Talisman buildings to be demolished
Buildings at the former Talisman Mountain Resort will be demolished, making way for a major “rewilding” project at the site. The unanimous decision to tear down the buildings came at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC). The 134-acre property, including 885 metres of Bruce Trail at the top of the Niagara Escarpment was purchased by BTC in November 2025. Plans call for reforestation of the ski slopes, dormant since the resort closed in 2011, and possibly restoration of a buried stream that currently runs beneath the buildings.
Since the resort closed, the land has been the target of large scale development proposals including a Nordic Spa. According to a BTC news release, demolition of the buildings will permanently eliminate the threat of development. The project, which will be known a the Talisman Forest Nature Reserve will involve creation of essential habitats and providing free public recreation along the Bruce Trail.
With this announcement, the BTC has launched a $ 7.5-million fundraising campaign to support the permanent protection of the land, demolition of the buildings and ski lift infrastructure, and the restoration of 134 acres, including large-scale reforestation of the slope previously used as ski runs. To date, $3.36 million has been committed with the support of private donors and pledge of matching funds from Environment and Climate Change Canada through the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.
A three-season ecological inventory of the property, is underway making observations about the species and features of the land to refine future restoration plans. In addition to the possibility of uncovering the stream currently running underneath the resort buildings, a process known as “daylighting”, significant reforestation of the slope is being planned, which will eventually close one of the largest gaps in the forest canopy. Ecologists are also considering meadow and grassland habitats to support the Meadowlark, Bobolink and other species recorded on the property.
“This is a historic moment for the Bruce Trail Conservancy, for the Beaver Valley community, and for nature in Ontario,” according to Michael McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. “Often, our work involves protecting an untouched piece of our natural heritage. With the creation of Talisman Forest Nature Reserve, we are doing something different; we are reclaiming a scarred place and changing the story of the land to one of renewal, rewilding, and permanent preservation. This is a story that we will work together to create, leaning on the expertise of our ecologists, the dedication of Bruce Trail volunteers, and the support of our community to transform and restore the land to peak ecological health. In 100 years, when visitors to the Bruce Trail take in the vista over Talisman Forest Nature Reserve, they will look out onto a mature woodland with ecosystems supporting the unique wildlife that makes the Niagara Escarpment so special. There is no better gift we can give to current and future generations than a healthy environment and a way to connect with nature.”
The project is being described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the property, return it to nature and make it available to the public to explore once more.
Donations to the Talisman Forest Nature Reserve can be made at brucetrail.org/donate-talisman.
Contributed photo: An autumn view from the top of Talisman.
