At the beginning of this month, rare grew another 12.8 acres. Thanks to the support of local landowners, Charles and Anna Simon, lands surrounding Eden Mills’ historic Millpond, straddling the west branch of the Eramosa River are now under rare’s stewardship. These lands are in addition to other land donations from Eden Mills and Rockwood community members along the Eramosa River — giving rare a great start on the Eramosa River Conservation Corridor.
Charles is an architect and pioneer in sustainable business design. The Simons bought the Eden Mills Mill, including the lands being transferred to rare, and renovated the mill as their home. They spearheaded projects championing sustainability with the backing of their community, including efforts since 2007 to make Eden Mills Canada’s first carbon-neutral town — through improved building methods, renewable energy installations, and the planting of 40,000 trees.
To protect the lands for the future, the Simons and the local community set up the Eden Mills Eramosa River Conservation Association (EMERCA), a charitable organization to preserve the river ecosystem and publicly accessible natural areas of Eden Mills. This grassroots effort continued while people worked on a permanent solution, donating the lands to rare.
The passing of the torch between EMERCA and rare was celebrated at a community event on the evening of June 1, which also honoured the Simons for their donation and their dedication to environmental stewardship. Representatives from EMERCA also donated $12,000 towards the ongoing stewardship of the Millpond lands.
We at rare are honoured and humbled by the lands being put under our trust, and we look forward to overseeing the health and stewardship of these lands, with the help of the volunteers and supporters who helped EMERCA in the past.
The Eden Mills Millpond property does not feature any trails, but visitors can appreciate the pond at a viewing and interpretive area located at its south end.
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