A two million dollar pledge to the Bruce Trail Conservancy from the Patrick J. McNally Charitable Foundation will benefit all those who love and value nature.

Over the next ten years, the Foundation has committed two million dollars – which could reach three million dollars if certain targets are met – with all funds directed to the acquisition of land along the Bruce Trail’s Conservation Corridor.

This remarkable gift is a reflection of the longstanding and deep connection the McNally family has with the Bruce Trail and the work of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Pat McNally, who established the Patrick J. McNally Charitable Foundation, was a change-maker for the Bruce Trail Conservancy. In 2006, Patrick McNally donated his land and home to the Bruce Trail Conservancy to ensure permanence for the Bruce Trail in the rapidly developing Waterdown area. His donation of the McNally Nature Reserve was the largest gift in the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s history. As a result of that donation, and the increased profile it gave the land trust, the Bruce Trail Conservancy began a trajectory of increased awareness, donations and land preservation successes. Pat McNally believed in the same things the Bruce Trail Conservancy champions. He believed in the preservation of nature, and in making it available to everyone – especially children – so that all could benefit from the physical, emotional and societal sustenance it provides.

Since it began acquiring land in the 1970s, the Bruce Trail Conservancy has been responsible for the preservation of over 11,100 acres of Niagara Escarpment landscape. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is working to ensure that the Bruce Trail is always available as a natural classroom for children, encouraging curiosity, exploration and healthy recreation. By providing free access to nearby natural spaces the Bruce Trail is contributing to the physical and mental health of communities all along the Niagara Escarpment.

There is no permanence for the Bruce Trail unless the land along its Conservation Corridor is secured. The Bruce Trail Conservancy needs funds to acquire land as it becomes available. This extraordinary gift from the Patrick J. McNally Charitable Foundation will ensure that land is acquired, permanence for the Bruce Trail is steadily achieved, and the far reaching benefits offered by the Bruce Trail are available to all.

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For more information or images, please contact:
Marsha Russell
Director of Communications and Fund Development
The Bruce Trail Conservancy
905-529-6821 ext. 251
mrussell@brucetrail.org