The Independent

Greenhill Gardens – a once privately-owned oasis in Wilkesport – is closed to the public.

That from the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation which took over the grounds in 2024.

The gardens were cultivated by Joy Robson for years and her husband, Bill, allowed people to come and walk through the gardens for free.

After the death of the founder of the gardens in 2016 and her husband, Bill, in 2021, the gardens were maintained. The family hired a private contractor to care for the six acres of gardens and, in 2024, donated Greenhill, a 19-acre wood lot and 74 acres of agricultural land to the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation, an arm of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority.

The foundation started charging a fee for use for photographers which caused an uproar and had problems maintaining the site.

Monday, the foundation “made the difficult decision to close Greenhill Gardens…for the foreseeable future.

“The decision was made due to unforeseen and ongoing challenges including vegetation management, infrastructure concerns, and limited staffing and resources which have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the property to the standards expected by the community and visitors,” officials said in a news release.

The foundation says people who paid to use the grounds for family functions and wedding photos have been fully refunded for their booking.