MANOTICK, Dec. 15, 2022 – Baxter and Chapman Mills conservation areas are fast becoming some of Ottawa’s most inclusive natural parks thanks to more than $429,000 in recent funding from the federal government. 

Nepean MP Chandra Arya announced the funding through the FedDev Ontario's Canada Community Revitalization Fund on Dec. 15 at the Manotick headquarters of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), which it shares with its charitable foundation, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF).

Baxter Conservation Area in Kars will receive a total of $279,900 from the fund to help replace its decommissioned marshland bridge with a state-of-the-art accessible span over the Baxter marsh. The funding also supports wheelchair-accessible learning platforms attached to the bridge to make the site’s outdoor education programs more inclusive.

Chapman Mills Conservation Area in Barrhaven will receive $150,000 from the same fund to replace its north-end pedestrian bridge with a safer, more accessible span.

“These projects would not have been possible without this incredible federal support,” said RVCA Chair Pieter Leenhouts. “We are excited to reopen both bridges to so we can properly welcome people of all ages and abilities to our beautiful sites.”

Work has already begun on both projects. 

Nature For All

A dedicated volunteer committee has spearheaded the Nature For All project at Baxter Conservation Area, pursuing their goal to create Eastern Ontario’s most accessible nature destination. 

Those efforts have included liaising and advocating within the community to increase support for the project. We thank our valued community and corporate sponsors for their support, including generous financial contributions from: 

• 100 Women Who Care
• 1^stGreely Cubs
• City of Ottawa (Rural Community-Building Grant)
• Fjällräven
• Fedex Canada
• Girl Gone Good
• The Gosling Foundation

Being in nature is good for body and soul, but people with disabilities are disproportionately excluded from outdoor spaces because they’re inaccessible, unsafe or both. The RVCA has worked with renowned accessibility consultant Marnie Peters to create a matrix of the world’s best outdoor accessibility solutions and apply them to their infrastructure projects where possible going forward.

“Nature and wilderness should be for everybody,” said Mike Nemesvary, founder of the Nature For All committee and long-time accessibility advocate. He has been visiting Baxter in his power wheelchair for 20 years, after a training accident in his 20s left him paralyzed on his path to becoming a world champion freestyle skier. 

His motivation to transform Baxter began with “a sincere desire to share with everyone of all ages and abilities this underutilized gem of a local park with its 80 hectares of interpretive education centre, boardwalks, trails, sandy beach, camp site, wilderness and multi-layered ecosystems - all within Ottawa’s city limits,” Nemesvary said at the funding announcement on Dec. 15. 

“Every idea starts with a dream, and that dream must be manifested by bringing together the right group at the right time who share attainable objectives,” said Nemesvary. “We fundamentally knew it would be a challenge, but we plowed ahead methodically with our planning and research. Slowly but surely, others started to see how much more we could do.”

To learn more or donate to the Nature For All and Chapman Mills projects, visit www.rvcf.ca.

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KANATA, Dec. 2, 2022 – It’s not very often a 50-acre swath of provincially-significant wetland becomes available in the City of Ottawa – but when it does, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is keen to protect it. 

The Foundation accepted the substantial section of Manion Corners Wetland this fall from siblings Paul Lackner and Colleen Green, who decided their family’s natural property – lovingly referred to as “the farm” – belonged in a land trust for perpetual protection.

“Growing up, we used to hike to the back of the property where we had a small cabin, and we’d spend the day or occasionally overnight,” Green remembered. “We would snowshoe or ski there in the winter and pick our Christmas tree.” 

Used for grazing before Green’s grandfather bought it more than 60 years ago, the wetland is now an environmental gem in a rapidly growing part of the city. 

“This property is really special,” said Chelsey Ellis, Conservation Lands Manager at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), which helps the Foundation manage donated lands. “First of all, it’s a provincially-significant wetland, which tells us it plays an important role in local ecological and hydrological systems. 

“But it also offers a key piece of habitat along the Ribbon of Life, where shore meets land. It goes from wetland to an upland site in a relative hurry, so these are the areas where you might get winter deer yards and other wildlife activity.”

Ellis said a City of Ottawa report also found species at risk and other rare species in the same wetland complex near the property lines.

Green recalled an active beaver community on the land throughout her childhood, and more recently neighbours have spotted deer on the property as well as a black bear and cubs.

But Ellis said provincially-significant wetlands can no longer rely on their status alone to protect them.

“Given the ease with which new development rules have come along in the last 15 to 20 years, PSWs have become a priority for protection,” Ellis said. “When PSWs are in private hands they can often be altered, which undermines the whole ecological system.”

