On December 16, council unanimously approved the acquisition of 70.6 hectares of donated woodlands, further expanding the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) Counties Forest network. Landowners approached SDG to strengthen the region’s commitment to environmental conservation through their donations and encourage passive recreation for residents.
Allan MacDonald contacted SDG Forestry staff in October 2024 to express interest in donating approximately 59.5 hectares of forested and agricultural land through the Federal Ecological Gifts Program. More recently, Francis Chretien also approached SDG to offer his 6.9 hectares of forested land as well.
The MacDonald property is located in North Glengarry along Kenyon Concession Road 4 and includes a forested area with a combination of Spruce, White Pine, Ash, Sugar Maple, and Basswood trees of varying ages. Future opportunities would also allow SDG to plant more than 12,000 trees in forestation efforts using the agricultural land.
“Allan MacDonald is a very community-minded and conservation-minded individual and hats go off to him” for the donation initiative, councillor Carma Williams said.
The Chretien property is located on Fraser Road in South Glengarry. The forested area is home to a variety of trees, predominantly including Sugar Maple, Bur Oak, Ash, and Hemlock. The adjacent four-hectare vacant field would also be utilized for forestation efforts, allowing for an additional 10,000 trees to be planted.
An on-site sugar shack is present on the Chretien property, with the original building dating back to the early 1900s. The shack was rebuilt in the 1970s due to a tree falling and significantly damaging the structure.
Councillor Steve Densham commented, “You can just hear the pride of ownership on these properties. It sounds like there are stories behind them, and I’m wondering whether or not we have a mechanism for the owners to share with us a written story that we can maintain and keep.”
“In the future, if somebody wants to look back on how we came about these lands and the history behind them, it would be great to pass those stories down to people who visit or wish to research the history.”
SDG would be responsible for any surveying costs and legal fees associated with the land transfer which will come from the counties’ Forest Reserve Fund.
A third property owner has also confirmed their desire to work with SDG for a split donation and sale of 28.3 hectares of forested land in South Glengarry. Discussions between the individual and SDG are ongoing.
