Georgian Bay Land Trust Launches Campaign to Protect 365 Acres of Wilderness in Honey Harbour

HONEY HARBOUR, ON, Nov. 3, 2025 /CNW/ - The Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT) has announced an ambitious effort to permanently protect 365 acres of pristine wilderness in north Honey Harbour, creating the new Honey Harbour Nature Reserve. This exceptional property—one of the largest remaining undeveloped parcels in the area—features mature forests, wetlands, and shoreline habitat essential to a wide range of species, including several species at risk.

Privately owned for more than a century, the land has been listed for sale for the first time in over 120 years. The Georgian Bay Land Trust is working to raise the funds necessary to purchase the property by November 28, securing its protection forever.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity to safeguard one of Honey Harbour's last large intact wilderness areas," said Andrew Young, Executive Director of the Georgian Bay Land Trust. "By protecting this land, we're not only conserving wildlife habitat, but also preserving clean water, carbon storage, and the natural heritage that defines Ontario's landscape."

The proposed Honey Harbour Nature Reserve encompasses parts of two Provincially Significant Wetlands—the North Bay Wetland and Bearshead Lake Wetland—as well as a provincially designated Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), one of only five in eastern Georgian Bay. The land's interior lakes and wetlands serve as nesting and stopover sites for waterfowl and as breeding grounds for reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic species.

Among its most notable features is a long-established Great Blue Heron rookery, where numerous herons return each year to nest in standing trees.

The land also plays a key role in maintaining ecological connectivity across the region. It borders the McCrae Lake Conservation Reserve and connects to lands protected through the Georgian Bay Land Trust's Corridor Project, which is creating a continuous network of conserved areas along the eastern Georgian Bay coast.

"Conserving this land will ensure that large mammals, migratory birds, and rare species continue to find refuge here," added Young. "It's about safeguarding the future of Georgian Bay's natural legacy."

The Georgian Bay Land Trust has secured partial funding towards the acquisition but must raise additional funds by November 28 to finalize the purchase. All donations made by the public before the November 28 deadline will be matched 1:1 by other sources, doubling their impact towards the project.

Individuals are encouraged to learn more and contribute to the campaign by visiting gblt.org/honeyharbour.

The Georgian Bay Land Trust is a registered charity dedicated to protecting wilderness lands and species along eastern Georgian Bay and the North Channel. Through strategic conservation planning, land securement, stewardship, research, and education, the Land Trust works to safeguard the region's unique ecology, biodiversity, and natural beauty for future generations.

SOURCE Georgian Bay Land Trust