An unusual donation from across the continent has helped bring the parkland vision to fruition.

For the second year running the Foundation has had the pleasure of selling hundreds of donated cacti to raise funds and awareness for the Desjardins Canal Parklands project. Despite some chilly and rainy weather, over $2,200 was raised and all of the cacti found happy homes!

The cacti were donated through Sorensen Greenhouses in California whose proprietor, Cleone Sorensen, grew up in Dundas. Cleone’s father, the late Ben Veldhuis, operated the wildly successful cactus greenhouses that occupied the Parklands site for over half a century and gave the Cactus Festival its name.