Conservation agreement protects shoreline in memory of murdered Toronto man
Posted March 18, 2023 4:42 pm.
Last Updated March 18, 2023 4:44 pm.
A 999-year conservation agreement has been signed to protect a shoreline property in memory of a Toronto man who was murdered in 2007.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada announced Saturday that they would be completely protecting the ecologically sensitive lands 40 kilometres northwest of Kingston on Loon Lake.
Monte Hummel helped reach the agreement to protect the final piece of private land in a conservation network that spans almost 5,000 acres. The 0.4-hectare piece of land, located at the east end of the lake, is named Glen’s Cove after Glen Davis, a philanthropist who gave more than $20 million to various environmental causes including the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) over four decades.
Davis was found beaten and shot to death in the underground garage of the WWF offices in Toronto on May 18, 2007. His godson Marshall Ross, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and is serving a life sentence after admitting he had planned the murder and allegedly hired two hit men.
The protected area in Davis’ name provides habitat for over 30 species at risk, including the monarch butterfly, snapping turtle, nighthawk, whip-poor-will, and five-lined skink.
The bay will prohibit development and place limitations on land use, conserve habitats, and ensure delivery of clean water to downstream communities.
“Protecting such a beautiful place on the Canadian Shield during my lifetime has been an honour,” Hummel said in a statement. “And I feel that extending that stewardship for another 999 years is the least I can do to thank Loon Lake for its generosity to my family in our modest off-grid cabin for over 60 years.”
“Further, the conservation agreement announced today includes a lovely bay called Glen’s Cove, named in memory of Canadian conservation philanthropist Glen Davis — a close personal friend for nearly 40 years, who made a monumental impact on conservation across Canada.”
The Ontario Government provided funding for the project through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, as did individual donors and the Schad foundation.
