A mountain of a donation
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Parc Harold F. Baldwin
Over the weekend, members of the Baldwin family gathered at the foot of Pinnacle Mountain to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the mountain’s donation to the municipality of Barnston.
While the Pinnacle receives 20,000 visitors per year, not many people know that access to the scenic view is thanks to 95-year-old W. Keith Baldwin, who was following his father Harold F. Baldwin’s wishes to see the Pinnacle mountain made into a public park for all to enjoy.
“It’s been in the family for generations,” Baldwin explained.
Six generations ago, the family first settled in the area with the arrival of Levi Baldwin. As the years past, the family accumulated thousands of acres of woodlot and set up a sawmill and general store, which explains the name of the town, Baldwin’s Mills.
Around the 1950s, a fish hatchery was set up on Lake Lyster (or Lester, if you’re a stickler for proper historical names).
When it was discovered that the dam associated with the Baldwin’s sawmill was controlling the water level in the lake, the government expropriated the sawmill.
Baldwin explained that his father (Harold F. Baldwin), a civic-minded man, always wanted the Pinnacle, part of the family’s property, to become a public park. At one point he offered it to the provincial government, but the offer was turned down because it was too small to be a provincial park.
Before he passed away, Harold transferred ownership of the property to Keith, and kept the Pinnacle separate from the rest of the forest line hoping one day it could become a park.
Twenty years ago, Keith and his son David approached the municipality of Barnston and proposed the park. The town was receptive to the idea, so the Baldwins had a donation contract drawn up with conditions to ensure the protection of the mountain in perpetuity. The Harold F. Baldwin Park Committee was then formed, and members of the family have remained stewards of the Pinnacle, sitting on the committee ever since.
Among the clauses in the donation contract, Baldwin said it was stipulated that there be no building on the top of the mountain. He also said that when tour guides are hired during the summer, preference should be given to locals.
Baldwin also pointed out that the Pinnacle is one of the few hikes in the area where dogs are permitted, no doubt thanks to him.
“It was always one of the highlights of the summer,” Baldwin said, referring to hiking the Pinnacle throughout his life. With the exception of the war years when Baldwin was overseas, he has been climbing the mountain every year since he could walk.
Last year he did the hike twice. “This year I lost my nerve,” Baldwin joked, pointing out that he will turn 96 in December.
Around 40 locals and Baldwin family members attended the ceremony over the weekend for the 20th anniversary of the mountain’s donation. Since the donation was made, Barnston has merged with the Coaticook MRC, so the Park is now considered part of Coaticook. The mayor spoke at the ceremony, thanking the family for the generous donation.
A plaque was unveiled during the ceremony, which will be added to the sign at the entrance of the trail to the Pinnacle.
During his speech on Saturday, Baldwin shared how happy he was with how the donation has turned out.
“It gives me great pleasure to see how much the site is enjoyed; to see young families, retired people, alpinists, dog lovers, bird watchers-people of all walks of life-learning to love this special place as much as I and my family always have,” he said.