History
The history of the Larose Forest begins in 1928, when agronomist
Ferdinand Larose established the first conifer planting on abandoned farmlands near Bourget. Since then, over 18 million trees
have been planted, making the Larose Forest one of the largest man-made forests in
Canada.
Ferdinand Larose, who lends his name to the forest, was a visionary. He is hired by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
shortly after graduating from the Agriculture Institute of Oka in 1918.
He is assigned to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, where his
first task is to create an inventory of the farmlands.
He soon notices soil erosion, a result of forestry harvesting,
forest fires and agriculture. Between the villages of Casselman, Bourget and
Limoges, farmers have abandoned these sandy soils, surrendering to the growth of the
“Bourget desert.” Ferdinand Larose then suggests reforesting the area
to limit further erosion.
In 1928, regional and provincial authorities agree to manage this
young forest and to plant 6,000 pines. Since that time, three generations of
forest workers have successively planted trees, in addition to harvesting and maintaining the forest.
Under the jurisdiction of the Ontario government, the Larose Forest was a wildlife reserve, a recreational area, and a research laboratory to
improve forestry resources.
In 2000, responsibility for the forest’s management was transferred to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.