Nearly one century ago, Simcoe County warden J.J. Banting gathered with provincial and municipal representatives to plant the first tree seedlings in the Hendrie Tract, establishing the roots of what would grow into the Simcoe County Forest.
Though unable to attend that first planting, this moment in Simcoe County history would not have been possible without the work of former Ontario premier E.C. Drury. The Oro-Medonte resident was committed to establishing the Agreement Forest program, according to the county.
The program enabled municipalities to work with the province to purchase marginalized wastelands for reforestation efforts.
Fast forward 100 years and the Simcoe County Forest now spans more than 33,000 acres across more than 150 properties, making it the largest and one of the most productive municipal forest networks in Ontario.
The Simcoe County Forest serves multiple purposes, from recreational use to tourism, and environmental benefits to economic contributions, this self-sustaining working forest continues to grow and expand.
The Simcoe County Forest is owned and managed by the county and is not considered Crown land.
Warden George Cornell and county councillors were joined Tuesday by representatives from the Canadian Institute of Forestry and members of the Drury family at the E.C. Drury cairn located in the Township of Oro-Medonte to commemorate this centennial milestone occasion in the county's history.
