The Georgian Bay Land Trust was officially founded in 1991 under the leadership of Wally King.

The vision was to create an organization that could protect and preserve private property as conservation land along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and the North Channel. The idea itself dates back to the 1970s when the Georgian Bay Association put plans into motion to create the Township of the Archipelago. Dr. Ross Lord, founder of the Conservation Authority of Toronto, first suggested that the region’s unique environment could be protected and preserved through a land trust. As the township took form, others recommended that the land trust be created as a planning tool and made part of the Official Plan. The idea did not catch on with the government bodies, but local residents and lovers of the Bay saw the land trust as a critical tool to preserve the environment that they loved. One of the first properties received by the Land Trust was Friend Island in the Pointe au Baril area. Then Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Hal Jackman, dedicated the island at a ceremony in 1992.

The GBLT Founders

Once established as a trust, the group of Founders stepped forward with generous donations that brought the GBLT vision to life. These founding donations made it possible for GBLT to establish its ongoing acquisition and stewardship program. This legacy of giving has made GBLT one the most successful land trusts in Canada. GBLT now owns or holds easements on 62 properties covering over 7,513 acres.
Learn about GBLT’s Protected Properties

GBLT Founders