Update- the Anniversary Park bicycle rack was installed on Friday June 25^th. The Ferguson Forest Centre and the Municipality of North Grenville are pleased to have partnered together for the purchase and installation of this  strategically located 1.5 metre wide bicycle rack.

Carl Doucette, President, Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC) and Dwayne Dowdell, Interim President of the new Kemptville Disc Golf Club (KDGC) are pleased to formally announce the introduction of disc golf at the FFC’s arboretum. Interim President Dowdell stated … “it has been a dream of mine for years to design, create and install a disc golf course in the Kemptville area and with the FFC’s Board support I have been able to accomplish this.” The 9 hole (basket) course operated by the KDGC is located in the multi-use natural greenspace of the mostly northern area of the arboretum. The approximately 1000 metre long par 31 course is comprised of mostly par 3 holes, a few par 4 holes and one par 5 hole each having 2 sets of tee pads. President Doucette advised …the FFC is very happy to have the opportunity to cooperate with the KDGC to bring another great outdoor recreational activity such as disc golf to the residents of the Municipality of North Grenville.”

The KDGC is a newly formed disc golf club registered with the Ontario Disc Sports Association created to promote and foster the community benefits of disc golf in the Kemptville area. The club is the result of the vision of Dwayne Dowdell with the assistance of Sarah Herring. Disc golf baskets, tee pads, signage and other related equipment and materials are the responsibility of the KDGC while the FFC is responsible for the maintenance of the lands. As the disc golf course is located in a multi-use area, all players are required to be courteous and defer or yield their play so as to not interfere with the public’s safe use and enjoyment of the arboretum. Membership is not required for casual play however it is required for club activities such as league play and tournaments. Membership information will be available on the KDGC facebook page shortly.

Disc golf was formalized in the 1970’s and is played much like golf except instead of a golf ball and clubs the player throws flying discs from a tee pad towards and into a basket (hole). The flying disc is specially designed for disc golf and can be purchased from a number of on-line vendors starting at around $15 to $25 for each disc or a starter set of 3 discs for about $50 or less. The player with the fewest “throws” wins. The sport appeals to players of all ages and abilities who enjoy physical fitness in an outdoor natural setting.

The mission of the not-for-profit FFC is to promote the awareness of and interest in forestry (in particular, afforestation and sustainable forest management) and maintain, enhance and promote the responsible use and stewardship of recreational and conservation lands managed by the FFC for the benefit of the residents of the Municipality of North Grenville, including trails, arboretum and dog park.

For more information on the Ferguson Forest Centre see www.fergusonforestcentre.ca .

This is a joint media release of the FFC and KDGC

The Corporation of the Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC) is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the Municipality of North Grenville for the purchase and installation of a 1.5 metre (5 foot) wide bicycle rack to be located on the eastern (river) side of the Anniversary Park parking lot. This location was deemed to be a strategically valuable one as the bicycle rack will serve riders wishing to access a water view and Anniversary Park facilities (which now includes a Kayak launch sponsored by the Kemptville District Community Association), as well as other amenities of the Ferguson Forest Centre such as the Turtle Trail and arboretum. So …stay tuned …as the new bicycle rack is anticipated to be installed by the Municipality within the next month or two.

The mission of the not-for-profit FFC is to promote the awareness of and interest in forestry (in particular, afforestation and sustainable forest management) and maintain, enhance and promote the responsible use and stewardship of the recreational and conservation lands managed by the FFC for the benefit of the residents of the Municipality of North Grenville, including trails, arboretum and dog park.

For more information on the Ferguson Forest Centre see www.fergusonforestcentre.ca

Residents of North Grenville are used to seeing fields of seedlings in the Ferguson Tree Nursery as they travel down County Road 43 or greenhouses full of container stock off County Road 44.  However, have you ever stopped to think of what becomes of these tiny seedlings.  Well, here is an example of what your nursery is doing to help in reforestation and afforestation in the Province of Ontario. 

