Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE) has completed the purchase of Forêt Jolicœur-McMartin
December 1, 2022
We are delighted to report that ACRE completed the purchase of Forêt Jolicœur-McMartin Forest today. This important forest in Chelsea is now a community protected area, owned and managed by ACRE. This purchase took much longer to complete than anticipated, held up by a series of technical and bureaucratic issues. But it is now done, and we all get better nature conservation for Christmas!
Many thanks for your donation to ACRE to make this happen. One hundred and forty-four Individuals and families in our regional community donated over five hundred thousand dollars in total, an incredible sum we matched against public funds from Canada, Quebec, and the National Capital Commission. We also appreciate the ongoing support of Leacross Foundation.
There is much to celebrate in this project. The land is part of an important ecological corridor identified by Gatineau Park. It contains mature forests, significant wetlands, and species at risk. The legal documents related to the purchase include some novel reciprocal trail access servitudes that will guarantee the citizens of Chelsea access to all the trails in the majority of the Larrimac forest, forever: providing residents a chance to connect with nature. The legal documents also include a provision where the future sale of any of the five new lots at the end of Chemin Descartes will result in 1% of the sale price transferred to ACRE for long-term stewardship.
Conservation is a team sport, and many people were critical in making this happen. Special thanks to Notary Megan Throop for her skill and dedication in guiding us through a complex process. Thanks also to Jos Wood who volunteered his skills as a realtor. Carrie Wallace was instrumental in brokering this
conservation deal. We had great support from Chelsea’s Mayor, Pierre Guénard, and the Municipal Council – Ward 4 Councillor Christopher Blais in particular – as well as municipal staff. We are also grateful to Pierre McMartin for his partnership and for his donation of half the fair market value of his property.
The need for community conservation continues and we will be reaching out about the next conservation project.
Thanks again. Best wishes from your Community Land Trust,
The ACRE Board
ACRE gratefully acknowledges the financial support and the participation of Parks Canada Agency, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Fondation de la Faune, and the Municipality of La Pêche. We also acknowledge that this project was made possible thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) Partenariat pour les milieux naturels project for which Quebec’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change accorded a grant to the NCC. ACRE also acknowledges the financial support from the citizens of Chelsea, Wakefield and beyond, as well as the generous support of the Leacross Foundation, and the support of the Friends of the Gatineau River, the Youth Welfare Association of Rupert, and the Benevity Community Impact Fund.