WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM BULLDOZED?

WOODCHESTER VILLA, THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND WHAT NOT TO DO WITH AN HISTORIC BUILDING

I FEEL REAL BAD ABOUT THIS - SO SHOULD MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING TOWN COUNCIL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH SOONER

WHEN I LEFT THE MANAGEMENT POSITION, OF BRACEBRIDGE'S WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM, IN AND AROUND THE FALL OF 1989, I HAD MANY REGRETS, WALKING DOWN THAT PATH FOR THE LAST TIME. EVEN THEN, THE OCTAGONAL BUILDING, BUILT IN THE 1880'S BY HENRY BIRD, THE PROPRIETOR OF BIRDS WOOLLEN MILL, WAS GROSSLY UNDERFUNDED, UNDERSTAFFED, BECOMING UNSAFE, AND WELL, STILL LARGELY UNDER-KNOWN, DESPITE MANY YEARS IN THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT.

THE ANNUAL STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY SOCIALS WERE MILESTONE SUMMER-SEASON EVENTS IN THE TOWN, AND THE VICTORIAN-THEMED EMPIRE DINNERS, CO-ORDINATED BY SWARMS OF EAGER VOLUNTEERS, WERE MAGNIFICENTLY APPOINTED AFFAIRS. WHO COULD FORGET THE MUSKOKA FESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS OF "PAPER WHEAT," AS THEATRE-IN-THE ROUND, ON THE HARDWOOD-SHADED SIDE LAWN? THE CHRISTMAS IN JULY CELEBRATIONS? THE SOUND OF THE FULL SALVATION ARMY BAND, OF ONTARIO, PERFORMING BESIDE THE BACKYARD FOUNTAIN….WHICH NOW ADORNS MANITOBA STREET'S MEMORIAL PARK.

I COULD REMEMBER STANDING ON THAT LAWN, WITH AUTHOR / TEACHER, WAYLAND DREW, LOOKING UP AT THE PLYWOOD-COVERED WINDOWS, AND DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF SAVING THE HOUSE FROM WHAT APPEARED THEN, TO BE AN INEVITABLE DATE WITH A BULLDOZER. MUCH LIKE SOME OF THE WORDS BEING BANDIED ABOUT TODAY, AT BRACEBRIDGE COUNCIL, ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS WORK AHEAD TO BRING WOODCHESTER BACK FROM THE NEAR-DEAD.

WAYLAND AND I WERE ON THE FIRST EXECUTIVE, OF THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND THE MISSION WAS TO NOT ONLY SAVE WOODCHESTER FROM BEING SOLD, OR TORN DOWN, BUT ESTABLISH BRACEBRIDGE'S FIRST COMMUNITY MUSEUM. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, AND IT TOOK A HUGE WORK FORCE TO PULL IT OFF, AND AT THAT TIME, I HAD TO TAKE A HIATUS, DUE TO EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. I CAME BACK TO THE MUSEUM DIRECTORSHIP IN THE EARLY 1980'S. I WAS PRESIDENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEN I TOOK OVER AS MUSEUM MANAGER. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS MEMBER, JAMIE SHERMAN AND I, WENT TO WORK ON A PLAN FOR THE CHAPEL GALLERY, WHICH IS STILL OPERATING IN THE FORMER MUSEUM ANNEX…..ITSELF A RE-CREATION OF AN EARLY BRACEBRIDGE CHURCH. I ALWAYS FELT GOOD ABOUT THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE PROPERTY, AND I'M VERY PLEASED IT HAS CONTINUED FOR ALL THESE YEARS. IT WAS IN THE LATE 1980'S THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS FORMED, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE TOWN OF BRACEBRIDGE.

LONG BEFORE I LEFT THE MUSEUM, WE WERE NOT PERMITTED TO USE THE WRAP-AROUND VERANDAH, FOR TOURS, DUE TO THE FAILING WOOD SUPPORTS. THIS HAD TO BE BEFORE 1989. TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPERTY SINCE, IT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED BY THE TOWN. IF IT WAS REPAIRED, THEN I MISSED READING ABOUT THE EXPENSE BEING INCURRED BY THE TOWN, WHICH I'M SURE WOULD HAVE MADE LOCAL COUNCIL NEWS……JUST AS ITS COLLAPSE, DUE TO A BURDEN OF SNOWLOAD SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND ITS AFTERMATH, HAVE MADE FRONT PAGE INK EVER SINCE. AS COUNCILLORS TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER TO FIX IT OR TEAR IT DOWN. YES, BY GOLLY, I CAN SO CLEARLY RECALL WAYLAND AND I SHAKING HANDS, THAT DAY, AND VOWING TO FORGE AHEAD WITH THE FORMATION OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WHICH WOULD BE THE DAY TO DAY GOVERNANCE OF WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM.

