Dear members, friends, and partners,
2024 was a big year with the addition of 477 acres of forests, wetlands, and mountain tops. It began with the purchase of 221 acres of land straddling the P’tit Train du Nord Linear Park along highway 117, from the descendants of Huntly Drummond. This land is adjacent to several of our other properties, the Parc Guy Piche, and the Ivry Wildlife Crossing, forming a large contiguous protected area of 547 acres. This was followed by the purchase of 13.4 acres just south of Lac de la Loutre (aka Atwater Lake). While small, this acquisition was of vital importance to protect that lake from a residential development just meters away from its shoreline. Subsequent to year-end, we were advised that the late Sheila McCall had bequeathed 242 acres of backland to us, including such landmarks as Arthur’s Seat and Reid Lake. This donated land is adjacent to our Lac de la Loutre Reserve (aka Atwater Lake), forming another large contiguous protected area of over 500 acres, and brings our total conservation land holdings to approximately 2,215 acres.
Donations and grants rose significantly in 2024, thanks to a large increase in new members and government funding for land purchases and related costs. Despite rising annual operating expenses mainly as a result of higher municipal taxes, we again finished the year with a healthy working capital surplus, while boosting our Stewardship Fund to $600,000. We are actively evaluating numerous acquisition opportunities but remain disciplined in the face of continued speculation from land developers. Our 12th Annual General Meeting of Members will be held on June 28 at 2pm at the townhall in Ivry-sur-le-Lac, where we welcome your presence again this year.
We welcome you to please download Conservation Manitou - 2024 Annual Report.