Meet Your Neighbours! 

By the way Kittie-Marie skimmed her hand over the wild grasses as she guided us to her old vegetable garden, we could tell that she—and George—loved this land deeply. But they were troubled. We could hear it in their voices and see it on their faces. George and Kittie-Marie were afraid. They had decided to sell, but the idea that their land would be developed weighed heavily on their hearts. A Conservation Easement with our Land Trust proved to be the perfect solution to protect their legacy.

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Today, this spectacular property is protected forever. Here’s their story:
George and Kittie-Marie bought this 100-acre farming property, with rolling hills, fields and woodlands, in 1964. The house, barns and property were all derelict, and they worked every day to fix and erect fences and gates, regain pastures and repair the barn. Over time, they were able to restore a modest, well-maintained farm.

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They had work to do on the property too. There was significant soil erosion that had left the landscape looking more like a moonscape. They planted thousands of trees, stimulated thickets and added native plants and flowers. And they allowed their largest field to revert to a completely wild area, a “sanctuary field”. In winter, it acts as protection for small prey, in summer, a nesting ground for threatened species like ground-nesting Bobolink, Meadowlarks and Savannah Sparrows.

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Today, there are 40 bluebird boxes, and George and Kittie-Marie kept flora and fauna journals. 40 years of painstaking love and attention has gone into their meticulous, joyful tracking. And there’s a view on their land that will simply take your breath away. At the highest point of land, you can look south to picture-perfect view of the Toronto skyline.