SO HERE'S WHAT WENT WRONG IN A NUTSHELL. THE PROJECT WAS IMMENSE. IT DREW FOLKS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE TO HELP OUT THIS WONDERFUL MUSEUM PROJECT. IT WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWN. THE ROTARY CLUB OF BRACEBRIDGE DID A BRILLIANT JOB WITH THE PURCHASE AND RESTORATION WORK, AND IN THOSE FIRST FEW YEARS, FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND THE RELATED HISTORIC EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY WERE LEGEND.

IT WAS THE WHO'S WHO OF THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY, HUSTLING AT ONE OR MORE OF THE SEEMINGLY THOUSAND TASKS, TO GET THE MUSEUM READY FOR ITS OPENING. TO SAY IT WAS A HIVE OF ACTIVITY, IN THOSE DAYS, WAS AN ACCURATE ANALOGY. BUT THE DOWNSIDE WAS OBVIOUS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, AND IT NEVER REALLY CHANGED MUCH OVER THE YEARS. BRACEBRIDGE COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY SIDED WITH THE PROJECT, AND SUPPORTED THE ROTARY CLUB'S EFFORTS, BUT IT WASN'T THEIR IDEA OF MONEY WELL SPENT. IN FACT, IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET A BRACEBRIDGE COUNCILLOR TO ATTEND AN EVENT, WE WERE ECSTATIC. THE ONLY THREE I REMEMBER PERSONALLY, FROM MY TENURE, WERE HEATHER COPELAND (ALSO A MUSEUM DIRECTOR), JIM BOYES, WHO WAS A COUNCIL LIAISON WITH THE BOARD, AND AUBREY GLASS, WHO CAME TO VISIT WITH US ONE CANADA DAY EVENING, JUST BEFORE THE FIREWORKS IN THE BAY BELOW. HE HAD CAKE AND LEMONADE, TOOK A TOUR OF THE HOUSE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT ITS FUTURE. AUBREY WAS HONEST WITH ME. COUNCIL WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH FUNDING THE MUSEUM TO INFINITY. WE AGREED. JUST AS I HAD AGREED WITH ANOTHER TOWN COUNCILLOR, FRANK HENRY (ALSO THE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR) WHO EXPLAINED ROUGHLY THE SAME SCENARIO……THAT SIDEWALKS AND ROAD REPAIRS WERE SIMPLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN CONTINUALLY DUMPING MONEY INTO AN OLD BUILDING FOR THE REST OF TIME. I AGREED WITH HIM. IN FAIRNESS, MAYOR JIM LANG DID ATTEND SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE MUSEUM, AS DID OTHER COUNCILLORS FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE EARLY YEARS…..NOT DURING MY YEARS IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES TO THE CUSP OF 1990.

IT WAS TRUE THAT COUNCIL HAD WORRIED ABOUT THE BURDEN, THE MUSEUM WAS GOING TO CREATE, FOR THE TOWN IN THE FUTURE. OBVIOUSLY THEY HAD PREDICTED THE 2012 SCENARIO, CONFRONTING THE PRESENT COUNCIL. AND THESE SAME SENTIMENTS HAD BEEN IN THE THOUGHTS OF LOCAL COUNCILLORS FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT WHAT DIDN'T COME OUT DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS, IN CONFRONTATION OF THIS MUSEUM ISSUE, WAS STILL A SILENTLY FESTERING NODE OF COUNCIL BUSINESS. IT WASN'T MAKING FRONT PAGE NEWS, BECAUSE NO ONE FROM THE MEDIA WAS ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. HELL, THAT WAS MY GLARING CONFLICT OF INTEREST. I WAS AN EDITOR OF ONE OF TWO TOWN PUBLICATIONS, AND ALL I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, AT THE HERALD-GAZETTE, WAS GETTING AS MUCH PUBLICITY FOR WOODCHESTER FUNDRAISERS AS I COULD. IF ONE OF MY REPORTERS HAD COME TO ME WITH A STORY IDEA TO REVEAL WHAT COUNCIL REALLY THOUGHT, ABOUT THEIR FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO MUSEUM OPERATION…..WELL SIR, I'D HAVE FOUND ANOTHER MORE PRESSING ASSIGNMENT FOR THEM TO PURSUE INSTEAD. THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE RELATIONSHIP FROM THE MID 1980'S, A TIME WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THE VOLUNTEERS WERE BURNED-OUT. THE MOST GLARING ISSUE, WAS THE FACT WE LOST THE VOLUNTEER BRIGADE TO HELP US FUNDRAISE. WE WERE DOWN TO A TINY WORK-FORCE BY THE LATE 1980'S, AND IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME, I HAD TO ATTEND A COUNCIL MEETING, CAP IN HAND, AND ASK FOR TOWN ACCOUNTING ASSISTANCE, TO ALLOW US THE SLIM CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. THE IDEA TO DIVEST OURSELVES OF THE MUSEUM ANNEX, CAME AT AROUND THIS TIME, AND IT WAS THE ONE GOOD THING THAT SEEMED TO COME OUT OF THE WHOLE MUSEUM PROJECT FROM THE GET-GO.

