A group devoted to land conservation in Ontario is one step closer to acquiring a huge piece of wilderness in the Willisville and Whitefish Falls area south of Espanola.
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy announced on Wednesday it had reached a deal for the purchase of the nearly 2,000-acre property which encompasses a portion of the Heaven’s Gate hiking trail.
Conservancy treasurer, Ted Cowan, says they submitted their proposal last Tuesday for $1.65 million and it was accepted.
The property will serve as a link between Killarney Provincial Park to the east and west to the La Cloche Ridge Conservation Reserve forming a 500 square kilometre conservation zone.
The Heaven’s Gate property also links up with a property the conservatory purchased from Vale last year in Willisville to protect the hill that once had a fire tower and is now a popular hiking site.