Land Donation Benefits All

Many of the Foundation’s land donations are processed through the federal Ecological Gifts program, which offers a generous federal tax credit on the full market value of the donated property. Donors are also exempt from capital gains taxes on the gift.

But the benefits go far beyond financial recompense. 

“Everyone benefits when land is protected,” said Foundation director Diane Downey. “The donors know their cherished natural property will be maintained, while the community benefits from cleaner air and water, reduced flooding, increased biodiversity and a beautiful landscape.”

Wetland protection is especially critical as extreme weather and climate change accelerate. Wetlands are some of the planet’s most effective carbon sinks, and they’re key to effective flood management because of their ability to collect and store excess stormwater. 

A recent study from the University of Waterloo found Southern Ontario’s wetlands provide $4.1 billion in water filtration services each year – and that it would cost up to $164 billion a year to replace their critical functions through expanded wastewater facilities. 

Get involved

Families with natural properties are encouraged to consider land donation through the Foundation, either now or as part of their long-term estate planning. Having conversations with family members about your wishes now can save headaches for your family members down the road.

Those who can’t donate land can support the costs associated with land acquisition through the Foundation’s Steve Simmering Conservation Lands Endowment Fund. The Foundation uses the fund’s annual interest to cover maintenance, insurance and other routine costs of property ownership. Until Dec. 6, the Simmering Family is matching up to $5,000 in donations to the fund as part of the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign.

Green said her family is pleased to see their beloved property passed down into perpetual protection. 

“I hope this donation will continue to support the local ecosystem into the future,” she said. 

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RIDEAU VALLEY, Nov. 29, 2022 – The Simmering Family has renewed its commitment to conservation with a generous matching pledge in support of the Steve Simmering Conservation Land Endowment Fund. 

Up to $5,000 in donations will be doubled between Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) and Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The Simmering Endowment provides a vital source of annual funds to support more than 1,600 acres of local conservation lands owned by the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF). These wetlands and forests in turn support healthy communities by cleaning our air and water, storing carbon and reducing flood and drought risks. They also provide a critical antidote to the daily grind by providing outdoor recreation opportunities for all. 

“The Simmering Family has been a long-standing supporter of our watershed’s critical natural infrastructure,” said RVCF executive director Diane Downey. “This generous matching pledge will go a long way to protecting the Rideau Valley for generations to come.”

The fund is named for Steve Simmering, a well-respected businessman in the Ottawa area and long-time Vice Chair of the RVCF. He was instrumental in the acquisition of some of the Rideau Valley’s best-loved conservation areas, such as Chapman Mills.

Before Mr. Simmering passed away in 2009, he was an active outdoorsman who loved walking and hiking in the open air. He enjoyed working with the Foundation because he believed in the goal of local, natural areas for all and the opportunity to reconnect with nature through inexpensive family recreation and exercise.

Donations to the Steve Simmering Conservation Lands Endowment Fund help cover annual ownership costs such as property taxes, trail maintenance, signage and fencing. Donations also give us the security to accept more land donations in the future, knowing we have the funds to maintain them. 

Only the annual interest from the fund is withdrawn, while the principal remains invested year after year to produce a steady source of funding. 

This giving season, you can double your impact thanks to the Simmering family – and help keep our watershed green forever. 

Visit www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/63940 to donate now, or visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/steve-simmering-conservation-lands-endowment-fund to learn more. 

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KARS-ON-THE-RIDEAU, Nov. 28, 2022 – The dream of turning Baxter Conservation Area into an accessible nature haven for people of all abilities is finally coming true. 

After three years of planning and fundraising, work has begun to replace the park’s defunct marshland bridge with a new state-of-the-art span that embraces the gold standards of accessible design. This includes an extra-wide deck, appropriate sight-lines for people in wheelchairs and strollers, and a large education platform to help students of all abilities get up close and personal with the natural world.

“The outdoors should be accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy it: plain and simple,” said Dan Cooper, co-chair of the Nature For All committee and Director of Conservation Lands at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). “We’ve done the work to ensure this bridge serves visitors of all ages and abilities.”

The bridge construction was made possible thanks to tireless fundraising efforts by RVCA’s charitable partner the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation, which garnered more than $800,000 in support from individual donors, community organizations, government grants and corporate sponsorships. 

“We are thrilled and humbled by the community support for this project,” said Foundation director Diane Downey. “It really shows how much our visitors and partners value inclusivity at our parks.” 

Construction will continue throughout the winter and will not result in any new trail closures.

