Displaying items by tag: 50th anniversary

WESTPORT, Sept 1, 2023 – Want to own a unique piece of Foley Mountain memorabilia? How about 500 pieces? This fall, Foley Mountain fans can bring the famous Spy Rock lookout home with them in the form of a custom jigsaw puzzle. 

The non-profit Friends of Foley Mountain group is selling the 500-piece commemorative puzzle to mark 50 years since Foley Mountain officially opened as a public conservation area. The puzzle features the iconic view of Westport from the top of Spy Rock.  

This limited-edition puzzle will be available for sale this fall at Westport retailers Lower Mountain Mercantile, Village Green and Rosie Yumski's. It will also be sold at special events in the village throughout the fall. 

The puzzle includes 500 jigsaw pieces and measures 20.5 x 15 inches when complete. Packaged in a compact cardboard box, the puzzles will make perfect stocking stuffers for every Foley Mountain fan this winter.

Proceeds will raise critical funds for Foley Mountain’s outdoor education programs as well as future capital projects at the site. 

“This is a unique way to support our treasured mountain,” said Rob Struthers, president of Friends of Foley Mountain. “We hope residents and visitors will jump at this chance to take a piece of Foley Mountain home with them.”

The 833-acre conservation area is located in Rideau Lakes Township just east of the Village of Westport. It is operated by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and offers a range of outdoor education programs for schools, families and community groups. It also offers 10 kilometres of trails, a swimming area on Upper Rideau Lake and group camping. The conservation area officially opened to the public in June 1973 and is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. 

To learn more about Foley Mountain visit www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas. To learn more about the Friends of Foley Mountain visit www.friendsoffoley.ca. 

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WESTPORT, Sept. 29, 2023 – Foley Mountain Conservation Area officially marked its 50^th anniversary with a community reception on Friday, Sept. 22 – in the very same spot it celebrated its official opening in 1973. 

Past and present RVCA staff and board members, special guests, local residents and community partners gathered at the Interpretive Centre to reminisce about the conservation area’s long history in the community.

The 833-acre site, owned and operated by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), was acquired in 1970 thanks to a donation from prominent Westport resident Harold Foley, who wished to see the property remain natural. Other land donations, purchases, land swaps and leases over the years completed the largely forested property. Today it boasts 10 kilometres of public trails, a swimming area, a group camping site and, of course, the famous Spy Rock lookout overlooking the village of Westport. 

Since 1974, Foley Mountain has also developed a suite of popular outdoor education programs, which have inspired multiple generations of school children to better appreciate the natural world. The program began by offering school field trips and overnight camping, followed by the addition of popular day camps and forest school programs in more recent years. 

The celebration on Sept. 22 focused on the site’s many successes and partnerships over the years, including support from the Friends of Foley Mountain, which was founded in 1996 to support the conservation area in the face of provincial cutbacks. It has since leveraged more than $300,000 in fundraising toward accessible infrastructure, bus and tuition subsidies and programming. 

“50 years is an incredible milestone for an organization,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, while addressing the crowd. “You can’t get to this level of success without tremendous staff, tremendous board members and tremendous volunteers. And that’s one of the real things that I think separates this area from many others, the fact that so many people work together.”

Rideau Lakes Mayor Arie Hoogenboom and Westport Mayor Robin Jones also offered their congratulations and noted the central role Foley Mountain plays in both their communities. 

RVCA general manager Sommer Casgrain-Robertson said Foley Mountain wouldn’t be the success it is today without the support of the watershed’s 18 member municipalities, which have consistently recognized the value of conservation areas for their residents. 

“We are so grateful for the ongoing support from Rideau Lakes, Westport and our other municipalities that enables Foley Mountain to continue to serve the community,” Casgrain-Robertson said. “This support has also played a critical role in protecting these lands for a healthier watershed today and into the future.”

Learn more about Foley Mountain and plan your visit at www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas.

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RIDEAU LAKES, Oct. 5, 2023 – Mill Pond Conservation Area will close in mid-October while forestry operations are completed on the property. 

The 1,300-acre conservation area on Briton-Houghton Bay Road is owned and operated by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). It includes a red pine plantation which requires routine maintenance. For public safety, the entire property will be closed to the public while this work is carried out. 

The work will take between seven and 10 days to complete, and will likely begin the week of Oct. 16. Dates will be confirmed closer to the time at www.rvca.ca and on our social media channels: 

       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RideauValleyConservationAuthority 

       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rideauvalleyca/

       Twitter: https://twitter.com/RideauValleyCA 

For more information contact RVCA at  or 613-692-3571. To learn more about Mill Pond Conservation Area visit https://www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas/no-fee-required/mill-pond-ca.

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