The Nellie Lunn Park

“We believe in the value of community greenspace within Wollaston Township in Hastings County.”

(The Friends of Nellie Lunn Park)

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THE NELLIE LUNN PARK           

By John Lowry

Tucked away in the centre of Wollaston Township, Hastings County is an ecological gem – Nellie Lunn Park.

The park comprises 100 acres (40 hectares) of undeveloped wilderness and features a mixture of forest and wetlands on the rocky Canadian Shield. In fact, 80 per cent of the property consists of wetlands that are considered environmentally protected. A trail system reaches 2 – 3 km into the property and one of its branches leads to a lookout on scenic little Urbach Lake, which is stocked by the MNRF for sport fishing.

The property is accessed via a road allowance that runs south from The Ridge Road, not far from Coe Hill.

This piece of wilderness was preserved as the result of the generosity of Second World War veteran Boleslaw Klincewicz who bequeathed the land to the township in 1981 for the purpose of a public park, named in honour of the love of his life, Nellie Lunn.

In the years since, this beautiful park has become a popular destination for those wishing to venture into a wilderness setting to hike, mountain bike or, during the winter, to go snowshoeing.

Unfortunately, however, the park’s very existence is at risk. In February 2021, the Wollaston township council decided to close the park to public access while they debated the future of the natural area. In July 2021 they proposed to sell the wilderness park ostensibly as a means of raising funds to add to the reserves to construct a large new fire hall. The implications of this are far reaching particularly when it is understood that the park constitutes 96 per cent of the township’s recreational land assets.

In response, many local residents have banded together to convince the council that this would be wrong. They have formed a local non-profit organization called the’ Friends of Nellie Lunn Park’ in their efforts to preserve this important wilderness area. They have been successful in delaying a decision on this matter while they gather the necessary support to ensure the Park is preserved for posterity in its natural state. A well-researched business plan has been developed by the group to demonstrate the various options that could be explored to maintain this precious natural asset. Those interested in showing their support for this worthy cause can visit the ‘Friends of Nellie Lunn Park’ website (url – https://www.fonlp.ca) or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/friendsofnellielunnpark

UPDATE: The new Wollaston Township has voted to retain Nellie Lunn Park.