Bruce's Mill Conservation Area (BMCA) is a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

located off Stouffville Road in the town of

Whitchurch–Stouffville Whitchurch-Stouffville (2021 Canadian census, 2021 population 49,864) is a town in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, approximately north of downtown Toronto, and north-east of Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is in area, ...

Regional Municipality of York The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. The conservation area is about 108 hectares (267 acres) in size. BMCA is home to a diverse ecosystem, including 1.2 hectares of

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s and 44 hectares of

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

, coniferous and mixed forest. It is owned and managed by the

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is a conservation authority in southern Ontario, Canada. It owns about of land in the Toronto region, and it employs more than 400 full-time employees and coordinates more than 3,000 voluntee ...

(TRCA). BMCA was established in 1961, after 52.6 hectares of land were purchased by the then Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. At the time, several buildings and a road system existed on the land. Today, the only historic buildings that remain include the mill attendant's house and the water-powered mill building. Bruce's Mill Conservation Area map

BMCA offers visitors an array of activities and attractions, including

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as precedin ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

, soccer and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

fields, a golf

driving range A driving range is a facility or area where golfers can practice their golf swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range att ...

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

, nature viewing, a Treetop Trekking aerial course and a

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the earl ...

track. The park's regular operating season runs from mid-April to Thanksgiving weekend each year, weather permitting. During the regular season, people can enter the park for free during weekdays, but must pay a small fee for weekend visits. Large groups of people can also choose to book a private onsite picnic area if they wish. The park also opens briefly in early spring for the Sugarbush

Maple Syrup Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple t ...

Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

Hiking

There are about 10 km of recreational hiking trails at BMCA, shown on provided trail maps.

Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival

Since 1966, the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival has been held at BMCA. TRCA also runs the festival at the

Kortright Centre for Conservation The Kortright Centre for Conservation is a suburban conservation area and educational facility in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada in the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area. It is operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The area ...

. It is the longest-running maple syrup festival in the GTA, running for 5–6 weeks each year, depending on the weather. Visitors see demonstrations of the various methods that have been used to make maple syrup throughout Canadian history. This includes Native Canadian, pioneer, and modern-day maple syrup production methods. There are also a variety of family activities, such as horse-and-carriage rides, face painting, a petting zoo and pancake meals.

Treetop Trekking

In June 2014, the park unveiled an aerial ropes and

zip-line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the b ...

course located within BMCA. It offers 5 aerial courses for users 9 years and older. The park also has Treewalk Village; a treefort adventure for kids aged 5 and under.

Picnics

BMCA offers twelve picnic sites that can be booked for large picnics and events. The capacity of the sites ranges from 100-300+ people.

BMX track

In the fall of 2014, the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville opened a BMX course at BMCA. This is the only BMX track located in York Region. It is a cycling-only facility and no motorized vehicles are permitted on the course.

Private functions

Bruce's Mill Chalet/Pancake House is located in what used to be a sugarbush. The chalet holds about 60 people.

Community Safety village

Also located on the Bruce's Mill property is a Community Safety Village, managed by

York Regional Police The York Regional Police (YRP) are a law enforcement organization that serves over 1.1 million residents in the York Region of Ontario, Canada, located north of Toronto. YRP was formed in 1971 from the police forces maintained by the nine municip ...

, an educational facility that teaches young people about fire, traffic and personal safety.

References

External links

* {{coord, 43.946, N, 79.349, W, display=title Conservation areas in Ontario Protected areas of the Regional Municipality of York Whitchurch-Stouffville Protected areas established in 1961 1961 establishments in Ontario