Theresa Allingham, a Kemptville resident and 2nd year student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, left a few weeks ago to plant trees in Northern Ontario. An avid environmentalist, she  was thrilled to see a truck full of seedlings on her first day from her very own hometown. The first tree she planted was a spruce from the Ferguson Tree Nursery.  The benefit of tree planting is well documented.  As trees grow, they help stop climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Trees and shrubs (also grown in our nursery) improve soil and water conservation, moderate local climate by providing shade, regulate temperature extremes, increase wildlife habitat, and improve the land's capacity to adapt to climate change.  These are all benefits forests and shrubs offer the environment and in turn, us.   According to scientific analysis, planting 20 million trees will absorb 1.6 million tons of carbon – the equivalent of taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year. So, when you see those seedlings growing in our nursery fields, you now know the contribution they are making to a healthy environment. 

The Ferguson Tree Nursery is operated by the not-for-profit Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation and has been expertly steered during these challenging Covid-19 times by its three directors: Maureen Jacques, Penny Lennox and Carolyn Rayfield aided by a competent and hard-working staff. The Corporation’s mission is to operate the tree nursery and utilize its profits to:

• promote awareness of, and interest in, forestry in particular, afforestation and sustainable forest management.
• maintain, enhance and promote the responsible use and stewardship of the recreation and conservation lands managed by the Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation for the benefit of the residents of North Grenville including trails, arboretum and dog park.

The Ferguson Tree Nursery continues to produce a variety of high quality, cost effective nursery stock

for the enhancement of both the urban and rural forest environment.  Check us out at www.fergusontreenursery.ca or www.fergusonforestcentre.ca

During this pandemic challenged time, the Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation virtually held its annual
election for executive officers on February 3, 2021.

January 9, 2021

NORTH GRENVILLE, ON – It is with profound sadness that Council, alongside the community grieve the passing of Mr. Donald Cameron, age 80, who served as the first Mayor of the amalgamated Municipality of North Grenville. Mr. Cameron passed away peacefully at his home.  

NORTH GRENVILLE, ON – The Municipality of North Grenville is pleased to offer a sledding hill in partnership with the Ferguson Forest Centre.

“Council is thrilled with the addition of this outdoor winter activity for residents to enjoy - without having to leave town,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford.

“The need for safe, outdoor recreational activities for families is even greater during the pandemic, and we thank Ferguson Forest Centre for offering such a wonderful space,” added Mayor Peckford.  

The toboggan hill is located at the Arboretum in the Ferguson Forest Centre (241 Honour Way) and open to the public when weather conditions permit from 8:00 am to dusk daily. Parking is available at the dog park.

“Provided posted toboggan hill rules are followed and Ontario health guidelines are adhered to, experts agree tobogganing is a safe and healthy family oriented outdoor activity. Come out and enjoy the fresh air at the toboggan hill as well as the Centre’s off leash dog park, many trails and park areas and the arboretum,” stated Ferguson Forest Centre President Carl Doucette.

“Having this new facility to expand outdoor recreation for families in our community is a welcome asset - and very important to our wellbeing. I appreciate the work of the FFC and the Municipality of North Grenville for their collaborative effort,” added Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan and Parks, Recreation and Culture Liaison.

Participants are asked to follow the rules posted on site as well as public health guidelines, including maintaining physical distancing from those outside of your household.

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For More Information Contact:
Jill Sturdy, Corporate Media Relations Officer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
613-258-9569 ext. 168

The Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC) is pleased to have assisted the Municipality of North Grenville with their establishment of a new and now opened public toboggan hill in the Ferguson Forest Centre’s Arboretum (241 Honour Way), located opposite to the Centre’s off leash dog park.

The toboggan hill is open to public use when weather conditions permit and between the hours of 8am to 5 pm daily, including weekends and statutory holidays. Participants are asked to follow all Ontario health guidelines, maintain a 2 metre physical distancing from those outside of your household or cohort at all times, to use helmets and, if 12 years old or younger, to have parental supervision. A full set of tobogganing rules has been posted on site.

