Sept. 25, 2026 — Conservation Halton
Conservation Halton welcomed community members, Indigenous Partners Council members, donors, scientific partners and Board members to Crawford Lake Conservation Area to unveil the new Indigenous and interpretive signage on the newly reconstructed Crawford Lake boardwalk. The event built on the September 4 ribbon-cutting and marked an opportunity to recognize the partners and contributors who helped enhance one of Conservation Halton’s most unique natural and cultural heritage destinations.
The new signage, created in partnership with Conservation Halton’s Indigenous Partners Council and scientific partners like Brock University professor Francine McCarthy, has been installed along the boardwalk to deepen visitors’ understanding of Crawford Lake. The interpretive signage highlights the lake’s ecological significance, the global scientific importance of the meromictic lake, and the flora, fauna, and aquatic life that live there.
The new signage invites visitors to experience Crawford Lake through a different lens, bringing together scientific knowledge and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. It creates an opportunity to learn from the lake while also reflecting on our relationships and responsibilities to the land and the beings we share it with.
— Leeanne Doxtator, Indigenous Education Coordinator, Conservation Halton
The boardwalk signage also features Crawford Lake’s connections to Indigenous history and Ways of Knowing. The round Thanksgiving Address signage, written by Kaniehtenhawi Deer and accompanied by artwork by Shayde Sandy, was developed in close collaboration with our Indigenous Partners Council over the past few years. It has been installed at lookouts along the boardwalk and offers opportunities for reflection and adds depth and richness to the Crawford Lake visitor experience.
QUICK FACTS
- New interpretive signage, installed in September 2026, created in partnership with Conservation Halton’s Indigenous Partners Council and project contributors, supports deeper learning about Crawford Lake’s ecological, scientific and cultural significance.
- The Crawford Lake Boardwalk Public Opening Event took place on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, 3115 Conservation Road, Milton, Ontario.
- Crawford Lake Conservation Area is one of Conservation Halton’s most unique natural and cultural heritage destinations, welcoming 100,000 visitors annually
- The park and its programs support environmental education, community programming, and Indigenous cultural heritage interpretation.
- The Crawford Lake boardwalk is 800 metres long and circles an internationally recognized meromictic lake, a rare lake formation with layers of water that do not fully mix.
