News & Events

SPRING EVENTS 2026
Thanks to the St. Catharines Game and Fish Association for their generous donation of $3000 to the Friends! We are looking into doing some stream restoration work on the Twelve with these monies.

Winter Bird Hikes – Our fearless birder, Brad will continues his popular bird hikes this spring, with April 12 as the next date. To learn more and register – go to: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/guided-bird-hike-at-short-hills-april-2026-edition-tickets-1980037466363?aff=erelexpmlt

General Meeting – Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – 7:30pm at Pelham Fire Station 3, 2355 Cream St, Ridgeville. Learn about the role this group plays in the park. All welcome!

Annual Trash Bash – Saturday, April 25th. Meet at 9am at 2888 First St. Louth (bottom of First Street and Decew at Ontario Parks building) for this long running event in aid of Earth Day. Watch this space for more details or go to our FaceBook page. All welcome, great for students community service hours.

Trail Work Days – Saturday April 11. Meet at the Pelham Road parking lot. For more information email lumdig58@gmail.com

Trail Alerts– To protect Niagara’s trails and surrounding ecosystems—including the Laura Secord Trail, Twelve Mile Creek trails, and Short Hills Provincial Park—please follow these guidelines:

Stay on marked trails. Do not cut corners or create new paths. Do not use muddy trails – clay-based trails are easily damaged when wet.

Using muddy trails causes: Trail widening as users go around mud, damaging nearby ecosystems. Deep footprints and tire ruts that hold water, slow drying, and increase erosion. Hardened, uneven surfaces when trails dry or freeze, creating safety hazards. Greater spread of invasive plant species from seeds carried on footwear and tires. Your cooperation helps keep trails safe, sustainable, and enjoyable for everyone. Thank you.

Over summer 2025 staff at Ontario Parks have re-routed and closed some of the trails in the park. Check this site for the updated trails, primarily Terrace Creek and the amalgamation of the Scarlet Tanager and Hemlock Valley.

Volunteer at the Park

Some of our events require a volunteer agreement be completed. At larger events these agreements (eg. trash bash) will be available from the park staff. For smaller events (eg. trail maintenance) we’ll likely be on our own and want to have the volunteer agreements in place before starting. Please download the volunteer form, fill it out and return to our membership chair Ryan Haanappel – haanappel@gmail.com.