BRACEBRIDGE'S WOODCHESTER VILLA NEEDED ITS LIAISON COMMITTEE - ITS FOUNDING HISTORICAL SOCIETY
THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE NEEDS A CURATORIAL, ADVOCACY GROUP NOW
THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE OF WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM WHEN IT WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED. IT WAS WHAT THE TOWN AND THE ROTARY CLUB, THAT TOOK THE LEAD ROLE IN THE WOODCHESTER RESTORATION, INSISTED ON, BEFORE THEY AGREED TO INITIATE THE LARGE-SCALE AND EXPENSIVE PROJECT. IT WAS WHAT I CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHEN ROTARIAN GLEN COATES FIRST BROUGHT UP THE POSSIBILITY, PRIOR TO 1978, AND IT IS EXACTLY HOW I PROCEEDED, WHEN WAYLAND DREW, THE EVENTUAL PRESIDENT OF THE NEWLY FORMED SOCIETY, AND I, GOT TOGETHER AT HIS HOME, TO DISCUSS HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED WITH ITS ORGANIZATION. WAYLAND DID MOST OF THE WORK, THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT THE ROTARY CLUB WOULD FIND A HALE AND HARDY, BRAND NEW HISTORICAL SOCIETY, READY TO PARTNER ON THE MUSEUM PROJECT. THE TOWN, WHILE RELUCTANT, AGREED TO WORK WITH BOTH PARTIES, AND THE END RESULT, WAS A NICELY RESTORED OCTAGONAL HOME, BUILT BY BIRDS WOOLLEN MILL FOUNDER HENRY BIRD. THE ROTARY CLUB WENT ON TO OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS, AND THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAS LEFT TO RUN THE MUSEUM.
THE PROBLEM HOWEVER, AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING, ARRIVED WHEN GOVERNMENT FUNDING WAS CUT-BACK, VOLUNTEERISM WENT INTO DECLINE AFTER THE PEAK OF THE GRAND OPENING, AND THE TOWN WANTED TO DISTANCE ITSELF FROM THE BUILDING ENTIRELY. THIS BLOG ISN'T SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WOODCHESTER, BUT IT DOES REGARD THE EXAMPLE, THAT UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE CREATED, WHICH IN ESSENCE COULD BENEFIT GRAVENHURST TODAY…..SPECIFICALLY THE OPERATION OF THE OPERA HOUSE.
WHILE A LOT OF NEGOTIATIONS HAD TO TAKE PLACE, AND A DEAL WAS MADE WITH MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MUSEUM ANNEX (OUR SECOND MUSEUM BUILDING), AS A MUSUEM REPRESENTATIVE, WITH A GREATLY DEPLETED BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE HAD TO DEMAND THE TOWN STEP-UP AND ASSUME MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WAS A COMMUNITY ASSET. AND YES IT WAS THE PROVERBIAL BALL AND CHAIN, FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONTEND. TOWN COUNCILLORS KNEW IT WAS COMING, AND DIDN'T GREET THE PROPOSITION FOR MORE INVOLVEMENT, WITH OPEN ARMS. WITH THE HUGE DEMAND FOR VOLUNTEERS, ALL YEAR ROUND, TO HANDLE SOCIETY BUSINESS, AND WORK ON THE HOUSE AND THE PROPERTY, AND VERY LITTLE MONEY FOR STAFF, EVENTUALLY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FAILED AND FUNDAMENTALLY DISAPPEARED INTO ITS OWN HERITAGE.
THIS IS THE SHARP POINT OF THE STICK. THE ONE GROUP THAT COULD HAVE, AND SHOULD HAVE ADVOCATED FOR WOODCHESTER VILLA, AND SAW TO IT THAT THE VERANDAH WAS PROPERLY REPAIRED, TO HANDLE A TRADITIONAL MUSKOKA SNOWLOAD (WHICH IS WHAT COLLAPSED IT), WAS DEFUNCT. OUTSIDE OF THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE CHAPEL GALLERY, AND MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS SHARING THE PROPERTY, WOODCHESTER LACKED THE CONNECTEDNESS TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD CREATED IT INTO A TOWN MUSEUM. WHILE IT'S UNFAIR TO SAY IT WAS LEFT ALL ALONE ON THAT HILLSIDE, OVERLOOKING THE MUSKOKA RIVER, IT DIDN'T HAVE THE PROTECTORS IT HAD WHEN IT OPENED ITS DOORS IN THE EARLY 1980'S. AS WE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE VERANDAH TO THE TOWN, PRIOR TO 1989, A PARTNERING SOCIETY WOULD HAVE KEPT NAGGING TO GET THE PROBLEMS ADDRESSED, AND SOME OF THE REPAIRS THE TOWN IS FACED WITH NOW, MIGHT HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH OVER TIME……AND NOT ALL AT ONCE; WHICH IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE MUSEUM GETS FUNDING APPROVAL FOR YET ANOTHER RESTORATION PROJECT.
