Transferring Ownership to the GBLT

There are a number of ways to transfer your land to the Georgian Bay Land Trust for management and preservation.

Fee Simple Donation
The easiest of these is a Fee Simple Donation. Title of a property or portions of a property are transferred from the landowner to the GBLT.

Sale or Partnership Sale
In exceptional circumstances, the GBLT will purchase a property either at or below (Partnership Sale) the appraised Fair Market Value. This occurs very rarely, and only in instances where the land is of such environmental or other importance as to require immediate protection and where all other options have been exhausted.

Life Estate
A landowner can also reserve a ‘life estate’ as part of a donation or sale. This allows the landowner or a family member to continue to live on the property until their death or the death of the family member.

Tax Benefits

There are capital gains and income tax benefits for gifts of land that qualify as Ecological Gifts. See here for details.

Stewardship under land transfer

When a property is transferred to the GBLT, the ongoing management of the property is the responsibility of the GBLT. For all properties owned by GBLT, a management plan is created and updated on a five-year basis. This management plan helps guide stewardship activities focused on ensuring that the property’s natural and cultural values are protected in perpetuity.

Please contact Bill Lougheed at bill.lougheed@gblt.org or (416) 440-1519 x101 for further details.