On May 1-2, 2009, the Parks Advisory Committee hosted the 1st Sources of Knowledge Forum in partnership with Parks Canada, Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory, Friends of Bruce District Parks, Bruce Peninsula District School and St. Edmunds Public School.

This event attracted 117 participants. The theme for the 2009 Forum was ‘Coastal Heritage’ and included presentations, workshops and field trips by universities, government organizations, conservation groups, First Nations, schools and citizens and covered such topics as wildlife conservation as well as other issues affecting these and other Ontario national parks.

The 2009 Conference Proceedings have been compiled to make this knowledge available to anyone interested in learning about the natural and cultural heritage of the Bruce Peninsula and furthermore, to inspire action.

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The second Sources of Knowledge forum was held May 14th and 15th, 2010 – again hosted by the Parks Advisory Committee in partnership with Parks Canada, Friends of Bruce District Parks, Bruce Peninsula District School and St. Edmunds Public School.

The theme for the 2010 Sources of Knowledge Forum was Wildlife, Research, Management, Conservation and Planning. A link to the entire PDF is provided.

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The third Sources of Knowledge Forum: Dark Skies, Bright Minds, was held in Tobermory, Ontario on April 29-30, 2011. Once again, the Forum celebrated the natural and cultural heritage of Bruce Peninsula National Park, Fathom Five National Marine Park and the surrounding communities by exploring the value and importance of our dark skies.

The event brought together local, national and international speakers on dark sky conservation, astronomy and ecology of the night. Artists, scientists and practitioners alike all shared their perspectives and reinforced the on-going efforts to recognize and protect the region’s dark skies.

The venue was filled to capacity and attracted 107 students, local residents, and others with an interest in this important and inspired theme.

The theme for the 2011 Sources of Knowledge Forum was Dark Skies, Bright Minds. The Table of Contents are listed here and a link to the entire PDF is provided below.

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By all accounts this sold-out Forum was a great success – world class speakers, community voices, generous sponsors, and attentive participants. The Climate Change Forum Proceedings are available below.

CLIMATE CHANGE; WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN FOR THE BRUCE? was the focus of the 4th Sources of Knowledge Forum April 28-29, 2012 at the Parks Visitor Centre, Tobermory. Informative and thought-provoking presentations helped to improve our understanding of how our weather and climate are changing and the impact on health, safety, economy and the environment. Everyone in attendance had an opportunity to learn more about the effect of climate change on lake levels, tourism, recreation, agriculture and biodiversity as well as what it takes to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

The Forum brought together an eclectic panel of speakers sharing their knowledge on various aspects of one of today’s most challenging subjects – CLIMATE CHANGE.

In addition to the plenary sessions during the day on Saturday, April 28th, there was a dinner, catered by The Green Door Cafe with guest speaker, internationally renowned Dr. Stephen Woodley.

On Sunday morning, April 29th at the Visitor Centre, Tobermory, the Peninsula Transition Group hosted a workshop with interactive and collaborative activities, and presentations on local projects and initiatives that align with Transition values.

In the afternoon there was a mini Climate Change Film Festival, hosted by Dr. Stephen Scharper at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre, Tobermory.

There was also exhibitor displays and an art show Changing Weather featuring Bruce Peninsula artists.

As Lake Huron-Georgian Bay continues to experience profound and novel change (e.g., driven by invasive species, lake levels, development, water quality, etc.), the context for coastal and offshore conservation becomes increasingly complex and uncertain. Although protected areas such as Fathom Five National Marine Park and Bruce Peninsula National Park are recognized for the central role they play in protecting natural and cultural values, their effectiveness to do so is being challenged and requires a rethinking of our stewardship efforts. The 2013 Sources of Knowledge Forum provided a platform for scientists, students, decision-makers, and the public to understand the changing nature of Lake Huron and discuss the means to better protect it.

Through presentations and workshops, topics covered at the Forum included:

• Describe the changing and novel ecosystems of Lake Huron.
• Review the status, benefits, and efficacy of aquatic protected areas.
• Explore opportunities for place-based conservation.
• Discuss the possibility of an international peace park or other network initiative.
• Present contemporary offshore and coastal mapping and assessment techniques.

This year’s Forum celebrated the long history, and bright future, for underwater exploration in the Tobermory area.

