council holds a Statutory Public Meeting for OPA 48, in accordance with the Planning Act.
June 5, 2012 – City Council adopts OPA 48, including the re-designation of the Niska property. A public comment against the change is responded to by staff, noting that “increased densities are supported in the greenfield areas of the City to support compact development which contributes toward the achievement of the density targets for the greenfield area. Medium density development in the greenfield area is an efficient use of land and services.”
December 11, 2013 – The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing modifies and approves OPA 48. The modifications from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing do not adjust OPA 48’s designation of the Niska lands as medium density residential.
2013-2017 – OPA 48 receives multiple appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board. One of the appeals concerned, among other things, the re-designation of the Niska parcel.
March 2018 – Minutes of Settlement are prepared and executed between the City of Guelph, the Grand River Conservation Authority and the appellant to the re-designation of the Niska parcel. As part of the Minutes of Settlement the appellant agrees to withdraw the appeal of the property re-designation. The GRCA agrees to provide the public with notice and comment opportunity as part of the development of a Niska Lands Management Plan.
November 9, 2020 – The City of Guelph holds a special meeting of Council, open to the public, to discuss possible Official Plan revisions needed and begin the process for drafting Official Plan Amendment 80 (OPA 80).
May 3, 2021 – The Committee of the Whole receives the Official Plan Review Policy Paper.
May 31, 2021 – City Council receives the Official Plan Review Policy Paper.
March 22, 2022 – A statutory open house discusses draft Official Plan policies.
March 30, 2022 – A statutory public meeting included with the Council meeting discusses draft Official Plan policies.
July 11, 2022 – City Council meets and adopts OPA 80. There are no changes to the land designation of the Niska land parcel.
April 11, 2023 – The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approves OPA 80.
June 28, 2024 – The GRCA’s Niska Landholdings Management Plan is approved by the GRCA board.
Spring 2025-February 2026 – City of Guelph staff work on a multi-phase update to the Official Plan to respond to provincial and municipal policy changes made since the approval of OPA 80. This current work does not address site-specific changes to land use. Information about the ongoing work is available on our website and the project’s Have Your Say page.

Resources

For more information

Luke Jefferson,
Strategic Property Advisor, Economic Development and Tourism
Infrastructure, Development and Environment
519-822-1260 extension 2527
[email protected]

Gene Matthews,
General Manager, Parks,
Public Services
519-822-1260 extension 3337
[email protected]