Dundas Eco-Park Update

Have you been by the Dundas Eco-park gateway area lately? This new park which follows the northern shore of the Desjardins Canal is still in its development stage but is coming along nicely.

Those of you who have been watching with interest will recall that this parks sits on the former site of the Ben Veldhuis Greenhouse complex. This large operation once hosted around 20 greenhouses producing more than 3 million cacti a year. This landmark gave Dundas the “Cactus Capital of Canada” moniker and is still remembered annually during Dundas’ always popular Cactus Festival.

The greenhouses are now long gone with the exception of an original two story chimney which is home to a protected at-risk species of chimney swifts. This chimney has become a focal point of the park and has recently been enhanced with an art installation inspired by the former greenhouses. These were provided by the Rotary Clubs of Dundas with a plan to add information panels and benches in the spring of 2016.

Last year, trails were built and hundreds of trees planted. Pilings were also installed in the water to support a future structure. It’s great to see these steps being completed and plantings getting established. With each passing year, this area will become even more inviting.

Additional work is still to come which will include a walkway over the edge of the old canal as well as interpretive displays. Even now, you can see these elements all starting to come together and the overall result so far is excellent.

The Dundas Eco Park Campaign is the Hamilton component of the ambitious Cootes to Escarpment Eco Park campaign, which ultimately will include lands from the waters edge to the Niagara escarpment and will include over 3000 acres in total, a protected and diverse greenspace to be enjoyed for generations.


Guaranteed to become another “must visit” destination in Dundas, we will continue to monitor this exciting project and look forward to seeing it progress.