CONSERVATION MANITOU to acquire Atwater Lake Property

CONSERVATION MANITOU to acquire 250-acre Atwater Lake Property

May 21, 2016 (Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec) – CONSERVATION MANITOU is proud to announce that it will acquire 250 acres of forested land located in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, south of Lake Manitou and surrounding Lac de la Loutre, known locally as Atwater Lake. Almost forgotten today, James Sherrard and Lucy Atwater, grand-daughter of the 19^th century industrialist Edwin Atwater for whom Atwater Avenue in Montreal is named, were significant actors in the early days of Lake Manitou. In 1918, they acquired Viscount Raoul Ogier d’Ivry’s boathouse at the entrance to Johnson’s Arm, followed two years later by the purchase of what is today Shirley Stikeman’s lakefront property. In 1934, after their just completed fieldstone house caught fire, the Sherrards sold that property to Alan McCall, Shirley’s father, and built a new home up the hill across Lake Manitou South Road. They shared this new property with Lucy’s unmarried sister Edith Atwater. Edith took a fancy to the small lake up at the back of the property and built a cabin on what local residents called Miss Atwater’s Lake. After passing through several hands and becoming known as Levesque’s Farm, Shirley Stikeman had the foresight to acquire the former Sherrard property in 1998, and is now donating 250 acres of it to CONSERVATION MANITOU under Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program.

Going forward, Atwater Lake, officially called Lac de la Loutre, and its surroundings which are frequented by deer, moose and bear, will become an ecologically significant conservation area. “Shirley Stikeman is continuing the tradition of land conservation inspired by her father Alan McCall by entrusting us with the preservation of this important part of our local ecosystem.” declares Stephen Takacsy, Chair of CONSERVATION MANITOU. “Our community is deeply grateful to Shirley for this incredible act of generosity which will benefit generations to come.”

Including the above, CONSERVATION MANITOU will own 535 acres of forested conservation lands with over 2 kilometers of shoreline on Lake Manitou and Horseshoe Lake. It is one of the leading organizations dedicated to the preservation of natural areas in the Laurentians and is a registered charity and a qualified recipient of Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. Its mission is to preserve and protect the ecosystem and natural environment of Lake Manitou and its surroundings, by acquiring land and conservation easements, either donated or purchased, and providing stewardship in perpetuity.

To donate please make your cheque payable to CONSERVATION MANITOU and mail to: 1800 McGill College, suite 2102, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3J6

Presentation - Annual General Meeting of Members, May 21, 2016

Please find attached the presentation from Conservation Manitou's 2016 AGM. Conservation Manitou Presentation 2016

CONSERVATION MANITOU acquiert 56 hectares de forêt

 

CONSERVATION MANITOU acquiert 56 hectares de forêt

8 juillet 2015 (Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Québec) – CONSERVATION MANITOU est heureuse d’annoncer qu’elle a complété l’acquisition de 56 hectares de forêt sur le côté nord et sur la rive sud du lac Manitou, ainsi que sur la rive nord du lac Fer-à-Cheval, par voie de dons dans le cadre du Programme des dons écologiques d’Environnement Canada. Les propriétés acquises comprennent des sommets et des crêtes, des milieux humides et des ruisseaux alimentant les deux lacs, ainsi que 760 mètres de littoral marécageux sur le lac Fer-à-Cheval et 325 mètres de littoral escarpé sur le lac Manitou. « Nous sommes très reconnaissants envers Tony Dobell, Shirley Stikeman et David McCall pour nous avoir confié la préservation et l’intendance de ces terres comprenant du rivage sur le vulnérable lac Fer-à-Cheval, le plus grand plan d’eau se déversant dans le lac Manitou » souligne Stephen Takacsy, président du conseil de CONSERVATION MANITOU. Une section de la piste historique de ski nordique Laurentienne, qui sera elle aussi préservée, fait partie des terrains.

