North Grenville Council Faces Crucial Decision on Ferguson Forest Centre Recommendations

North Grenville ON, November 4, 2024 — A critical and defining moment awaits the North Grenville Council on November 5, 2024, as Chief Administrative Officer Karen Dunlop’s staff report, “Ferguson Forest Centre Update and Options,” is set to be presented. In a significant shift, the report firmly recommends that the proposed 13-acre land sale be taken off the table.  This recommendation highlights the staff’s commitment to finding sustainable funding for the valued Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC) without selling municipally owned, agriculturally zoned land. Held in trust since 1997, when the Township of Oxford-on-Rideau acquired it from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, this land was preserved through a resident-led effort.

The report underscores the important role of the FFC in bolstering ecological resilience through its environmental stewardship, and, most notably, its cultivation of native tree species. The FFC specializes in bare-root tree production which is essential in combating invasive species in Ontario, through cultivation and distribution of native tree species, the FFC strengthens natural habitats to outcompete invasive plants positioning the FFC as a cornerstone in maintaining biodiversity.

However, the report also reveals the pressing need for substantial governance reforms due to non-compliance by the current executive team with regards to the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) bylaws, which mandates updates by specific deadlines to ensure operational integrity and accountability.

Community voices have resounded loudly on this issue, with 1,172 petition signatures collected to stop the 13-acre land disposition. This overwhelming support reflects a shared belief in the value of the FFC stewarded land as a keystone of North Grenville’s ecological, cultural & heritage agriculture landscape, as symbolized by the white pine on the municipality’s flag—a nod to the region’s rich forestry heritage.

The upcoming Council meeting is set to take place at 6:30 PM in the North Grenville Municipal Centre. The public are encouraged to attend and show solidarity as Council deliberates on this critical decision that will shape the future stewardship of the FFC and uphold the trust placed in the current administration to protect and preserve North Grenville’s agricultural heritage for generations to come.