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magazine / so05 / indepth
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The sentinel
Grant, Ontario
A bleached skeleton of the past, this dead spruce is reminiscent of
Grant’s hopeful beginnings and tragic end. Founded as a farming
community in the mid 19 th century, settlers cleared the heavily forested
land and built their town, officially claiming community status in
1869.
By the turn of the century, it was obvious that soil erosion would
win over farming. The cultivated soil was quickly turning to sand,
creating an area known as the Bourget Desert. By this time, residents
began selling their land and moving west, abandoning Grant. An attempt
was made to save the area in 1921 when the Prescott & Russell counties — under
the guidance of agricultural specialist Ferdinand Larose — hired
local residents to replant the forest that originally stood there.
The 51,800-hectare Larose Forest still stands as a testament to his
endeavors, now the second largest planted forest in the world.
Grant lasted until the 1950s. All that remains are
the yearly gatherings by old acquaintances for Remembrance Day services
held over the four military tombstones in Grant cemetery.
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