À ce jour, CONSERVATION MANITOU a reçu des dons monétaires, des promesses de dons et des subventions totalisant plus de 1,7 million $ et des dons de terres d’une valeur de 2 millions $, permettant l’acquisition d’un total de près de 89 hectares de forêt et 2.1 kilomètres de littoral. « Nous avons accompli ceci ensemble avec la participation de nos 120 membres, la générosité de plusieurs familles qui nous ont donné d’importantes terres, ainsi qu’avec le support et la vision de la municipalité d’Ivry-sur-le-Lac. Ce fut un véritable effort communautaire témoignant des fortes valeurs que nous partageons en ce qui concerne la protection des milieux naturels. Nous prévoyons d’autres projets et souhaitons augmenter le nombre de membres tout en levant des fonds additionnels afin de couvrir les coûts d’acquisitions futures et les dépenses d’intendance annuelles» explique Stephen Takacsy. «La conservation est un investissement dans notre futur collectif, et la préservation du capital nature protège la santé de nos écosystèmes tout en contribuant aussi à la richesse de nos communautés.»

CONSERVATION MANITOU est un des plus importants organismes de conservation de milieux naturels dans les Laurentides. Société de bienfaisance accréditée par Environnement Canada dans le cadre du Programme des dons écologiques, sa mission est de préserver et protéger l’écosystème et le patrimoine naturel du lac Manitou et de ses environs par l’acquisition de terres et de servitudes de conservation, par voie de dons ou d’achats, et de fournir des services d’intendance à perpétuité.

Pour faire un don, veuillez faire votre chèque au nom de CONSERVATION MANITOU et le poster au: 1800 avenue McGill College, suite 2102, Montréal, Québec, H3A 3J6 No. d’enregistrement: 831460936RR0001 www.conservationmanitou.ca

CONSERVATION MANITOU acquires 140 Acres of Forest

CONSERVATION MANITOU acquires 140 Acres of Forest

July 8, 2015 (Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec) – CONSERVATION MANITOU is pleased to announce thatit has completed the acquisition of nearly 140 acres of forested land on the north side and on the southwestern shore of Lake Manitou, and on the north shore of Horseshoe Lake, by way of donations under Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. The properties acquired include prominent hilltops and ridges, wetlands and streams feeding into both lakes, as well as nearly 2,500 feet of boggy waterfront on Horseshoe Lake and over 1,000 feet of steep shoreline on Lake Manitou. “We are very grateful to the late Tony Dobell, as well as Shirley Stikeman and David McCall, for entrusting us with the preservation and stewardship of these ecologically sensitive lands which include shoreline on vulnerable Horseshoe Lake, the largest body of water flowing into Lake Manitou” states Stephen Takacsy, Chair of CONSERVATION MANITOU. The lands also feature a section of the historic Laurentian ski trail which will also be preserved.

CONSERVATION MANITOU has received financial donations, pledges and grants totalling over $1.7 million and land donations valued at $2 million which have enabled it to acquire a total of 220 acres of forest and 1.3 miles of lakefront to date. “We have accomplished this together with the participation of our 120 members, the generosity of several families who have donated important parcels of land, as well as the support and vision of the municipality of Ivry-sur-le-Lac. This has been a true community effort and a testament to the strong values we share towards the protection of our natural environment. We anticipate more projects to come and hope to increase our membership while raising additional funds to cover future acquisition costs and ongoing stewardship expenses” explains Stephen Takacsy. “Conservation is an investment in our future, and preserving natural capital protects the health of our ecosystems as well as contributes to the long term wealth of our communities.”

CONSERVATION MANITOU is one the leading organizations dedicated to the preservation of natural areas in the Laurentians. It is a registered charity and a qualified recipient of Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. Its mission is to preserve and protect the ecosystem and natural environment of Lake Manitou and its surroundings, by acquiring land and conservation easements, either donated or purchased, and providing stewardship in perpetuity.

To donate please make your cheque payable to CONSERVATION MANITOU and mail to: 1800 McGill College, suite 2102, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3J6 Registered Charity No.: 831460936RR0001 www.conservationmanitou.ca