Friends of Murphys Point Park

What a gorgeous morning for our annual Fall Lanark County Adopt-a-Road event held on Saturday, Oct. 24! And what a great team we had!

Several intrepid Friends volunteers set out to clean up the stretch of County Road 21 (Elm Grove Road/Lally Road) that passes through Murphys Point. Our haul of garbage and recyclables was lower than previous events and, for the first time, we recovered absolutely zero car parts, but we still found and disposed of lots of litter. (People. Don’t litter!)

Adopt-a-Road is a great way to make a meaningful contribution by keeping our favourite provincial park beautiful. It is also a lovely social event for our Friends that features a nice walk – especially when the sun is out – and treats! We always see something interesting as we make our way along the road, including our mascot barred owl, puffball evidence of a rainy summer and several deer (who eluded the camera)!

Thanks to all of our volunteers for taking part, to Tara and Kev for doing the stretch of road beyond the homestead, and to Park Superintendent Curtis Thompson and Assistant Superintendent Mark Read for keeping us safe with a lead and rear vehicle as we travelled.

Shown in the group photo, from left, are Derek, Steph, Dave, Pat, Sue, Mark S., and Brian.

It’s that time again – time for our Fall Lanark County Adopt-a-Road activity with the Friends of Murphys Point Park! This is a great way to help keep Murphys Point and the neighbourhood beautiful, and we are seeking volunteers to help pick up litter and recyclables along the stretch of County Road 21 (Lally Road) that passes through the Park – from just before the main entrance through to the Group Camping area.

The event is slated to take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from at 9 a.m. to noon with a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 25. (We will send an e-mail by or before 8 a.m. on the Saturday if the event needs to be postponed.) We do each side of the road, for a total of about 7 kilometres of walking.  

Please meet at the Park Maintenance building a few minutes before 9 a.m. This is the first gate on the left after the main park entrance if you are travelling from Rideau Ferry Road.

Park staff will be on hand to assist, and safety equipment will be available. Please bring gloves. Volunteers must sign a waiver for the County in order to participate. Please note, if you have participated with us before, you don’t need to sign the waiver again – it remains valid for the duration of the program. Here is a link to the waiver if you need it: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Indemnity-Waiver.pdf

For your reference prior to signing the waiver, please have a look at:

·        County agreement information: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Agreement-Form.pdf

·        Terms and Conditions: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Terms-and-Conditions.pdf

If you would like to help, please complete and return the waiver to us at friendsofmurphyspointpark@yahoo.ca by 4 p.m. on Oct. 22 so that we can forward it to the County. Volunteers will receive safety instructions prior to the pick up, including information about ticks. Sturdy shoes/boots and long socks that you can tuck your pants into are recommended. Equipment will be provided.

We hope to see you on Oct. 24 (or Oct. 25 if it rains)!

The sun was shining on Saturday, Sept. 5 for the Friends of Murphys Point barbecue in memory of former Director and Treasurer Don Goodfellow.

The event was held to raise funds for a student bursary in Don’s name. With donations and proceeds from the barbecue, more than $1,200 has been raised!

It was wonderful to see both long-time and newer volunteers join in the festivities, and to see so many folks who knew and appreciated Don stop by for a burger or hot dog.

A huge thank you to Tara and Kevin not only for organizing the day, but also for taking over the reins as our barbecue coordinators for the past two seasons. Your work is very much appreciated! Big thanks also to the volunteers who came out on Saturday to volunteer. It was a a lovely time to socialize and to appreciate Don and the park. He probably would have loved it!

There will be more details about the bursary to come – stay tuned! If you would still like to contribute, please send an e-transfer to friendsofmurphyspointpark@yahoo.ca with a note that your donation is for the bursary. Tax receipts can be issued.

The crew, from left: Dave, Lynn, Pat, Steph, Kevin, Tara, Brian and Wendy. Thanks so much!