Ferguson Forest Centre President Carl Doucette stated:

“Provided posted toboggan hill rules are followed and Ontario health guidelines are adhered to, experts agree tobogganing is a safe and healthy family oriented outdoor activity. Come out and enjoy the fresh air at the toboggan hill as well as the Centre’s off leash dog park, many trails and park areas and the arboretum. “

North Grenville Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan, Municipal Representative to the FFC, said:

“Having this new facility to offer outdoor recreation for young people in our community is a welcome asset and very important to our wellbeing. I look forward to taking my grandchildren to enjoy this outdoor sliding hill. I appreciate the work of the FFC and the PRC department of the Municipality for their collaborative effort.”

The FFC is happy to have helped the Municipality of North Grenville with this endeavour and to thank Luke Dulmage and Ryan Hess of L&R Custom Farming for their generous donation of 10 hay bales that have been strategically placed on the toboggan hill to enhance the user’s safety and enjoyment.  

For more information, please contact the North Grenville Parks, Recreation and Culture Department.

Carl Cannon, FFC VP

The people of North Grenville know and appreciate Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC). We hike or ski the many kilometres of trails through the forest, take our dogs to the Dog Park, stroll the paths in the Arboretum, and launch kayaks at Anniversary Park. We admire Veterans Memorial Park and Veterans Way, and feel a sense of communal pride in the fields full of small trees clearly reflecting an active green farming operation.

Few people realize that the tree nursery is the financial engine that supports all other FFC activities on the Centre’s recreational lands that the community uses and cherishes.

In 1996, the Ontario Government closed the G. Howard Ferguson Forest Station and put the land up for sale, though retaining the forest management sector, known as Ferguson Forest. The former forest station land eventually came to be owned by the Municipality of North Grenville and a debate ensued between those wanting more strip malls and those wanting to retain the environmental and recreational benefits. It was a narrow decision, but the conservationists won!

Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation (FFCC), a registered not-for profit organization, was formed in 2000. The Municipality agreed to lease the land to FFCC, which resumed the business of growing trees and supporting the recreational lands, and assumed responsibility for the forest lands still owned by the province. These combined 1100 acres formed Ferguson Forest Centre (FFC).

Ferguson Tree Nursery (FTN), through FFCC, is overseen by a volunteer board of directors who ensure that, as a not-for-profit corporation, all monies available after meeting expenses are put back into the community. For example, when the FFCC board agreed to set aside land for a dog park, FTN staff and equipment helped with its construction. FFCC paid for construction of the parking lot that serves the dog park and Arboretum, and partnered with the Municipality to upgrade the access road. It is tree nursery staff, using tree nursery equipment, who maintain the trails and mow the grass in Veterans Memorial Park, Anniversary Park, the dog park, the Arboretum and the other public lands throughout the Centre.

Just as the Ferguson Tree Nursery is the backbone of Ferguson Forest Centre, corporate membership is the backbone of the corporation that governs it. Due to attrition in recent years, FFCC is currently in need of competent, capable and committed new members, to ensure the future of the nursery and the Centre so that the corporation can continue to serve afforestation initiatives that mitigate climate change and ensure that the community continues to benefit from the many natural recreational opportunities the Centre offers.

FFCC works though a number of standing committees, such as the Public Relations and Communications Committee, FEAC (Arboretum) Committee and Trails Committee. These committees need members to contribute to the vibrant health of the organization and potentially provide candidates for vacant positions on the board of directors.

A commitment of time and ability by interested and capable members of the community can keep Ferguson Forest Centre vibrant and growing

FFCC is seeking community minded individuals to become members of the corporation. Membership is limited, and only open to individuals willing to contribute their time to serve on various committees, attend meetings, volunteer at events and potentially be voted to a directorship on the board of directors. Knowledge of forestry is not required.

For a full description of the organization’s mandate, mission and structure, including committees, please see our web site at www.fergusonforestcentre.ca.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this important community corporation, please contact Wes Herring, FFCC Vice President, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..