Final season for Pioneer Nursery

It’s the end of an era for a Kemptville landmark. This is the final season for Pioneer Nursery. Owner Alf Semenuk is ready to retire and plans on shutting the doors mid-November.

Pioneer Nursery was built on recycled goods, including materials from an old motel in Smiths Falls and barn in Inkerman. Semenuk says he took what he could find, down to the walnut doors pulled out of a dumpster in Ottawa.  

He noted he was looking at starting up a pick-your-own strawberry business and place to live, when he stumbled upon the Van Buren property. It was 1981 – nearly 4 decades ago. 

Semenuk says he started out with the house and 6 acres. He gradually bought more land and now the property totals 31 acres. 

Pioneer Nursery boasts 30,000 square feet of greenhouse space. It carries a wide variety of plants, including trees, vegetables and flowers. 

Semenuk says the business has humble beginnings. He started out with a blue chevy pick-up, a wheelbarrow and some hand tools. From there, Semenuk went to auctions looking for farm equipment and machinery. He says that’s where Pioneer Nursery got its name, because the equipment was old and had to be rebuilt before it was used.   

Pioneer Nursery is currently for sale. For more information, call 258-5555.