Protect the Land Surrounding Huron Natural Area

03/29/2026

Show up today to let developers know we are watching their every move.

Show up today to tell the City that we won't let this happen again.

Speakers include Aislynn Clancy, members of our team, and youth.

03/28/2026

Gateman-Milloy, the developer of the land next to the Huron Natural Area, is clearcutting trees.

Anyone seeing the devastation will understand that the birds and animals within Huron Natural Area itself will be affected, since their habitat has been further reduced, and many of them will have been nesting or hibernating in the area that has now been demolished.

Many trees, trails and wetlands that you may think of as the Huron Natural Area are owned by another private company, Activa. We are still fighting to ensure that Gateman-Milloy follows through on the few environmental protections they are required to fulfil and that the other land that the City sold off remains untouched.

The rally is on Sunday, March 29th at 1pm at the entrance to the Huron Natural Area. Come out to hear updates from the advocacy group, demand protections for the birds and animals, and see the destruction firsthand.

Thank you to the community member who took this footage a few days ago and shared it with our team.

Show up, spread the word, and tag your local media below to tell them you care about this.

03/21/2026

COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION:
Ever since the City of Kitchener approved the development surrounding Huron Natural Area, our team has been working behind the scenes to challenge their decision.

On the first day of Spring, as some wildlife are still hibernating and some are having Spring babies, trees are being cut down and hauled away right before our eyes.

Come rally at HNA and see the development firsthand to let the City and the Developer know that we are still watching and still fighting. We cannot allow our city councillors to rely on misinformation, ignore Indigenous experts and permit habitat destruction.

More information and our speakers list is to come.

Show up Sunday, March 29th at 1pm.

Spread the word.

11/11/2025

Last night, City Council voted to approve the development application at 1700 Strasburg road, with the exception of Councillor Debbie Chapman & Councillor Ayo Owodunni.

While we are disappointed in City Council’s decision, we want to reiterate: the fight to protect Huron Natural Area is not over.

Huron Natural Area is being encroached upon on all sides. And you can be sure that now, after last night’s meeting, developers are paying attention: the citizens of Kitchener will not be complacent in the bulldozing of the precious lands surrounding our green spaces.

A total of 24 delegates spoke against the development to City Council last night. Our group was blown away by the technical expertise and personal anecdotes shared in defence of the HNA. We are so deeply grateful to all those who spoke and showed up to defend the park and its surrounding land.

We also want to thank everyone who took the time to sign our petition, engage with our socials, and contact their city councillors. While the response to the concerns listed in our email template was not what we hoped for, Mayor Vrbanovic addressed the three concerns directly with City staff. This is proof that collective action is effective in getting the attention of our elected officials on the causes that matter to us most.

We came together to defend something so meaningful to so many, and that is something to be proud of. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

In the meantime, we ask that you sit tight as our team works together to determine the next steps. We will continue to update our petition and socials, so stay tuned.

With much gratitude,
The Protect Huron Natural Area Team

11/10/2025

Tonight is the night! Kitchener City Council will be voting on whether to approve plans for a 10-block industrial development bordering Huron Natural Area, involving the destruction of 3 wetlands, 700 trees, and key nesting habitat and habitats for species at risk.

There’s still time to take action to oppose this plan: delegates can register to speak until 5pm today! Register here: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/council-and-city-administration/appear-as-a-delegation.aspx

If you’d like to delegate, but not sure what to say, email our team at [email protected], and we can provide you with speaking material.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to like, comment, and share our posts leading up to this pivotal moment.

Together, we can speak up and speak out against plans that hurt our communities, our environment, and our city.

11/09/2025

The City of Kitchener consulted with the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council re: the proposed development beside Huron Natural Area.

The Six Nations’ elected council explicitly stands against the plan. Their report outlines the recommendations they would need to see met – this post touches on just a few of them.

The City formally asked for Indigenous input from a single source, then ignored it.
Did the City actually intend to implement their stewardship expertise, or was this consultation merely a performative act in order to “check” the Indigenous consultation box in order to approve yet another development?

💬 On Nov 10th, demand that the City amend the proposed plan to meet ALL of Six Nations’ recommendations.

Call. Email. Show up. Hold them accountable for the decisions they make in your name.

🔗 Link to councillor contact info, email templates, and the Six Nations recommendation report: https://linktr.ee/Protecthna

11/08/2025

Kitchener set a tree-canopy target of 30% in each ward by 2050.

