Not
many people realize that Valens Lake looked very different 50 years ago; to
many, they only know it as it is today. This park didn’t exist back then and it was
all farm land, which the Hamilton Conservation Authority bought to build a dam
to help control flood waters. Where the lake is today was once only a small
creek. Today all you will find are a few ruins, rock piles and old stone and
cedar rail farm fences running through the trees where once there were fields. Below is a map of the area from 1875, the Valens Lake Conservation Area
boundaries are in red.
In
the early 1800’s the area where the park is located was settled by a number of
pioneer families, one of them was John Valens after whom the park and the
village was named. This area was covered in old growth forest and they cleared
most of the land for farming. In the mid sixties, the Hamilton Conservation
Authority approached the landowners on which Valens Lake is now situated and
bought the land to make a reservoir to control flood waters and provide
water for the Beverly Swamp during dry spells. The dam was constructed and some
of the land which would be flooded was cleared of trees. It took less than a
week for the lake to fill up to its present level. A major tree planting
program began and many of the farm fields were planted with scots pine, red
pine and spruce. Site plans were developed for the day use area and campgrounds
and the conservation area slowly took shape. The Ministry of Natural Resources
and Forests stocked largemouth bass in the lake and was the only species of
fish ever introduced, all the other fish just appeared over time.
There
were only 150 campsites (17 sites had electric and water hookups) when the park
first opened, today there are 226 sites. The campground looked much different
back then; all the trees would have been small saplings no more than a couple
feet tall when they were planted. To get an idea of what the area looked like
take a walk through the 30 hectares of land which the HCA purchased about eight
years ago, it is located to the west of the Cedars loop; follow the trail
between sites 309 and 310. This area was planted shortly after the HCA
purchased it, these fields will eventually be developed into campsites. We plan
to start developing the first loop in 2016, which will add about 25 new
serviced sites.
There
are remnants of farm buildings across the property; you can find some by the
Ruins Group Area and across the lake where the Rabbit Run and Boardwalk Trails
join. There are also remnants of a lime kiln next to the fire pit in the
Pinegrove Group Area. There are only two original homes remaining on the
property, one is located at the front of the park as you drive in on the right.
This was owned by the Ferguson Family, it is a beautiful large stone house. The
other house is located across the lake next to the dam, John Valens built this
house and it was purchased by the McNealy’s in the early 1900’s, from who the
HCA bought the property. One room of this house was used as a post office in
the early days.
Today
as you walk the trails around Valens Lake, all you will see are the remnants of
fields, fence rows and rock piles. It is hard to imagine corn or wheat growing
throughout the campgrounds and horses pulling plows as the farmers tilled the
fields. The lake was once a large field, today people swim, canoe and fish
where once a farmer grew crops and cattle grazed. So the next time you are at
Valens Lake Conservation Area and see a rock pile or fence line, stop and take a
moment and imagine the pioneers clearing the land…if only they could see the
place now.
Paul
Karbusicky
Valens
Lake Superintendent
Hamilton Conservation Authority
