Friends of Murphys Point Park

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!

The Board of Directors for the Friends of Murphys Point extends a giant thank you to our fabulous Friends students Sarah and Amelia for their awesome work this summer!

During their eight-week Canada Summer Jobs contract with us, Sarah and Amelia worked to raise the profile of the Friends on our social media platforms with some fun and informative videos and posts, and they supported the Park’s natural heritage education through programs and events. Sarah, who was a returning student for us, coordinated the stellar astronomy program at the amphitheatre earlier this month. Amelia shared creative ideas for Friends products in the Park Store (watch for some cool mica merch)! They were both wonderful supporters of Friends’ activities and programs, and we greatly appreciate their hard work.

Hiring students has been a priority for the Friends almost since our inception 30 years ago. Many of our students have gone into careers in education, science, conservation and other related fields. The work of these talented students goes a long way to support Friends activities, and we truly believe in the importance of offering these experiences to young people.

Thank you to the Canada Summer Jobs program for supporting our student positions, and thank you to Sarah and Amelia for a wonderful summer!

Photo, from left: Amelia, Friends President Stephanie Gray, and Sarah