Samuel Wilmot Nature Area

Submitted by: Shelley Irving, June 2025

Hike Reference: 12.5 km Wilmot Creek Watefront Trail

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In 1998, Council approved the Environmental Management Plan for the Samuel Wilmot Nature Reserve consisting of 77 hectares of stream valley and wetlands and providing access to shoreline, marsh and Wilmot Creek.

This ecological hotspot is home to a diverse array of wildlife. eBird has recorded more than 160 bird species and a variety of native wildflowers, many of which are integral to local conservation and pollinator support efforts. Since 2017, approximately 3,400 native plants have been planted. 

Samuel Wilmot (1822–1899) was a pioneering Canadian fish culturist, farmer, and civic leader whose work laid the foundation for modern aquaculture in Canada. Born in Clarke Township (now Newcastle, Ont.), he was the son of Samuel Street Wilmot, a Loyalist and early settler in Upper Canada. Samuel Wilmot inherited Belmont Farm, which overlooked Wilmot Creek—a vital spawning stream for Lake Ontario’s Atlantic salmon.

Educated at Upper Canada College, Wilmot returned to Newcastle in 1856 to manage the family farm after his father's death. He was active in local government, serving as municipal clerk, councillor, and reeve of Clarke Township. He also held the position of warden for Durham and Northumberland counties and was a justice of the peace.

 In the mid-1860s, Wilmot began experimenting with artificial fish breeding in his basement using spring water to simulate stream conditions. By 1866, he had constructed a small hatchery on the banks of Wilmot Creek, where he successfully spawned 15,000 salmon. His success led the federal government to expand his project into Ontario’s first full-scale fish hatchery in 1868, one of the earliest in North America. Under his leadership, the hatchery reached a peak production of 1.5 million eggs in 1876. Wilmot was appointed federal Superintendent of Fish Breeding Establishments in 1876, overseeing hatcheries across Canada.

Wilmot’s hatchery set a global standard for fish culture practices. The Newcastle Fish Hatchery operated until 1914 and is commemorated by an Ontario Heritage Trust plaque at its original site near the junction of County Road 2 and Highway 115 in Newcastle. The Samuel Wilmot Nature Area, managed by the Municipality of Clarington, preserves the wetlands and walking trails near Wilmot Creek, honouring his contributions to environmental conservation.

In addition to his work in fish culture, Wilmot was instrumental in introducing electric lighting to Newcastle. The Village of Newcastle has had electricity for almost 120 years. In 1896, Samuel Wilmot installed a water powered electric generating plant on his property (near the Fish Hatchery). Later, he received a “franchise” from the Village of Newcastle Council and in September, 1896 had erected power lines. Initially, there were just twelve street lights and eighty domestic hydro connections to houses and businesses. The street lights were “32 candlepower” and were provided for $1.00 per light per year. The house connections were on a flat rate of 40 cents per month for each outlet. Electricity was only provided from dusk until midnight.

Today, Samuel Wilmot is remembered as a visionary whose innovations in fish culture and civic leadership have left a lasting impact on Canada’s environmental and technological landscape.