Our Story
“To permanently protect land in the Thousand Islands Watershed region through acquisition or conservation agreements, and to achieve good land management through stewardship agreements and education.”
How We Do It
TIWLT Directors and volunteers are often your neighbours and collectively have a wide range of expertise. They provide advice and consultation on questions landowners have on the various options available for conserving their lands forever through donation, easement and stewardship.
Land trusts are bound by both law and our standards and practices to protect our conserved lands forever. USA owners of Canadian land in the TIWLT area can receive tax benefits that can then be applied in the USA under USA tax law. TIWLT monitors lands annually, does biological research and actively shares what we learn while staying at the leading edge of best conservation practices.
But conservation is far more than protecting land – it’s about the quality of the future that we all value. TIWLT understands that our quality of life depends on knowledge of the natural world, and how to take best care of it. It’s often expressed as “Take care of the land and it will take care of you”.
History & Accomplishments
Thousand Islands National Park
Charleston Lake Provincial Park
1993
Citizens concerned with the preservation of land and cultural heritage values in the Thousand Islands created the Canadian Thousand Islands Heritage Conservancy (CTIHC).
2002
CTIHC spearheaded the successful establishment of the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve which included the CTIHC area. There are now only 18 Biosphere Reserves in all of Canada. UNESCO’s purpose is to contribute to promoting international collaboration in education, sciences, and culture worldwide.
CTIHC was a founding member with 22 other Ontario Land Trusts, in the creation of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, an independent umbrella organization with a mission to strengthen land conservation in Ontario.
2006
CTIHC had expanded geographically which resulted in incorporating as a new, larger land trust under federal charter. It was called the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust (TIWLT). It is defined as a roughly triangular area bounded by Brockville on the east, Gananoque on the west and the Rideau Canal on the north.
TIWLT has helped double the size of Thousand Islands National Park and grow Charleston Lake Provincial Park by a third of its size.
TIWLT has helped dozens of landowners to realize their conservation goals on their precious lands and works to protect this area forever.
Our Partners
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