Alfred F. Kelly had a passion for the preservation of birds and their habitats.

The Legacy of Alfred F. Kelly

Long-time PQSPB member Alf Kelly had a passion for the preservation of birds and their habitats.

A reserved man who lived alone, he died in 1981. Unexpectedly, he left a significant portion of his estate (including his Piedmont property) in trust to the Society. Courtesy of the income from Alf’s legacy, the PQSPB has been able to expand its habitat, education and conservation programs, as well as research and support grant activities.

This enormous, thousand acre piece of virgin forest and cliffs lies between Piedmont and Prevost about an hour’s drive north of Montreal. The land, apart from two areas which BPQ have owned for a quarter century since they were left to us by Alfred Kelly, has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada – however the purchase in 2010 was made possible in part by a large grant to the NCC from BPQ. We are major partners with them and other local conservation groups in the management and success of this stunning property.

The Quebec government has designated the property as a protected nature sanctuary. The reserve includes a large lake, extensive forests and two areas of high and inaccessible cliffs that are, amongst other things, home to regularly nesting Peregrine Falcons.  Almost all of the raptor species that can be seen in Quebec have been recorded in the Alfred Kelly Sanctuary.