There are lots of rich and interwoven stories here. These include the early surveys by British and American navies, the rich history of diving in the area, the role of that dive community in the establishment of Fathom Five and the technologies such as Sublimnos that have been pioneered. This background is timely as we embark upon exciting new projects to better map our wrecks and monitor subsurface conditions. For example, laser imaging and advanced filming techniques are now being employed to produce 3-D and interactive models of the wrecks.

The field trip on Friday afternoon, May 2, featured demonstrations of subsurface mapping and diving techniques. Members of the Canadian Navy’s Experimental Diving and Undersea Group participated. Friday evening, Stephen Scharper from the University of Toronto hosted the annual film festival on this year’s theme.

Saturday Speakers

• Stuart Seldon on the early years of discovery around Fathom Five;
• Dr. George Harpur: a pioneer in medical diving and hyperbaric medicine;
• Andrew Leyzack: an expert on high resolution hydrography with the Canadian Hydrographic Service
• Flora Davidson: of the Parks Canada Marine Archaeology Unit on modern methods of surveying shipwrecks;
• Doug Elsey: pioneering diver and engineer on the 1969-71 Sublimnos habitat project with Dr. Joe MacInnis, who will provide a video-taped introduction;
• Dr. Jim Rusak of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment on the Global Lake Experimental Observatory Network (GLEON);

Event Details

The dinner on Saturday was catered by The Grandview, Tobermory and featured keynote speaker, Marc-André Bernier of the Parks Canada Underwater Archaeology Section. He gave a presentation on 50 years of Marine Archaeology carried out by Parks Canada personnel, including the location of HMS Investigator and the recent search for Franklin.

The first session on Sunday morning featured Lt. Troy Beechinor of the Canadian Navy’s Experimental Diving Group who described new techniques for deep diving. If you have ever wondered what those mysterious black-suited divers in black Zodiacs are up to, this was your chance to find out.

For the remainder of the morning, Dr. Gordon Nelson moderated a panel – Daryl Cowell, Scarlett Janusas, Eric Fowle, Jim Uhrinak – previewing the 2015 Forum on The Great Arc – a look at the social and scientific issues common to communities, like Tobermory, living around the rim of the Michigan Basin.

The 2015 Sources of Knowledge Forum titled “The Great Arc: Life on the (L)Edge” took place in Tobermory on May 8-10, with the goal of building bridges to other communities which, like the Bruce, lie on the rim of the Michigan Basin.

This geological structure, often referred to as the “Great Arc”, extends from the Niagara Peninsula northward through the Bruce, across Manitoulin Island and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then southward through the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin to Green Bay and beyond.

Communities situated on this Arc, while different in many ways, have in common an escarpment, sometimes submerged or buried, but very evident in areas such as the Bruce and Door peninsulas.

They share a dolostone bedrock chemistry. Where the rim is exposed, their soils are thin and rocky. Thanks to their common bedrock source, the soils support a similar biodiversity.

Learning about these communities is interesting in itself, but it is our common issues and the ways they have been addressed that form the core of this Forum. This year we focussed on that area of Wisconsin encompassing Green Bay and the Door Peninsula to the north. The Door and Bruce peninsulas in particular have geographical and geological similarities. The Door escarpment faces west and is referred to as the “Ledge”. The film shown to our National Park Visitors, featuring our escarpment, is called “Life on the Edge”, hence the Forum title.

Both economies depend on tourism, have offshore islands and tour boat operations, are home to retirees and artists, and depend on urban centres at their base (Green Bay and Owen Sound) for major supplies. Both have rich archeological and cultural histories, have First Nation communities, struggle with wind turbine issues, and have hiking trails and parks. John Muir, famous as the founder of the Sierra club, lived for a time at the base of both peninsulas!

There are also major differences. Green Bay is a much larger centre than Owen Sound. The Door is more heavily populated and economically more developed than the Bruce. In a sense, the Door represents one version of a future for the Bruce as we seek to develop economically; not necessarily the future we might choose, but worthy of study. Conversely, residents of the Door might envy the state of preservation of this area, and seek to learn from it.

The 2015 Forum provided opportunities to look at these possibilities. We worked with Eric Fowle of the East Wisconsin Planning Commission in preparation for this event, and attracted other officials and Wisconsin residents to the Forum. They even shared their local wines and cheeses with us!

As usual, the Forum included a Friday afternoon field trip, the Friday evening Film Festival with Dr. Stephen Scharper, and the Saturday evening social and dinner with keynote speaker.