by Chris Mcmillan, CD 98.9 Simcoe It’s been a long time coming, but construction on three ecopassages under the Long Point Causeway has begun. The first shovel went into the ground earlier this week and the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project Coordinator, Rick Levick tells CD989 he expects a majority of the project to be completed by the end of December. The three Eco-Passages are being installed to allow turtles, snakes, frogs and other wildlife to avoid the dangers of the roadway. Something Levick is looking forward too. “It’s great to have construction finally underway but I’ll have to wait[…]

By Daniel R. Pearce, Simcoe Reformer Wednesday, October 3, 2012 The underground eco-passages that will provide a safe route for endangered species of turtles and snakes to pass underneath the Long Point causeway will cost town hall $60,000. The community group heading up the project has said for the past six years it could fundraise all the money needed — roughly $900,000. But the approval process for the concrete culverts that will run between the marsh and the inner bay cost more than expected, councillors were told Tuesday night before they agreed to help fund the project. The catch is[…]

02 Oct 2012 by Aaron Gautreau Construction will begin in mid-November on three eco-passages under the Long Point Causeway, allowing smaller animals to avoid the dangers of the roadway. That, in part, is thanks to Norfolk Council who approved 60-thousand dollars from their budget to help with the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project shortfall in funds. LPCIP currently has spent upwards of 200-thousand dollars in required studies from the province, something they or Council didn’t foresee. Co-ordinator for LPCIP, Rick Levick says he’s grateful. “The costs of getting the all of the approvals just kept climbing. As I watched the[…]

August 21, 2012 by Crystal Robertson, Adopt-A-Pond Staff, Toronto Zoo Biologists in the cottage community of Long Point, Ontario are excited for a long term solution to high numbers of wildlife road mortality. The peninsula of Long Point is attached to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Designed in 1927 this stretch of roadway originally bisected the Big Creek Marsh with a series of bridges between existing sandbars. As time went on the bridges were removed and a solid roadbed was put in its place, leaving only one bridge for the outlet of Big Creek. As part of the Long[…]

CD 98.9-FM 17 Aug 2012 by John Crawford If they could, frogs, snakes, turtles and others would thank us. Norfolk county has been given the go ahead to construction three Eco Passages under the Long Point Causeway, something that will allow smaller animals to avoid the dangers of the roadway and pass safely undernearth. The Environment Ministry has approved the move. The county’s hoping to start the estimated 585-thousand dollars worth of work in October. There’s already fencing in place to keep wildlife away from the road.

By Daniel R. Pearce, Simcoe Reformer Thursday, August 16, 2012 6:35:54 EDT PM LONG POINT – Construction will start this fall on three underground passageways that will take frogs, snakes, and turtles safely underneath the Long Point Causeway. The approval, given recently by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, marks another step in the transformation of the long narrow road between the mainland and the summer resort from a killing ground for endangered species to a non-factor in their existence. Environmentalists have become increasingly concerned in recent years about the number of animals, especially certain types of turtles, lost on[…]

By John Crawford, CD 98.9 News Shell Canada is donating 10-thousand dollars toward the Long Point Causeway Improvement Project. It’s supporting plans to install three eco-passages on the Causeway. They’re specially-designed culverts allowing turtles, snakes, frogs and small mammals to pass safely under the roadway–which is one of the worst for reptile road-deaths in North America. Project officials are working with Norfolk County to complete an environmental assessment, ahead of construction later this year.