Yet the major subdivision proposal beside Huron Natural Area would clear hundreds of trees and multiple wetlands.

Growth isn’t just buildings and jobs, it’s what kind of city we want for our kids and our collective futures. We can’t reach goals if we move backwards. Let’s ensure when 2050 comes, the City doesn’t wonder why the goal wasn’t met.

Let’s ask City Council: “How does cutting existing habitat align with our long-term environmental commitments and future goals?

11/06/2025

As we all move on from thinking about the Blue Jays ⚾️, let’s not forget about the blue jays. 🐦

The 37.6 acres up for development bordering Huron Natural Area isn’t just industrial land. It provides passage and habitat to countless animals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects that live within the Huron Natural Area.

Animals do not know borders, zoning, or private land ownership. In the face of development, our wildlife is left voiceless and helpless, and we owe it to them to do everything we can to protect them from devastation, or in the worst case, extinction.

The original mission of the park, according to its co-founder Frank Glew, was always to expand its borders.

Yet, instead of expanding the park, the City of Kitchener sold it in 2018 for well under what the land was worth, at only $104,000 per acre. Even factoring in inflation, that is well below the market rate for comparable lots.

To make matters worse, there’s already over 800,000 square feet of vacant industrial space for lease or sale within just 2.5 km of the Huron Natural Area.

According to a report from JLL, Kitchener also has the second-highest industrial vacancy rate in all of southwestern Ontario at 7.3%, representing a total of 1.4 million square feet of unoccupied space.

So, why does the City’s council insist on pushing this development through, despite the facts and data?

Join us in demanding that Kitchener’s City Council vote to defer their decision until they address these three concerns:

1️⃣ Conflicting information in the Environmental Impact Study
2️⃣ The City of Kitchener not fulfilling the recommendations made by Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council, of which the City consulted
3️⃣ Kitchener’s current industrial vacancies

TAKE ACTION before it is too late! DEMAND they defer this decision until they address these questions.

Email Councillors: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-development-surrounding-the-huron-natural-area-in-kitchener/u/34036515?recently_published=true
Final Council vote: Nov 10, 7pm, Kitchener City Hall (Council Chambers, Second Floor)

11/05/2025

On Oct 27, Council’s committee voted to recommend the development bordering Huron Natural Area. But it isn’t over yet!
While we’re disappointed in their preliminary decision, we’re so grateful to everyone who came out on Oct. 27th. Didn’t make it? Here is what you missed.

Despite residents repeatedly raising concerns about the errors, inaccuracies and misleading info in the Environmental Impact Study, the City refused to look into them.

Councillor Debbie Chapman asked to defer their decision to address three concerns:

1. Conflicting information in the Environmental Impact Study
2. Unmet recommendations from Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council
3. Missing data on Kitchener’s current industrial vacancies

Yet the committee decided to vote yes to the development, without those answers.

In 2018, the City of Kitchener sold off the land for less than $4M. They made a poor decision then, and they are about to make another.

Approving this plan would mean the destruction of three wetlands, over 700 trees, and critical wildlife habitat bordering Huron Natural Area. What about the City of Kitchener’s tree canopy target of 30% in each ward by 2050?

During discussion, City staff acknowledged, "We agreed to disagree” on the recommendations Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council made. We are sharing more about this soon - stay tuned...

The council needs to answer to the public:

Are the science and data solid?

Have Indigenous partners the City consulted with signed off?

Do we actually need more industrial lots when others sit vacant?

TAKE ACTION before it is too late! DEMAND they defer this decision until they address these questions.

Email and Call Councillors: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-development-surrounding-the-huron-natural-area-in-kitchener/u/34036515?recently_published=true

Attend the Final Council vote: Nov 10, 7pm, Kitchener City Hall (Council Chambers, Second Floor)

10/28/2025

Kitchener Counsel has voted to accept the developer's draft proposal and will cast a final vote on November 10th. You can watch the staff presentation and our team's delegations, starting around 1:12:00.

It was not unexpected that city staff and (their) expert's "rational" arguments trumped our community's plea for restraint. This is the way of modern culture - the proliferation of industrial sacrifice zones which ultimately serve power, wealth and desire.

Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee AgendaMonday, October 27, 2025 at 5:30 P.m. - 8:30 P.m.Council ChambersCity of Kitchener200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7People interested in participating in this meeting can register online using the delegation registration form at www.kitchener.ca...

10/27/2025