Dear members and friends,
2022 was one of our busiest years with four land acquisitions completed totalling 237 acres. We began by acquiring 7.5 acres on the south side of Lake Manitou with 576 feet of shoreline. This parcel, purchased from David Johnson at a discount in the context of the Ecological Gifts Program, is named the Ann Johnson Reserve in memory of his wife Ann (née Bushell) who wished it to be preserved. We also teamed up with the municipality of Ivry-sur-le-Lac to buy 172 acres of forest and wetlands which were threatened with development, stretching from Chemin Lac de la Grise northwards to beyond Riviere Noir. We acquired 141 acres of this property while the municipality purchased the remaining 31 acres along the P’tit Train du Nord Linear Park. This property, along with another 87.5 acres of land we bought along Chemin Lac de la Grise, contain a 1 kilometer section of the historic Maple Leaf cross-country ski trail known as the “Nantel”. Finally, McCall Island Foundation transferred us its remaining 1.1 acres of land on the south shore of Lake Manitou. Subsequent to year-end, the Fred Barker family gifted us 110 acres of land in the Lake Brazeau area just west of Lake Manitou, through which cross several scenic trails including the historic Laurentian ski trail.
Donations from members, combined with government grants, reached nearly $1.1 million, all of which was deployed toward land acquisitions and to bolster our Stewardship Fund. We finished the year in a strong financial position as we continue to evaluate numerous opportunities. However, as we acquire more land, we need to continue growing our Stewardship Fund to pay increasing carrying costs such as municipal taxes. 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of our founding, and with 1,738 acres of conservation lands currently under our protection, we are within reach of achieving our stated goal of preserving 2,000 acres. Please join us for our 10th Annual Meeting of Members on May 20th at 2pmat the Ivry-sur-le-Lac town hall to celebrate this important milestone.
We welcome you to please download Conservation Manitou - 2022 Annual Report.