THE WOODCHESTER VILLA I KNEW HAD A GREAT AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL - BUT THERE WASN'T THE MONEY TO FULFILL AMBITIONS
WE BUILT A MUSEUM AND SOME PEOPLE CAME - JUST NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE IT A PAYING PROPOSITION
It was heartbreaking to all of us, who had put a lot of time, volunteering with the Bracebridge Historical Society, when we looked at the week's earnings, at Woodchester, garnered from site visits, (summer months in the early 1980's) and compared them to our actual operating expenses for the same week. There were five or six decent weeks every summer season, that gave us reason to uphold our optimism, but then, when compared to the rest of the year, there was no way to appease the bean counters. We couldn't help but operate in the red. We tried to keep the property operational from the 24th of May until Thanksgiving, but the spring and fall, fell on the shoulders of volunteers. In hindsight, we should have been more aggressively seeking commercial sponsorships and estate bequeaths, to keep enough money to at least cover week to week maintenance responsibilities; or to hire groundskeeping services, because we lost more than a few volunteers, who refused to mow the steep hillside property on a weekly basis. I had to use my own mower because the Woodchester one was typically broken. There was always groundskeeping to do, and paths to rake and weed, and we didn't have the staff resources, to re-direct their seasonal services, from museum guiding, to plucking dandelions, or manning rakes. Directors had the task of finding creative ways to keep the site operational, and believe me, there wasn't much glory in being a volunteer, especially in the last five years of the 1980's; a time when our numbers dwindled year after year. It was even difficult to keep a quorum for Society business affairs.
When I went, cap and hand, to Bracebridge Town Council, I won more than I lost. I didn't get the museum a huge annual increase of operating funds, but I did gain preferred access to administrators at town hall, who would assist us applying for government sponsored heritage grants. We were able to attain a Town Councillor, who became a liaison member, and this helped enormously to enlighten Town Council. I appreciated Jim Boyes participation, and his efforts, to bring Woodchester Villa issues to the Council table, on a more regular basis. And I was able to have a property sharing agreement drafted between the Town and the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Association, heralding the launch of the Chapel Gallery, in the late 1980's, a cooperative venture that is still going strong in this new century. My failing was that Woodchester needed way more money to operate, than the Town was willing to dole out, and thus, there was no light at the end of the tunnel as far as I could see. I resigned from my position as Operations Manager, in the fall of 1989, after our family had moved to Gravenhurst. I felt it was necessary, because of many off-hours calls to attend the museum, for alarms etc., that the manager had to live closer, and be more intimate with the site than I could provide.
As for the present tense? Frankly, I'm still unsure about the strategy of Town Council, and especially, when it comes to how they will safeguard the integrity of those early years, and the efforts of so many volunteers to bring life back to the Bird House. The Historical Society failure was not the result of disinterest, but rather, the weight of responsibility assigned to it, from the original agreement. And certainly the fact, the Town did not really want to be involved in the museum business. I understand this, and I accept that the failure was seeded, whether we knew it or not, in the original agreement with the Town, to carry on the business of running a museum. It was a huge responsibility and there was no way, as was obvious from the end of the first five years, of operation, that we would have enough volunteer support, even to last that all important first decade. We tried to muster support, but the gossip circulating was, "Woodchester was a lost cause!" The work expectation was severe, and there were better volunteering positions with other community groups. As for seeking donations, most people chose the Hospital Foundation over the Historical Society, 99 times out of 100.
What now? Who really knows?
I hate with a passion, one-sided news reports. One-source stories, without sidebar clarifications, that present a limited overview of the subject. End of story. As a former editor, it was an everyday, every-event, newspaper policy, to jam-in as many sides and opinions of a news story as possible, to make it read as objective, and fair as possible, to readers we wished to inform; not impose upon or brainwash. If we wanted to express our opinions, we saved this for the editorial page, and it represented the newspaper's position. We didn't initial our editorials, because they represented the Publisher and editorial staff as a unit. Most recently, I have objected whole-heartedly to the way the media, has been reporting-on the restoration, and future of Woodchester Villa and Museum, as if all the founders and presidents who kept it running for long and long, are now totally irrelevant. Got news for the media. The story is a lot more interesting than will be represented, by publishing only one point of view, and not offering, at the very least, the perspective of those who were part of the original initiative, to give Bracebridge its first community museum. If the Town of Bracebridge had respect for this protocol, in the case of Woodchester specifically, it would have re-assembled as many folks from the founding years, as possible, starting back in 2009 when the museum was closed due to structural issues, to be a part of the committee to determine its future; which is still undecided as far as I know at this point. I have never once refused a request for information from any reporter, or town official, about the early years of Woodchester, and the founding of the Historical Society; and because the Town hasn't been interested in pursuing any assistance from rogue-critics like me, well, that's why I write so darn much, about this beautiful little sanctuary, perched on the hillside above the Muskoka River. I refuse to have the Town call the shots, as far as its chronicle goes, regardless, and it's one of the reasons I spend so much time, authoring articles about the history of my former hometown. I'm not going to leave its interpretation up to them solely, or their historian of choice. It sure as hell isn't me, and I'm good with that! All I want, is for historical protocol and respect for the founders of this museum property, to be given the credit they deserve, for launching an initiative that had all the hallmarks of a winner. The money just ran out, but who was at fault? We were naive about the funding formula, and what it would take to muster grants each year.
