Last week, the Times reported that the Ferguson Forest Centre had made a proposal to the Municipality of North Grenville requesting that some of the land on which the FFC operates be sold by the Municipality, with the money donated back to FFC so it can continue to run.
At the regularly scheduled Council meeting on April 16, officials from FFC presented the plan to Council. The presentation focused on many of the same points that were reported in FFC’s official comments on the matter, principally that the trails and recreational amenities provided by FFC would not be affected by the land sale, and that the land requested to be sold is not high quality agricultural land.
It was further proposed to Council by FFC President, Carl Doucette, that the land sale would provide additional benefits to the community, since the FFC is a non-profit organization that serves the community. Carl also said that the FFC wants to “diversify” in the years ahead. “We as a nursery have to become less dependent on government programs, because government programs are at the whim of the government in power at the time,” he added.
Mayor Nancy Peckford asked Carl what the “tipping point” was that made FFC officials realize that they needed a new financial strategy. Carl explained that it had been a consideration over a number of years, and that one major realization has been the need to modernize as advancements in agricultural equipment are ever increasing. The FFC is currently using much of the same equipment that it was using in the 1990s. Another problem that the FFC is facing is that the well water they draw for irrigation is too high in sodium, and treating it will be expensive.
Deputy Mayor John Barclay then spoke up with a proposal, asking if the FFC would consider taking any land sale proceeds as an interest-free, forgivable loan, rather than as a donation. The Deputy Mayor also asked if the Municipality could pay the money to FFC in increments, based on their financial needs over time. Carl could not provide an answer on behalf of the FFC Board.
Councillor Deb Wilson – who was patched into the meeting virtually – asked whether the subject lands would need to be decontaminated (due to fertilizers and pesticides) before being developed. Carl Cannon of FFC explained that there is typically a waiting period of just “a year or two” before development can take place.
Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan also attended the meeting virtually, and asked the FFC representatives if there is a plan for future asset management. “We need to know that this isn’t going to happen again, because we can’t sell the land again,” she said. Carl Doucette answered that with the planned modernization and new equipment and infrastructure, the FFC would have the opportunity to have a top notch asset management plan.
Mayor Peckford pointed out that, for many North Grenville residents, seeing the nursery and forest on one side of County Road 43 within Kemptville is important and exemplifies the character of the community. She asked if the FFC had considered identifying a different plot of land for sale that would allow the aesthetic quality of that section of County Road 43 to remain. The representatives pointed out that the landscape of County Road 43 is ever changing, and that developers would have options to preserve the aesthetic quality of the subject lands. Ultimately, they confirmed that it has been decided that there is no better plot to recommend for sale.
Councillor Kristin Strackerjan put the issue into a different perspective, saying that FFC essentially needs $2 million, and that selling the lands along County Road 43 would be only one way of obtaining the money. She suggested that as discussions about the proposal move forward, consideration of other ways to financially support the FFC, including a possible loan unrelated to the sale of any lands, would be prudent.
The motion to receive the report from FFC was passed, with more discussions and ultimately decision making to take place in the future.
