At Ontario’s Biodiversity Summit May 21, The Nature Conservancy of Canada and Forests Ontario announced the discovery of Ontario’s tallest eastern white pine. It is 47 metres, or 154 feet high and located along the Ottawa River in Arnprior at Gillies Grove Nature Reserve. To give some perspective, this tree is taller than a 13-story condominium.
White pine is the official tree of Ontario, and the rise and fall of early white pine logging was an important chapter in the province’s history. Gillies Grove is a 56-acre old growth forest on the north end of Arnprior. The Grove and Gillies mansion, built from local pine, are designated as a National Historic Site.
