The Lemoine Point Farm is an 82-acre property nestled between Lemoine Point Conservation Area, the Kingston airport and Lake Ontario.
The owner of the over 100-year-old family farm passed away earlier this year.
Now, a local citizens group has sprung up to keep the property in its natural state.
“It has over a kilometer of Lake Ontario shoreline, with many beautiful beaches, and it’s surrounded by a mature forest,” says Save Lemoine Point Farm activist Celeste Booth.
“It opens up into fields that have been farmed in a regenerative way, which is a very ecologically-sensitive way of farming, and as a result, it supports a huge amount of biodiversity.”
The Save Lemoine Point Farm group is concerned that this prime waterfront property could be sold to a developer.
“We recognize that it could be sold in the near future, and we were concerned that there’s a potential that it could be sold to developers and be lost to a housing development,” Booth says.
But, according to the group, the former owner wanted the farm to be conserved and protected from development.
Mayor Bryan Paterson says this property could be a key piece of land that can be put toward public use, if the city were able to acquire it.
“It’s something that has been identified in our Waterfront Master Plan. It’s a beautiful piece of waterfront property,” Paterson says. “There’s been a lot of community interest in it for many years. So yes, we are in discussions with the estate.”
If the city does manage to acquire the land, the citizen’s group wants a firm commitment that it will be conserved.
“We’re asking that people reach out to city council candidates with the upcoming election on Oct. 24,” Booth urges.
“We’re asking that they ask, if they’re elected, if they would vote in favour of purchasing the farm and protecting it long term.”
As the city continues negotiations with the estate, the farm hasn’t been officially listed for sale and there are no for-sale signs visible on the property.