The Friends of Ball's Bridge & Little Lakes is a community group dedicated to preserving the cultural, historical, and environmental significance of the Ball's Bridge and Little Lakes area in Huron County, Ontario. This area is rich in biodiversity, history, and cultural heritage, including its connection to the Ojibwa, Huron, and Algonquin peoples. The group actively works to protect this space from threats like gravel extraction and to maintain its beauty for future generations.

Ball's Bridge, built in 1885, is a historic structure that has become a beloved landmark. The Friends of Ball's Bridge successfully campaigned to save and rehabilitate the bridge in 2007, ensuring its preservation. The area is also a hub for community events, such as art hikes, open mic nights, and celebrations that bring people together to appreciate its natural and cultural treasures.

Currently the group is launching a defense to the Ontario Land Tribunal against a zoning change that would allow for the licensing of a proposed below-water-table gravel mine that would cover a massive area beside the Maitland River and devour a large area of prime agricultural land in addition to destroying the ecologically sensitive area that includes wetlands and a Highly Vulnerable Area that is both "provincially and locally significant" as well as "significant wildlife habitat".

The group is raising funds to cover the costs to hire experts to mount their defense at the Ontario Land Tribunal to be held from July 3-18, 2025. A silent auction will take place April 16th to April 30  at  Elizabeth's Art Gallery, 54 Courthouse Sq, Goderich in support their efforts.
Link HERE

For more information on FOBBLL see here