Donation ensures local greenspace
By Dan O'Reilly

Photo by Dan O'Reilly Ivor Simmons (left) and conservancy executive director Bob Barnett tour the now protected Caledon East property.

An environmentally sensitive 51-acre parcel of land in Caledon East will remain greenspace in perpetuity thanks to the generosity of a retired Toronto businessman, conservationist and nature lover.

Ivor Simmons, a professional engineer and the former owner of a liquid waste disposal business, provided the funds to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy to purchase the land on the west side of Airport Road, just north of Walker Road West.

The land previously owned by Old Paisley Estates Inc. was considered excess to their needs. Simmons and other investors in the three-phase 119-unit residential development were asked by the company principals if they were interested in purchasing the 51- acre parcel for their own use.

While some of those investors might have been tempted to purchase it as a country retreat, Simmons thought it should be protected.

"I walked this heavily wooded, undulating property, replete with nature trails one Saturday morning and marveled at the turkey vultures floating in the sky at one of several rises on the property. I just knew it should be preserved."

Simmons first approached the Nature Conservancy of Canada. But that organization usually deals with much larger pieces of land and he was referred to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create a system of nature reserves along the Niagara Escarpment on which only ecologically sustainable recreational activities would be permitted.

Rather than purchase the land and then turn around and donate it, Simmons became the conservancy's first benefactor to donate securities. The conservancy then purchased the property directly using funds from the sale of those securities.

A walk through of the property and an official ribbon cutting ceremony that included Simmons, wife Renée, grandson Tyler, son Eric, friends and members of the conservancy completed the transaction in the fall.

Not only did Simmons not have to pay land transfer tax and other fees he will be receiving a 46% tax saving on his six-figure donation and also will save the tax on the capital appreciation of those securities he donated.

Canada Revenue Agency no longer taxes capital gains on donations of ecologically significant land, says conservancy executive director Bob Barnett. The Conservative government brought in the changes earlier this year.

"We had three donations of securities in 2006 compared to only one in eight years," says Barnett, in describing the impact of those tax changes.

Hopefully the tax savings will encourage similar land donations, says Barnett, pointing that only 1.5 per cent of all the landmass in Ontario south of the Canadian Shield is either park land or a nature preserve.

In addition to property donations, the conservancy can also facilitate conservation covenants for property owners who don't want their land developed. Such agreements are usually registered in perpetuity to bind future owners to the same development controls. There are three such conservation agreements now in the Town of Caledon, says Barnett.

For more information call 416-960-8121 or visit www.escarpment.ca.