August 18, 2025
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club (TBFN) celebrated the recent acquisition of Mink Bay Nature Reserve by organizing a day of boat trips for Club members and the public to visit this important new protected area. A local commercial tour operator shuttled small groups with a TBFN naturalist guide along the spectacular shoreline starting from Lakehead Region Conservation Authority’s Little Trout Bay Conservation Area.
The Lake Superior scenery was impressive – high cliffs, scenic bays and offshore islands in a roadless wild section of the coastline. Participants saw bald eagles known to nest and hunt along these shores and spotted loons, gulls and ducks. Visitors enjoyed close up views of the yellow blooms of Dryland Ragwort, a provincially rare plant flowering on the sheer cliff faces. Each group went ashore for a one-hour hike on the rock flats, exploring shoreline pools where unusual arctic plants (butterwort, pearlwort) grow and blue-spotted salamanders breed in the pools.
The new 213 acre (86.28 hectare) property was acquired by TBFN on May 1, 2025. The property becomes the twenty fourth nature reserve owned by the club. Strong support from both federal and provincial government partners, several private foundations and local groups, and a large number of generous local donors allowed the project to proceed.
This section of Superior coastline and islands is one of Canada’s iconic landscapes. The rugged rocks and forests of the Canadian Shield have inspired people for generations. Lake Superior is a gateway to nature, with large pristine wilderness areas and coastlines, intact forest ecosystems and an abundance of unique plant and animal species. TBFN is happy to protect this new land and share its natural wonders with the public.
The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club wishes to recognize the Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program-Land Trust Conservation Fund and the Province of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership for their support of this important project at Mink Bay.
Quotes
"The conservation of Mink Bay is a shining example of what we can achieve when partners work together to protect Ontario’s natural heritage,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, we are proud to support the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club and local conservation leaders in protecting this extraordinary 213-acre stretch of Lake Superior shoreline — an area roughly the size of 105 Canadian football fields. By securing places like Mink Bay, we are helping ensure that future generations can continue to experience the beauty and biodiversity of our province.”
“The protection of Mink Bay is an example of what we can achieve when communities, conservation groups, and governments work together. Through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, we are not only preserving iconic landscapes but also helping to protect species at risk. This will ensure that future generations can experience the beauty and biodiversity of places like Lake Superior’s wild coastline. The level of collaboration through this program shows that real, lasting progress is made possible when we come together around a shared commitment to nature."
– The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Facts:
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Mink Bay Nature Reserve is located 24 kilometers (53 kilometres driving south of the City of Thunder Bay in the Municipality of Neebing, immediately south of the Mink Mountain Resort. The new property does not have road access, facilities, or trails on site. It is best visited by boat. The most prominent feature of the property is the high mesa with cliffs rising up from the lake. There is a small section of cobble beach at the north end of the property. The interior portion of the reserve is forested with beaver pond and stream habitat.
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A number of arctic disjunct plants grow on the narrow strip of rugged Superior shoreline. Here the cold temperatures of Lake Superior plus scouring ice and pounding waves create a challenging habitat. Temperate climate plants struggle to survive here, but arctic species are well suited to these conditions and still thrive on this shore far from their core arctic range.
About Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club
First established in 1932, Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a registered charitable organization in Northwestern Ontario with approximately 250 members. Purposes of the group are the study of natural history, wise use of natural resources, preservation of natural areas and public education. In support of these goals, the group runs a variety of programs, ranging from hikes to indoor educational sessions.
TBFN established its Nature Reserves program in 1990, in response to concerns about the many land-use demands on the forests and wetlands of Northwestern Ontario. Currently, TBFN protects over 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) in 24 separate reserves. In addition to protection, the reserves are used to inform the public about natural history and habitat protection, and offer opportunities for public nature appreciation and outdoor recreation. TBFN is an active member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. For more information, visit: www.tbfn.net.
About the Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP)
The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation and recognition of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $500 million dollars in the Program, which has been matched with more than $1 billion dollars in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community leading to the protection and conservation of more than 840,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands.
About the Province of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership (GCP) Program
The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure private land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, leverages non-governmental dollars to acquire, restore and manage privately owned natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has invested $58 million into the program, which has helped to protect over 430,000 acres (174,310 hectares) of private land across the province – more than 2.75 times the size of Toronto.
About Ontario Land Trust Alliance
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) focuses on providing community, knowledge sharing and support to land trusts across Ontario. It empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts that engage their communities to protect forests, wetlands, nature, and water sources and provide natural climate solutions. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs, connecting land trusts to each other, resources, and their communities, leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work, sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to land conservation, promoting organizational excellence, providing access to current research and acting as a voice for land trusts among the public, governments, and other rightsholders.
Our impact is Ontario-wide through 51 connected charities and communities. OLTA’s local land trust members currently collectively own and steward over 2,000 natural areas and green spaces across Ontario, with the leadership of thousands of supporters and volunteers annually. To support your local land trust, visit: www.OLTA.ca.
Media Contact:
Susan Bryan, Nature Reserves Chair, Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club
1-807-345-6446 (or 1-807-627-4556) [email protected]
