“We are fortunate to have access to so much forested space in North Grenville. North Grenville is flanked by Ferguson Forest to the north, which has 1,100 acres of multi-use green space and Limerick Forest to the south, another 15,000 acres of community forest located in eastern Ontario. Kemptville is also home to the Kemptville Campus Agroforestry Centre and Sugar bush located in the heart of our community as part of the municipally owned Kemptville Campus,” highlighted Mayor Nancy Peckford.
“Further, we were so pleased to learn that North Grenville has twice as much space as any other World Council of City Data certified Canadian cities. We rank second only to Rekjavík, Iceland globally- with over 719 square metres per capita of outdoor recreation space."
“It is my hope that every person in North Grenville can spend time in one of our incredible forests today, especially our community’s children,” added Mayor Peckford.
Ferguson Forest Centre
Ferguson Forest Centre promotes awareness of sustainable forest management and responsible use and stewardship of the forest, for the benefit of the residents of North Grenville.
“In fact, the Ferguson Tree Nursery is the largest supplier of high-quality tree seedlings and nursery stock for tree planting initiatives in eastern Ontario - producing over 1.7 million seedlings a year,” said Carl Doucette, President of Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation.
“Ferguson Forest offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including an abundance of nature trails, access to the Kemptville Creek, disc golf, cross-country ski trails and a toboggan hill in the winter - and even a park for dogs to play safely,” added Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan and Liaison for Parks, Recreation and Culture.
“There is clinical evidence that spending time in a forest is beneficial to improve and sustain good mental health,” emphasized Councillor O’Sullivan.
Agroforestry Centre – Kemptville Campus
Kemptville Campus Agroforestry Centre and Sugar Bush operates over 1,000 taps over 18 acres of sugarbush. The Peter Wensink Maple Forest and the Agroforestry Centre is part of the larger campus forest that is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), a worldwide initiative for sustainable forest management.
Limerick Forest
Managed by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Limerick Forest provides for a wide variety of recreational opportunities and promotes forest management aimed at ensuring the forest remains healthy. Limerick Forest is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certificated (FSC® C018800) through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s Forest (EOMF) Certification Program. The FSC® is an international, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.
There are ample educational opportunities to learn about local biodiversity – including interpretive trails. Limerick offers approximately 180km of multi-use trails used by recreation enthusiasts from snowmobiles, ATVs, to cross-country ski, snowshoeing, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
North Grenville – a Global Leader in access to Greenspace
Earlier this year, the Municipality of North Grenville was awarded ISO 37120 Platinum Certification for 2021 by the World Council on City Data (WCCD) - the highest level of certification, joining a select group of 100 data-driven cities worldwide including thirty cities across Canada.
One of the key data points was access to green space. With over 719 square metres per capita of outdoor recreation space North Grenville has twice as much space as any other WCCD certified Canadian cities and ranks 2nd globally only to Reykjavík, Iceland.
North Grenville offers ample greenspace opportunities for residents and visitors alike to enjoy a cost-effective way of keeping physically active while enjoying the great outdoors. Globally, forests house more than three-quarters of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and the source of food, medicines, and fuel for more than one billion people who would not have access to these resources from anywhere else.
Key Links:
For more information on how to access North Grenville’s Forests visit: www.NGtrails.ca
Ferguson Forest Centre: www.fergusonforestcentre.ca/
The Kemptville Campus Agroforestry Centre is hosting Maple Weekend April 2-3: https://www.ontariomaple.com/vendor/kemptville-campus-agri-forestry-center/
Limerick Forest: https://www.leedsgrenville.com/en/limerick-forest/limerick-forest.aspx
For More Information Contact:
Jill Sturdy, Corporate Media Relations Officer
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613-258-9569 ext. 168