November 2 update: No updates from Staff on the recommendations of of yet. Keep an eye on the public consultation page on Engage Hamilton here.

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Your comments are needed by September 30, 2025!

It turns out that building a road through a provincially significant wetland (PSW) is bad for nature, property owners and Hamilton taxpayers. Safari Road in Flamborough traverses the Hyde-Rockton-Beverly Complex, identified as a PSW and a “Key Natural Heritage and Key Hydrologic Feature Wetland” within the City’s Official Plan.

As highlighted by the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC), this important wetland provides habitat for countless species, including at least 3 federally and provincially recognized Species at Risk (SAR) (Prothonotary Warbler, Least Bittern, & Blandings Turtle) which have been documented using the wetland during their breeding season. There are multiple records of species that have been killed on the road while it was open to traffic. Since it is subject to historical flooding it has now been closed to general traffic for about five years.

Please provide comments in your own words via the public consultation website and vote for the adoption of Alternative #2 - the permanent closure of the road to mitigate significant roadkill issues, reduce winter salt loads into the wetland complex, preserve the aquatic habitat, make good on Hamilton's pledge to increase biodiversity, and stop habitat fragmentation.

Tuesday September 30, 2025 is the deadline to provide comments at Engage Hamilton - Safari Road 

Take a moment to look over the materials at the link above including the PIC2 2 slide presentation that describes the area:

• Woodland and wetland habitats which support a large diversity of flora and fauna, including some at-risk and area sensitive species

• Sheffield Rockton Wetland Complex, a provincially significant wetland (PSW), which supports several specialized bird and reptile species

• Several Species at Risk (SAR) birds found within the study area

• Watercourse and wetland that provide direct fish habitat for a warm-cool water fish community  

HNC’s comments: Hamilton has implemented a Biodiversity Action Plan which identifies 4 key threats to biodiversity. One of these is fragmentation of natural areas, particularly by roads. An Action that the City has committed to is 3.1 which will “Investigate, identify and prioritize wildlife corridors particularly where roads bisect Core Areas identified within the Natural Heritage System and respond by investigating appropriate best management practices and tools.” In Action 7.5 the City committed to “Consider the Biodiversity Action Plan when initiating City projects and studies, looking for opportunities for mitigation of key threats to local biodiversity.

We believe that Safari Road should be removed from the Truck Routes Network which designates it as a full-time truck route. This designation is driving Staff's preferred alternative which is to raise up and widen the road but we believe the integrity of the wetland should not be compromised to provide a faster route for trucks and cars when there are parallel roads that can and have been used since the road was closed several years ago. 

Safari Road is also part of the Cycling Master Plan and therefore Complete Streets Guidelines require that if the road is raised, it is also widened to add a shoulder on each side. We support adding cycling infrastructure on parallel roads but this should not be used as a justification to raise and widen Safari Road which will negatively impact this wetland complex.

Residents and businesses have by now adapted to the long time closure and we believe keeping Safari Road closed would honour the City's commitment to biodiversity, stop the fragmentation of habitat by roads, cut down on salt in the wetland complex, and save taxpayers the costs of re-engineering, re-building, and maintaining this road. 

Remember to provide your comments by Tuesday, September 30 and please share with friends and family.

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