The Property – Save Lemoine Point Farm

Site details

Lemoine Point Farm is located along Lake Ontario (Collins Bay), in the southwest end of the City of Kingston, adjacent to the Lemoine Point Conservation Area, the city-owned former Weatherall waterfront fields, and the Norman Rogers Airport.

It is approximately 82 acres with over one kilometer of shoreline, an extensive woodland along the waterfront, and about 50 acres of pasture.

There are two limestone houses, other residential buildings, a large barn, other farm-related buildings, and a water tower.

The Farm has supported cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens as well as producing hay

Status of the property

The property has been home to the Coverdale family for over 100 years. Mary Coverdale Winnett Fraser, the last owner, died in April 2022. Her friends say that she wanted the Farm to be conserved and protected from development. Nevertheless, the future of the Farm is uncertain. The Farm may be up for sale in the near future.

We recognize that Indigenous Peoples, including the Huron/Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe, inhabited this land before settlers arrived. Indigenous Peoples continue to live in the region and we hope for their participation in planning the future of the Lemoine Point Farm.

Important habitat

Lemoine Point Farm and surrounding areas are home to several species at risk. So far, we have identified: 1 endangered species, 8 threatened species, and 14 species of special concern. Protecting habitat for these and other species is one of the many good reasons to conserve Lemoine Point Farm.

We plan to add to this list with documented observations.

Endangered (1)
definition: facing imminent extinction or extirpation

Red-headed Woodpecker

Threatened (8)
definition: not endangered, but is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it

Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bobolink
Cerulean Warbler
Chimney Swift
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Monarch Butterfly

Special concern (14)
definition: not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats

Bald Eagle
Black Tern
Canada Warbler
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Evening Grosbeak
Golden-winged Warbler
Grasshopper Sparrow
Horned Grebe
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Peregrine Falcon
Rusty Blackbird
Short-eared Owl
Wood Thrush

What the studies show

Lemoine Point Farm is a unique and important place. Three studies make recommendations about Lemoine Point Farm.

City of Kingston Master Waterfront Plan

The 2016 City Council approved a plan to create a connected ribbon of greenspace along the waterfront, identifying 138 projects to complete over 30 years ranked by priority.

The proposal for Lemoine Point Farm is ranked 30th out of 138.

The project envisions connecting the existing Lemoine Point Conservation Area waterfront walkway to a point east on Front Road.

A Vision for Lemoine Point and the Lemoine Point Conservation Area, Queen’s University (2016)

The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority asked Masters of Urban Planning students, Queen’s University, to “develop a coherent vision for the future of the Lemoine Point area”. They recognized the value of the Farm’s natural assets and made several suggestions about how to preserve the property including through a conservation easement.

Map: Forested lands on Lemoine Point Farm property adjacent to Lemoine Point Conservation Area’s lands. [A Vision for Lemoine Point and the Lemoine Point Conservation Area, Queen’s University 2016]

Protecting the Lake of Shining Waters: The need to establish a National Marine Conservation Area in Lake Ontario, June 2022

This summer, Nature Canada issued a report calling for federal and provincial governments to create a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) encompassing the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. The report makes the case for protecting biodiversity by maintaining connected natural systems, especially between the land and water.