Inclusive Infrastructure

Being in nature is good for body and soul, but people with disabilities are disproportionately excluded from outdoor spaces because they’re inaccessible, unsafe or both. 

The people behind Baxter Conservation Area are trying to change this. The conservation area is slowly but surely becoming Eastern Ontario’s most accessible wilderness haven, with gold-standard accessibility features added each year throughout the park. 

Baxter has already invested in accessible equipment such as wheelchair-friendly picnic tables, a beach mat down to the water and wheelchair-accessible sleds for the winter months. Outhouses and change huts have been made more accessible, and this winter, new accessible washrooms will be installed at the interpretive centre thanks to a generous federal community improvement grant. 

The Nature For All committee also plans to upgrade the park’s five kilometres of trails to include wider, more comfortable boardwalks and more wheelchair-friendly graded stone-dust paths. 

These upgrades will allow us to welcome people of all ages and abilities safely and comfortably to our park. These groups include (but are not limited to): 

• People with physical or intellectual disabilities
  
• Seniors with mobility concerns
• Students and special education classes
• Groups from local day programs, assisted living facilities and long-term care homes.

“Nature and wilderness should be for everybody. That’s where you begin to find yourself,” said Mike Nemesvary, founder of Nature For All and long-time accessibility advocate. He has been visiting Baxter in his power wheelchair for 20 years, after a training accident in his 20s left him paralyzed on his path to becoming a world champion freestyle skier. 
“Baxter Conservation (will be) a model of accessibility for other conservation areas. People from all across Canada can come here and see how much effort and time was put into the planning, and that the planning has really paid off.” 

To learn more or donate to the Nature For All project, visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/nature-for-all-project. 

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RIDEAU VALLEY, Nov. 21, 2022 – Wetlands are among our planet’s most critical natural features, and key to helping communities manage climate change, worsening storms and extreme weather into an uncertain future.

Yet Ontario's wetlands are increasingly under threat, with reduced wetland protections paving the way for more housing. 

But hope is not lost. Land trusts like the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation protect wetlands before they are destroyed forever – in fact, the Foundation already protects more than 1,500 acres of pristine natural lands across the Rideau Valley. These lands include vast wetland complexes, upland forests, shoreline properties and critical habitat.

With your help, we can afford to protect even more.

Donations to our Steve Simmering Conservation Lands Endowment Fund this giving season will help the Foundation cover annual maintenance costs for the natural lands we already own - and give us the confidence to accept future land donations knowing we have the funds to maintain them in perpetuity. 

Even natural, undeveloped land costs money to maintain – up to $60,000 per property over time for property taxes, safety inspections and signage – and interest from the Simmering endowment covers these annual costs each year. The principal remains invested to create a steady flow of cash year after year.

Paving our wetlands would put more communities in the path of extreme floods, reduce drinking water quality and contribute to the rapid biodiversity collapse taking over the globe. Not to mention, these critical carbon sinks would no longer pull immense amounts of carbon dioxide out of our warming atmosphere.

This giving season, give wetlands a fighting chance. Visit www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/63940 to donate today. 

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The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario. For more information visit www.rvcf.ca. 

KEMPTVILLE, May 18, 2022 – A thriving oak tree will now serve as a daily testament to the living legacy planted by Hulse, Playfair and McGarry Funeral Services across the Rideau Valley.

Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation board chair Andrew Harkness gathered with HPM president Sharon McGarry, staff and supporters at the Kemptville chapel to dedicate a burr oak sapling in recognition of their 20-year partnership on Wednesday, May 18. 

Since 2001, the long-standing family business has worked with the Foundation to plant local, native seedlings in honour of each of the families they’ve served – hitting an incredible milestone of 30,000 trees in October 2021.

“Their generosity has reforested about 38 acres of local land to create new habitat, clean our air and water and capture carbon. This is all leading to healthier, happier communities, now and in the future,” Harkness said. “Thanks to Hulse, Playfair and McGarry, 30,000 native, locally grown seedlings were planted right here in the Rideau Valley, at no cost to the grieving families, to provide a living legacy of their loved ones.”

HPM president Sharon McGarry said the program brings comfort to those they serve.

“I think it’s very comforting for a family to know that there is something living on as a living memorial to their loved one,” McGarry said. “We’re so proud to partner with the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.”

The Foundation plants and tends combinations of white cedar, white pine, red oak and sugar maple with help from its partner the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). 

These trees will live to 80 years or more, creating clean water, clean air, improved soil, wildlife habitat and huge amounts of peace and quiet as they grow.

To learn more about the Memorial Tree Program visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/memorial-tree-planting-program. 

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The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario. For more information visit www.rvcf.ca. 

