Bounded by the Ottawa River, Highway 17, Banting Drive and Balmer’s Bay, Deep River’s east end comprises 440 ha of pristine forest, shoreline, creek and marshlands, threaded with trails for low-impact recreation.  This conservation area/nature reserve is a unique inheritance for our small community.  (Four Seasons Conservancy Map)

The area is not a public park, is not supported by your tax dollars.  It was purchased entirely by the donors represented by the Four Seasons Conservancy, a registered charity.  The Conservancy conveyed part of the area to the Town of Deep River in 1995 for safe-keeping as undeveloped open-space.  The remainder, including most trailheads and road frontages, remains privately owned by the Conservancy and several individual landowners.

The Conservancy pays taxes to the Town and, alongside the ski and snowmobile clubs, looks after the entire trail network.  These trails, lookouts and benches give thousands of person-hours enjoyment every year through all seasons.  They cost the Town nothing; they cost you nothing.  You may freely join the Conservancy as a “non-voting member” and be entitled to travel all 50 km of our trails.

How does the Conservancy achieve this? — By being entirely volunteer-run and donor-funded.  We have benefited throughout our existence from the generous donations of citizen-supporters who understand that without organisations like the Conservancy, pristine areas such as this would succumb to exploitation and development.

Why does the Conservancy ask your membership to use our land and trails?

• Signing-up shows you agree to respect our conservation-based rules; also that your usage is at your own risk.
• Tells the owners of lands the trails cross that you are permitted.
• So you can help prevent damage by advising or reporting to the Conservancy any such.  (Being private land, as opposed to “public land”, we have the right to exclude any uncooperative users.)

However, there are no fences or guards, just notices at trail entrances saying “private land”, etc.  No one will accost you for trespassing without membership; it just isn’t the community-spirited thing to do!

So if you’ve been using the trails to snowshoe, walk your dog, bathe in the forest ambience, visit the viewpoints, go birdwatching, ride your bike, go for a run, enjoy our Balmer’s Bay picnic cabin, gain river access, or whatever, and you’re not signed-up yet, you can find a sign-up form at http://drxc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FSC-Membership-e.pdf that you can fill-out, then email the sign-up sheet to the FSC Secretary.

And if you’ve not been using the trails—Well, why not?