FERGUS – Pierpoint Fly Fishing Nature Reserve, also known as Pierpoint Park, was approved to be added to Centre Wellington’s cultural heritage landscape (CHL) inventory at a Tuesday council meeting.
The park, located in Fergus and associated with an early Black Settler, joins 18 other sites in the CHL official plan amendment project.
Annie Veilleux from ASI shared with council yesterday that through further study including consultation with the public, the history of Pierpoint Park is part of the larger story of waves of Black settlement and displacement in Canada.
The Pierpoint settlement area was not originally recommended to be included, due to a lack of information required to meet the necessary criteria.
Council directed further research, however, as the reserve’s historical significance was never in doubt.
Veilleux recognized the impact the location has had on the community.
ASI concluded that the reserve’s boundaries should be considered preliminary boundaries for the CHL.
Additionally, the township’s planner noted that there is enough information to designate it under the Ontario Heritage Act to protect it, yet a bit more still needs to be done.
For background information on the reserve, click here.
