CONSERVATION MANITOU acquires McCall Island
January 31, 2016 (Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec) – CONSERVATION MANITOU is pleased to announce that it has acquired the 17-acre McCall Island located in the south-eastern arm of Lake Manitou. Formerly known as Beaver Island, The Manitou Club purchased it from Viscount Raoul Ogier d’Ivry circa 1905. It was eventually acquired by Alan McCall after passing through the hands of Canadian Pacific Railway which was rumored to have had plans to build a hotel on the island. The island was later transferred to The McCall Island Foundation in order to preserve it in perpetuity as a wildlife sanctuary for the benefit of local residents. The island was once served by a foot bridge leading to a bathhouse and hiking trail. The transfer from The McCall Island Foundation to CONSERVATION MANITOU required the consent of Nature Conservancy of Canada which was named as transferee in the trust deed.
“We are once again grateful to Shirley Stikeman and David McCall, as well as the other trustees of The McCall Island Foundation, for handing us this precious gift that the late Alan McCall preserved for our community.” declares Stephen Takacsy, Chair of CONSERVATION MANITOU. “Receiving the consent of Nature Conservancy of Canada is a strong endorsement of our preservation work and shows a spirit of cooperation between two like-minded organizations.”
CONSERVATION MANITOU now owns 237 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 Registered Charity No.: 831460936RR0001