OPERA HOUSE……HOW CAN WE LEARN FROM THE WOODCHESTER EXPERIENCE?
In essence, the Gravenhurst Opera House is not only an historic landmark in our town, it is as much a museum as an entertainment venue. It requires special attention, and not just from staff, town hall administration and municipal council. It needs more. It requires a group of passionate volunteers, to become its curatorial guardians. As the Bracebridge Historical Society would and could have intervened to ensure the historic house was being properly conserved, it was a distant memory. Gone when needed the most. While this isn't to suggest that Gravenhurst should seek the formation of an Opera House Historical Society, it absolutely needs a group of about three to five citizens, who are passionate about its preservation. I could come up with a chairman and board members, and none of them would be me. From experience however, I can tell the people of Gravenhurst honestly, the Opera House is in peril without a liaison group, charged with representing its best interests…..and dealing with its list of future restoration needs.
The Town Council needs to look at the realities it is facing with the Opera House. There are no curators or conservators on the town payroll to my knowledge. There are those members of a committee dealing with heritage matters, but nothing to my knowledge that targets our most important heritage building. The business of operating the Opera House is one thing. The welfare of the building is quite different, and it's where I'm deeply quagmired with worry. The parallels to Woodchester Villa are becoming clearer each week that goes by, with a big roof under construction.
Hypothetically, an Advocacy Group, of three members, with the privilege of communicating concerns to both Opera House management, town administration, and elected representatives, probably would have thrown out the situation, that it is never a good idea, to be inside a heritage structure under renovation, without a hard hat. I'm willing to bet they would have come up with a recommendation, that in order to make the roof restoration as efficient and on-schedule as possible, all events should be cancelled during the most critical stages of roof work. This would certainly have helped the construction company, because it can't be easy working around inclement weather, Opera House events, of which there have been a few, and a Farmer's Market in the courtyard….beside the dumpsters full of restoration debris. I think an advocacy committee would have felt strongly about getting the roof completed long before the onset of winter. They would have advocated for tarps to be used inside the Opera House, in case of any contamination falling, and they would have done the same for any vulnerable roof region, that may have been a source of leaks. Their assignment would be to liaison, not to be a-holes, causing delays in the project. They would be in place to represent the heritage property, and its well being, and would be entitled to express their concerns about certain situations, and those problem areas that can be inadvertently exposed when ripping up layers of shingles.
The advocacy group wouldn't be political. It has no reason to be. It's task would be to make sure the building isn't being damaged in the process of restoration. Everyone should welcome such a group, because it promotes co-operation, and might have even, in the most recent days, been a useful liaison with the press…..from a heritage-watchdog perspective, yet working with the town and administrators…..and the roofers, to get the job done correctly, and without consequences to the building.
There isn't any reason, why Town Council couldn't appoint an emergency advocacy or liaison committee to assist with the ongoing Opera House restoration project, at this point, simply as observers…..and as representatives of the constituents of this town, who own this wonderful main street building. The town may decided that Mr. Currie, as usual, is full of baloney, and ignore this entirely, but I'm hoping one or two councillors might see the advantage, of allowing citizens to accept some of the burden for this important restoration project. It would be a giant step to improve community relations, and promote transparency. As I see it, the committee's job isn't to cause work stoppages, or intervene where they have no authority, but instead, be willing to provide a semi curatorial guardianship of its historic integrity……..as a trial run, during the balance of the roof repairs. It would be a good opportunity to see how such a committee could partner with the town, as there are other restoration upgrades that have to be addressed in the future.
The town should have no fear, that by inviting the formation of an advocacy group, to work on the Opera House's behalf, there will be a future threat to their administration, or a healthy new conduit of information to this blogger. In terms of public relations, I've got to tell you, it would be a marked improvement in constituent relations, to relax some of their self-imposed, restrictive protocols, that cause them more backlash than promote good will and cooperation.
We do have a big stake in our historic landmark, remaining safe on that corner of the main street, for many years to come. Just because we want to get involved to help it weather the work, doesn't mean a government overthrow is in the works. Council can approve this as a temporary measure, in an advisory capacity, just to help ensure the well being of the building…….which does need special care as a heritage landmark. There are more than a few people in this neighborhood who would qualify, and be agreeable to take on such a chairmanship, and I would be delighted, as the promoter of such an idea, to offer the names of candidates for their consideration.
Why would the town be indifferent to getting good advice from the people who know the Opera House best? Or who have curatorial, historic site experience? The Opera House, is more than just a theatre…….it is an old theatre, and it needs constant stewardship……to ensure it has a future.
Thank you for joining today's blog. Please visit again and again. I always enjoy your company.
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