UFRCA History

The Upper French River Cottagers' Association was established in 1992 and initially dealt with issues such as the formation of French River Provincial Park, the environment, and access by police and fire fighting services to a remote area.

Regional amalgamation of several unorganized townships with Sturgeon Falls and the formation of the Municipality of West Nipissing occurred under the Harris Conservative government in 1999 and resulted in dramatic increases in property taxes for cottagers in Bertram Township. Municipal services (or lack of them) have become very important issues. Cottagers on the south side of the river (Parry Sound District - Patterson and Hardy Townships) were not affected by the 1999 amalgamation. The UFRCA was legally incorporated as a not-for-profit business in 2007.

Bruce Allen was the first President of the UFRCA. He was instrumental in establishing a strong foundation to ensure that the UFRCA would be progressive and prosperous. Over the years, the association has been fortunate to have a strong volunteer base, and many members have volunteered to assume various responsibilities.

UFRCA Presidents since 1992

Bruce Allen 1992 -1996
Peter Rooney 1996-97
Walter Harley 1997-2001
Bill Goodwin 2001-03
David Goodwin 2003-05
Bill Goodwin 2005-06
Paul Cormier 2006-09
Dave Minden 2009-17
Sam Goodwin 2017-19
Amanda Derks 2019 -