Wetland in west Ottawa lost status after land was cleared [Video]

A large provincially significant wetland in Ottawa’s rural west end has lost its status after a property owner cleared brush and trees.

From David Manchester Road, just north of a toy store and a tractor retailer, one can see logs piled and vegetation starting to grow back. The owner was fined and now has a remediation agreement with the conservation authority. 

But it wasn’t the cutting in 2021 that led to the 41.5-hectare wetland losing protections, so much as the way the wetland was reopened for evaluation under the Ontario government’s updated and controversial points system.

• Ottawa wetlands cut from ‘provincially significant’ list

This area of swamp and marsh, located just southwest of the junction of highways 7 and 417, used to enjoy top-level provincial protection and was part of the sprawling Goulbourn wetland complex west of Stittsville. Using the new …