Environmental Issues in Northern Ontario
Elk Restoration in Ontario
Elk Restoration: An economic driver for Cambrian College and northern Ontario
- submitted by Debbie Sauve
The Elk Restoration Project strategically positions Cambrian College as a driver in the front seat of the growing tourism industry, Ivan Filion, director of Research, Technology and Advanced Learning at Cambrian College, said.
The restoration project intends on restoring the elk population in the Sudbury area, and as a result of this, building Cambrian�s reputation as an expert in
nature-based adventure tourism, according to Filion.
Tourism is quickly becoming one of the three major revenue generators in the north, Filion said. The other two key resource-based industries are mining and
forestry.
�As the population is getting older and more affluent, there is a rise in the subscriptions to outfitting lodges and to people seeking nature-based adventure,� Filion said. �Tourism has come of age as one of the top three
revenue generators and is going to play an increasingly important role in determining the wealth of northern Ontario.�
Tourism is becoming an economic driver in many communities where industries like mining and forestry are beginning to fade out, he continued. The College is
positioning itself to meet the rising industry by establishing its credibility through projects like Elk Restoration.
In the past, the College has basically been a Sudbury-based operation dealing mostly with industries like mining, metallurgy and chemical engineering, according to Filion.
The Nature-Based Adventure Tourism program (NBAT) at Cambrian is the first step the College has taken in the life-science and natural resource direction to meet
the demands of the growing tourism industry. NBAT was designed to help prepare the next generation of lodge owners, guides and outfitting companies.
The tourism industry in northern Ontario relies on wildlife population, natural environments and its fisheries.
�Fisheries and wildlife is to tourism what trees are to forestry companies and what ore is to the mining industry,� Filion said.
Cambrian has been a major player in the Elk Restoration Project since its establishment in 1992 due to the anticipation of the growth of the tourism
industry.
�If tourism is going to be the up-and-coming star and tourism relies on fisheries, wildlife and its environment, then it seems natural that Cambrian builds its competency in that area,� Filion said.
Research for the Elk Restoration Project has been ongoing for about 10 years through the work of volunteers at the College, including Filion and Josef Hamr, NBAT co-ordinator.
�The Restoration Project has taken a lot of time because it�s done slowly, on shoe-string budgets and on the good will of those that believe that it is something that should be done, because they view this as an area that we will be getting into down the road,� Filion said.
The College is working on this project as they wait for the system to catch up as to why colleges should be involved in applied research and how that resource needs to be supported provincially.
�The College needs to position itself as a catalyst towards innovation, creativity and the emergence of new business opportunities for northern Ontario that create wealth,� Filion said. �We have to come to the front seat of driving economic innovation in our northern communities.�
The reason the College chose to get involved with the Elk Restoration Project is because it wanted to do something that would make a difference, get noticed and be significant and meaningful, he said.
Prior to the Elk Restoration Project, there was a remnant population of about 30 to 50 elk in the Sudbury area. This population of elk had been left unmanaged,
meaning that no one knew their true numbers, their domain or their population dynamics.
At the time, Filion and Hamr decided the management of this large mammal could have positive effects on the environment, the economy and the College.
�We had noticed that there were other small town jurisdictions, in the States particularly, that have a sustainable elk population, and it drives much of
their local economy,� Filion said., There are a whole series of reasons why people are drawn to areas where there are elk, according to Filion. Elks create
new activity because people like to come in to see them whether it be cross-country skiing, canoeing or hiking.
The Elk Restoration Project has three major initiatives: to enhance large mammal composition, to drive economic benefits for a number of regions in northern
Ontario, and to establish a relationship with the outfitting industry, guides and those that cater to nature-based adventure tourism.
Cambrian is in partnership with Laurentien University and the Sudbury District Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in the project. For the first four years, the Elk Restoration Project studied the remnant herds. Their numbers were studied, what they ate and if they were declining, holding or increasing.
From 1997 to 2001, 450 elks were dropped into four different locations. The drops were made in Nippissing/French River, , Sault Narrows and
Bancroft. The elk came from Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton, where there is an over population of elk.
The project intends on relocating 600�800 elk in total. Currently, the project is on hold due to chronic wasting disease, which is a lethal disease similar to mad-cow that puts holes in the brains of animals.
As a measure to prevent the spread of the disease, the MNR is stopping the transfer of any more elk until they have worked through the details. The MNR has made it a reportable disease, meaning all infected animals must be reported to them.
While the transferring of the elk is on hold, the Elk Restoration Project is working on improving the habitat for the animals that have already been transferred, which is slightly over half of the target.
The College is still working with the MNR for the continuation of the project after the chronic wasting disease is under control.
The Elk Restoration Project is only one of the projects that is geared to building a reputation for Cambrian in the tourism sector. Other projects being worked on are with nuisance bears and wild turkey restoration.
According to Filion, Cambrian�s involvement in the Elk Restoration Project is about helping the College. Money that the project generates, which is about $30
000 to $40 000 annually, is used to cover College expenses. The projects equipment, like radio collars, is used in the learning environment at the College.
�It�s been fun, it�s had a purpose and its strategically linked to Cambrian�s corporate future,� Filion said.
