Oak Valley Pioneer Park
A Community Park & Memorial

The Oak Valley Park is a natural, historic and recreational facility reflecting the region's rural character. The park consists of:

• Pioneer Memorial Site and Heritage Garden; (See the plaques on the boulders, commemorating the pioneer families.)
• Nut Tree and Shrub Arboretum including a tree nursery and prospective examples of nut production, and wood exploitation;
• Tree Research Facility with tree documentation, planting detail, growth rates, seed production, disease, insect, animal and rodent impacts;
• Education Program, through on-site interpretation of natural, historic and economic activities; public participation in hardwood and nut cultivation with outreach programs for schools and the public;
• Recreation Program, through viewing nature: geology, trees,fish, birds and wildlife; or by assisting volunteers in maintaining trees, grounds and gardens; or just enjoy a picnic.
• The National Defence Fish and Game Club viewing platform, in the south west corner overlooking the river.
• Conservation features such as the SNC fish spawning enhancement project, south across the river in a former oxbow, or the mature trees (bitternut hickory and oak) in the Baldwin (private) bush to the west.

The Pioneer Memorial is a major part of the project. Local families commemorate their ancestors. They purchase a plaque that is installed on a glacial boulder, or by a selected tree. The plaque project is managed by South Nation Conservation.

Memorial plaques recognize pioneer families and help support the development and maintenance of the site. Memorial donations and bequests are also welcomed.

Kim Baldwin Mclnnis developed and planted the Heritage Garden which is constructed in the foundations of the Bigford buildings.

The Nut Tree Arboretum

The Nut Tree Arboretum was founded in 1982 by Irene Woolford Broad and is unique to this region. It has over 25 varieties of nut and bean bearing trees and shrubs. Special features include:

• The butternut archive which is a test planting of grafted trees believed to be resistant to butternut canker, a fungal disease, and selected butternut seed stock;
• The planting of nut pines to determine feasibility of pine nut cultivation in Eastern Ontario;
• A test planting of hybrids to determine their suitability and productivity.

A park like no other

Visitors are invited to stop and enjoy the natural beauty of Oak Valley, a hardwood Arboretum and Pioneer Memorial. Walk through the trees, think on Eastern Ontario's history, native nut trees and shrubs, natural environment, the role of nature in our hectic urbanized world, or take a moment to fish, or enjoy a picnic.

The park is an eight acre parcel, part of the Bigford/Bickford family farm (Concession 1,Lot 18, Mountain Geographic Township). The parcel is bordered by the South Nation River on the south, by Baldwin Road on the north, by a former one room school site to the east, and by a parcel of historic Baldwin farm to the west. Baldwin Road connects via Kirkwood Road, to County Road 5, leading to Winchester Springs and County Road 31.

Baldwin Road is part of the old settlement road which follows the river from Spencerville to Chesterville. This has potential as a tourist destination and cycling trail.

Oak Valley Pioneer Park is one property, in a chain of public activity, recreation and education sites found between Chesterville, Cass Bridge, South Mountain, and Spencerville Mill. All are located on the banks of the South Nation River.

Get Involved!

The park is operated by the Volunteers of Oak Valley under an agreement with South Nation Conservation. The volunteers provided the vision and developed the site.They cleared the site, created the nursery, planted and maintain the trees. The volunteers cut the lawns, trirfi trees and shrubs, promote the Pioneer Memorial facility, build the science database and provide elementary facilities and shelter.

Additional volunteers are welcome to join. We hold a spring field day usually in late May. Or drop by on a casual basis throughout the summer and fall. Contact Murray Inch at 613-989-1802

Provided by the Volunteers of Oak Valley Pioneer Park. Feel free to copy with a credit.