At last! Maple Lake Estates lands have been transferred to Conservation Authority

Minister Caroline Mulroney helped ensure the transfer of lands to the Conservation Authority

By Jack Gibbons, Chair, North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance

Yesterday, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority announced that the DG Group’s lands on the north and south sides of Deer Park Road in the Town of Georgina have been transferred to the Authority to create a protected natural area. This includes the 500-acre former Maple Lake Estates property north of Deer Park Road as well as 390 acres south of the road.

At the same time, the province imposed a no-development Minister’s Zoning Order on the lands, further cementing the North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance’s success in protecting the former Maple Lake Estates lands at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal in 2019.

Thanks to the leadership of MPP Caroline Mulroney in facilitating this transfer, these forests, wetlands and farmlands will now be under public ownership and open to the public in perpetuity!

Background

In response to the North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance’s appeal of the Town of Georgina’s Official Plan, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal designated more than 99% of the former Maple Lake Estates as an Environmental Protection Area in 2019 and hence off-limits to development.  The lands south of Deer Park Road were already in the Greenbelt Plan’s Protected Countryside.

A special thank you to our lawyers, Leo Longo and Kent Elson, our planning expert, Tony Usher, and our communications team: Angela Bischoff, Brad Cundiff, Kelly Green and David Oved.

Our 11-year campaign to save the North Gwillimbury Forest was strongly supported by our local councillor, Dave Neeson, thousands of Georgina residents, our generous financial supporters and our board members: Jim Keenan, Erin Kemp, Mary Lovett, Dan Merrill, Mike Sanderson, Sandra Villiers and Linda Wells.

Working together we have protected the North Gwillimbury Forest forever! 

We look forward to working with and supporting the Conservation Authority to bring about the best planning and management of this treasure for future generations.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!

Please share this message with your friends and neighbours.