RIDEAU VALLEY WATERSHED, July 14, 2022 — The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is currently seeking applications for volunteer membership on its Board of Directors. Founded in 1970, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario. 

The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is seeking people who care deeply about the natural world and are willing to commit their time, effort, and skills to our Board of Directors to ensure the ongoing success of the Foundation.

Board members should be passionate about protecting and restoring our local environment, and able to assist in achieving the Foundation’s fundraising goals to implement conservation projects. Board members oversee the strategic plan, finances, and policies and procedures of the Foundation, and ultimately ensure that the resources entrusted to the Foundation further the goals of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

Board members are expected to attend quarterly Board meetings (in-person and virtual options) and also to participate in Foundation events. 

It is hoped that candidates will bring a range of skills and experience to the RVCF Board including not-for-profit governance, strategic planning and visioning, fundraising, community contacts and more.

If you want to make a difference for the Rideau watershed and have personal and professional experiences that could help our organization, please apply. Visit www.rvcf.ca to see our Call for Candidates for more details or submit a resume and covering letter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario. For more information visit www.rvcf.ca. 

BARRHAVEN, July 13, 2022 – Chapman Mills Conservation Area needs a new, state-of-the-art accessible pedestrian bridge – and we hope its many visitors will help make it happen. 

The current wooden bridge near the northern trailhead of Barrhaven’s most beloved boardwalk has reached the end of its life cycle. Over the years, the busy span has helped hundreds of thousands of visitors access the beautiful Rideau River from Chapman’s popular free-of-charge trail. 

But the bridge has also presented several accessibility issues: it’s not wide enough for two people with wheelchairs or strollers to pass, for example, leaving one person to back up beside the path’s steep shorelines. 

The narrow bridge also led to temporary park closures in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic because adequate physical distancing couldn’t be maintained – leaving many local residents without their go-to nature escape just when they needed it most. 

Taking advantage of the bridge’s need for replacement, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) has launched a new fundraising campaign to ensure the new bridge is also built to the gold standard of accessibility standards – not just to legislated minimums. 

“We believe strongly in building inclusive outdoor spaces that welcome the entire community, and we hope residents will support the project to help us get there,” said Diane Downey, executive director of the RVCF. 

With help from renowned accessibility consultant Marnie Peters, staff from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority have applied a metric of the world’s top outdoor accessibility policies to the new bridge design. This includes a wider deck, more gradual slopes, accessible sight lines and longer ramps. 

Individuals can donate to the bridge campaign directly at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/73114. The Foundation is also actively securing grants and other funding, and welcomes corporate partnerships, sponsorships and donations in support of the project. 

To learn more visit www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/chapman-mills-accessible-bridge or contact Diane Downey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario. For more information visit www.rvcf.ca. 

MANOTICK, June 3, 2022 – Baxter Conservation Area will build more than just a bridge this summer: it will build a more inclusive and accessible community, as well. 

The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is one step closer to making that dream a reality, thanks to a $50,000 grant awarded by the City of Ottawa under the Rural Community-Building Grant Program. This grant will help the Foundation’s Nature For All committee transform Baxter’s 80-hectare natural park near Kars into Eastern Ontario’s most accessible nature destination. 

But this project is about more than a new bridge, said Nature For All committee chair Mike Nemesvary.

“At its core, this project is about creating an inclusive society,” said Nemesvary. The long-time disability advocate has been visiting Baxter in his power wheelchair for nearly 20 years, after a training accident left him paralyzed on his path to becoming a world champion freestyle skier. “Nature should be for everybody. People all ages and abilities should be able to enjoy the many physical and emotional benefits of being outside without worrying about safety or logistics.”

The project’s first phase, slated to begin construction later this year, includes a new marshland bridge designed to the gold standard of accessibility based on the world’s top outdoor accessibility policies. This bridge will be twice as wide as the current decommissioned structure, with two large, accessible education platforms to accommodate more inclusive outdoor education programming, accessible railings and sightlines and gradual slopes. 

Baxter’s Nature For All vision also includes five kilometres of extra-wide boardwalk and stone dust trails designed with gold-standard accessibility features like gentle slopes and bounce control.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt said this project is precisely the type the city’s rural grants are designed to support. 

“Baxter Conservation Area is a beloved local spot, but this grant will help transform it into a true destination for all city residents, of all ages and abilities,” Moffatt said. “As our city’s population gets older, and as we welcome and celebrate the diversity of our communities, inclusive projects like this one are incredibly valuable.”

To learn more or donate to this project visit www.rvcf.ca/nature-for-all.

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