AT THIS POINT, I TRIED BOMBARDING THE COMMUNITY WITH REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE, AND GENERALLY, THE KEY FOLKS, WHO HAD BROUGHT IT TO FRUITION IN THE FIRST PLACE, WERE JUST TO FED-UP WITH CONSTANT FUNDRAISING, TO EVEN THINK OF GETTING INVOLVED ONCE-AGAIN. I COULDN'T BLAME THEM. IT WAS A DISASTER, AND I WAS STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, WITH NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO RESIGN MYSELF. I'D HAD A COUPLE OF RUN-INS WITH TOWN ADMINISTRATION, BY THAT POINT, AND IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE KIND OF PERMANENT CHANGES THAT WOULD EASE THE BURDEN ON THE TOWN, AND ON THE FEW FOLKS LEFT TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN. SUZANNE AND I EVEN HAD TO CUT THE GRASS OF THE PROPERTY MANY TIMES, WHEN WE WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE TOWN LAWN CUTTING CONTRACT. I CAN REMEMBER ON THE LAST DAY I WAS ON SITE, ON THE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, AND WORKING FOR HOURS, TRYING TO FIX THE OUTSIDE DOOR OF THE PORCH, SO IT WOULD SHUT SECURELY FOR THE APPROACHING WINTER SEASON. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO CALL IN A CARPENTER, AND MOST JOBS LIKE THIS, HAD TO BE DONE BY THOSE CLOSEST TO THE MUSEUM. AND IT WASN'T THE MAYOR. IT WAS ME. WHILE THEY HELD THE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY, THEY WANTED THE MUSEUM MANAGER TO MAKE PROBLEMS GO AWAY. I TRIED. I REALLY DID. STILL, EVEN WITH ALL THE STRESSES IT CAUSED ON OUR YOUNG FAMILY, IN THOSE YEARS, I LOVED THAT PLACE….AND STILL DO. OF COURSE IT WAS HAUNTED. THAT'S WHAT I LOVED MOST ABOUT IT. IT HAD AN ALLURE MANY OF US FELT, WHO HAD SPENT MANY HOURS ON-SITE, THAT COULDN'T BE DENIED, OR EXPLAINED. THERE WAS NO NEED. ON THAT LAST WALK DOWN ITS LANE, I COULDN'T LOOK BACK. BUT I KNEW IT WAS WATCHING ME. MY KIDS HAD GROWN UP ON THIS PROPERTY. MY WIFE AND I SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS RUNNING TOURS, AND OPERATING SPECIAL EVENTS ON THE SHOESTRING BUDGET WE WERE AFFORDED ANNUALLY. BUT THIS OLD HOUSE GAVE US SOME TRULY MEMORABLE TIMES, ESPECIALLY AT CHRISTMAS WHEN WE'D HOST OUR ANNUAL OPEN HOUSES. WHILE IT WAS WORK, AND HARD TO FIT IT IN TO A BUSY SCHEDULE OTHERWISE, WE TRULY ENJOYED SEEING THAT OLD HOME ADORNED WITH VICTORIAN DECORATIONS, AND IT WAS A PLEASURE TO INVITE FOLKS THROUGH THAT FRONT DOOR….JUST AS THE BIRD FAMILY HAD DONE A CENTURY BEFORE.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END WAS IN FACT….THE BEGINNING. IT'S CLEAR TO ME TODAY, THIS WAS THE CASE. IT MUST BE A TERRIBLE EMBARRASSMENT TO THE PRESENT TOWN COUNCIL. IF THE COUNCILLORS' TRUE FEELINGS HAD BEEN KNOWN, BACK IN 1978-79, WHEN TALKS ABOUT THE MUSEUM FIRST BEGAN, AND ISSUES OF LONG-TERM FUNDING HAD BEEN THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED, AND DEBATED THEN, POSSIBLY THE MUSEUM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE. THOSE DOUBTS EXISTED. THE FACT THAT THE ROTARY CLUB, AND MANY OF THE TOWN'S PROMINENT CITIZENS GOT INVOLVED IN THE EARLY GOING, MAY HAVE GIVEN THE ILLUSION IT WAS UNSINKABLE. LIKE THE TITANIC'S FAILINGS, THE MUSEUM PLAN WAS UNSEAWORTHY. IT WAS MUCH LESS RESILIENT THAN IT SEEMED IN NEWSPAPER COVERAGE. MANY COUNCILLORS HAD MADE THEIR CONCERNS KNOWN, BUT NOT LOUD AND AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO SLOW THE TIDE OF MOUNTING ENTHUSIASM, FOR A GREAT NEW COMMUNITY INITIATIVE. IT WAS A GOOD PLAN, AND IT WAS A GREAT LITTLE COMMUNITY MUSUEM. IT CERTAINLY SEEMED HEADED FOR A LONG AND ICEBURG-FREE VOYAGE.

