CALEDONIA—For the past decade, members of the Friends of LaFortune Park have worked tirelessly to protect and maintain 106 acres of greenspace along the Grand River. On July 3, 2024, the group gathered at the park to remember its history, celebrate their successes, and look to the future.
Haldimand Press photo by Tamara Botting.
The park owes its initial existence to Perry LaFortune. Just before his passing in 1969, he willed his Riverview Farm to the then-Township of Seneca to become a municipal park. It was operated as a conservation area and campground by Grand River Conservation Authority until 1994, when it was transferred to the then-Town of Haldimand.
In 2003, Haldimand County decided to end the seasonal campground operations, and the following year, the park was reopened as a day use conservation area and park. Nine years later, in 2013, the County secured an order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice stating that the municipality could sell the land and use the proceeds for recreational trails in the Caledonia area.
Council decided to ask the public’s opinion on the matter, and soon found out exactly how residents felt about the idea of the County divesting itself of the land.
“I was so upset,” said Honey McCarthy, Onondaga Nation, Beaver Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She immediately began circulating a petition calling on the County to keep all 106 acres. It’s a document she still has, and she brought it with her to the July 3 celebration as part of a presentation she gave on the history of the park as a founding member of the Friends group.
—Haldimand Press photo by Tamara Botting.
McCarthy told the members gathered, “My part was to give the spark that started a fire that you volunteers have kept burning for 10 years.”
And indeed they have.
When Council saw how passionate the community was to preserve the park, the plans to sell it to developers were put aside, and instead the park has been maintained for the public, through a partnership with the Friends group.
Councillor Dan Lawrence, who visited the celebration to offer his congratulations to the group for their milestone, called the partnership a unique model for Haldimand.
“We don’t really have Friends looking after caretaking other facilities. And yet here we are with all of you,” he said.
Lawrence thanked the group members for all their hard work over the years, and said he looked forward to seeing what would happen with the park in the coming years – whether it will remain as a largely passive park (though it does have several amenities, including trails and an 18-hole disc golf course), or whether there would be further features added.
“Where do you see the park years down the road, other than as beautiful green space?” Lawrence asked.
Regardless of what changes, if any, come to LaFortune Park in the future, he said it remains “one of the hidden gems of not just Haldimand County, but the province.”
He praised the volunteers for their efforts, noting, “It’s all about you, and thanks for doing what you do.”
McCarthy also praised those who have been instrumental in the preservation of the park over the years – the volunteers, the county staff who have helped with maintenance, the people who have utilized the park, etc.
She urged the Friends members to continue their work in the coming years and to continue to carry on the legacy.
“Now the will does not protect the park anymore, but the Friends of LaFortune Park plays a key role in keeping the intent of Mr. LaFortune’s will alive,” McCarthy said.
For more information on the Friends of LaFortune Park group and how to support their efforts, visit the group’s Facebook page or email friendsoflafortunepark@gmail.com.