ONE CRUSHING REALITY HADN'T BEEN EXPLORED, AND THAT WAS THE LONG TERM COMMITMENT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING FROM THE PROVINCE. YEAR AFTER YEAR IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO SECURE EVEN THE BASIC OPERATIONAL FUNDS, AND WE COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH MINISTRY DEMANDS, IN RETURN FOR GRANTS. WE DIDN'T HAVE A FULL TIME CURATOR OR A DAY TO DAY ACCOUNTANT. WE COULD HAVE EASILY SPENT HALF THE GRANT ALLOCATION MONEY, PAYING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THE PAPER WORK, AND THE REQUIRED CONSERVATION EFFORTS AROUND THE PROPERTY, TO JUST QUALIFY FOR A STIPEND. IT BECAME TOO MUCH WORK FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HANDLE, AND I MUST ADMIT THERE WERE TIMES, WHEN IT FELT AS IF WE WERE ON THE TITANIC, WATCHING SO MANY OF OUR FAITHFUL MUSEUM HELPERS JUMP SHIP.

I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TOWN IN 2011 TO OFFER MY ASSISTANCE, IN ANY CAPACITY, AS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND MANAGER OF WOODCHESTER VILLA. AS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE PROJECT, DATING BACK TO 1977, I THOUGHT IT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO, AT THE VERY LEAST, DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THOSE DECISION MAKERS OF TODAY, WHO WILL HAVE TO ULTIMATELY DECIDE, WHETHER TO RESTORE THE PROPERTY, OR CLOSE IT FOR GOOD. I DIDN'T EXPECT A RESPONSE, AND I WAS PRETTY SURE THEY DIDN'T WANT MY INPUT OR ADVICE ANYWAY. I'M GOOD WITH THAT. SO I DID THE NEXT BEST THING, AND I WROTE A MULTI-BLOG BIOGRAPHY OF MY INVOLVEMENT AT WOODCHESTER VILLA, AND PUBLISHED THEM EARLIER ON THIS BLOG-SITE. I SUGGESTED THE TOWN MIGHT, AT THE VERY LEAST, BE INTERESTED IN REVIEWING THEM, IF ONLY TO BRING COUNCILLORS UP TO SPEED, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE MUSEUM'S ORIGINS, FROM ONE OF THE FIRST DIRECTORS TO GET INVOLVED. I'M PRETTY SURE THEY DIDN'T INVEST MUCH TIME ON THIS OPTIONAL READING ASSIGNMENT.

AND YES, I DID CO-PRODUCE THE WOODCHESTER VILLA BOOKLET, WITH LOCAL HISTORIAN ROBERT BOYER, WHO HAD ALSO BEEN ONE OF THE EARLY DIRECTORS OF THE MUSEUM.

I WILL RE-PUBLISH THOSE BLOGS ON MY BRACEBRIDGE SITE, JUST IN CASE NEWS OF WOODCHESTER'S FUTURE, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OF CONSULTANT INVESTIGATION OF THE SITE, INSPIRES FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE HISTORIC PROPERTY….TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THEIR OWN.

JUST FOR THE RECORD. I DID SUGGEST TO THE TOWN, IN AN EMAIL IN 2011, THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE RIGHT TIME, TO FIND ANOTHER USE FOR THE MUSEUM BUILDING, POSSIBLY AS AN ARTS CENTRE, AS AN ANNEX TO THE CHAPEL GALLERY….WHICH HAS DONE SO WELL ON THIS PEAK OF LAND, OVERLOOKING THE MUSKOKA RIVER.

FOR MORE ON WOODCHESTER VILLA, YOU CAN SEE THESE RE-POSTED BLOGS, BEGINNING TOMORROW (MONDAY) MORNING.