In the past week, I've sent the local media, background information about the founding of Bracebridge's Woodchester Villa and Museum. At the very least, I wanted our media outlets to know, there are many sides to the Woodchester story, beyond what the Town of Bracebridge puts-out for public consumption. I, at the very least, made them an offer of information assistance. It's a habit of us historical-types with a conscience, to infill information where there are holes in heritage accounting. Since 2009, when Woodchester Villa was closed, due to a collapse of a wrap-around verandah, I have been doing my own due diligence, by making copious notes and writing-up blogs, to make damn sure revisionists don't conveniently brush over the founding years of the museum. It was a pretty impressive community project, back in the late 1970's, and early 1980's, and despite the Bracebridge Historical Society's many failings, which I know from first-hand experience, it was the "who's who" of local movers and shakers, under the presidency of Canadian Author Wayland Drew, and Rotary Club liaison Ken Black, and oh so many more volunteers, who pulled it all together. It was a massive undertaking, and a brave initiative by the Rotary Club, to restore the octagonal estate home of Woollen Mill founder, Henry Bird, and then give it to the town, for operation by the Historical Society, as the Town's first community museum. It seemed as if Bracebridge was at a pinnacle of forward-minded initiatives, and much more was to come. But it was a period of accomplishment none the less, and it is what I want to remind the Town, especially when they make decisions about the old estate's future; now that the million dollar plus restoration is nearing completion. Not to consult with the museum's founders, and its supporters in all capacities from the beginning, is to me, a show of great disrespect to the community itself; and I can't believe someone, just one person, connected to the Town, as a councillor or administrator, wouldn't have had the insight, that protocols should be followed in this regard. Protocols in the Historical Society constitution, that had been laid out by such respected citizens as E.P. Lee and Robert Boyer, with legal advice from some of the most prominent lawyers in town, at that time.
Whether or not the house is returned to its museum status, or morphed into something else, possibly as an arts centre, is not my concern today. I live in Gravenhurst afterall, so it's not like I have much municipal sway ten miles north. I don't have any here either. I am very pleased however, that the beautiful old dwelling-place has been restored. It really is a gem, and it has quite a history that has never been fully written. Maybe one day, as long as the Town doesn't have a hand in it! I mean that! I haven't been sought out as an advisor, and there's not much likelihood they will want someone like me to weigh-in, in a public forum. I won't be muzzled. I don't dial-down my opinions, and it has cost me dearly with Town Councils, in both towns, not appreciating my blunt opinions about their actions and reactions. I stopped anticipating Christmas cards from these folks a long time ago. I've been pretty critical of Bracebridge Town Council in the past, especially the Jubilee Park debacle, when they sold off an important community resource for a university campus. Water under the bridge for some folks, but not for historians. We have this habit of hanging onto records of the past, for undetermined future posterity.
I adored my years spent at Woodchester Villa in many capacities. I think back to the evening I held the first meeting of the future Bracebridge Historical Society, in the attic room of the former home and medical office, of Dr. Peter McGibbon, on Manitoba Street. While Wayland Drew didn't attend the meeting that night, he phoned me the next day, to set up a meeting at his house, to discuss a potential cooperative effort, to better organize a solid Historical Society, that one day, might be fit to manage a new community museum. It was the spring of 1978. True to his word, Wayland Drew formed the first executive committee, of the fledgling Historical Society, and I was one of the group; such a great honor. Other members included Wendy Wilson, Gil Scott, Ralph Melvin, Wayland Drew and myself. The rest as they say, is history. If only we had been financed the way we should have, well sir, it would still be operating as a museum to this day; and have a hell of a track record of accomplishment to show for it all!
Ah, the folly of retrospective wishful thinking!
ARRIVAL OF MUSEUM.....A GLOWING ACHIEVEMENT
WOODCHESTER HAD IT ALL - OR SO IT APPEARED
When Wayland Drew called me one evening, and asked if I had time to meet with him, regarding the idea I had recently proposed (in the local press) for a Bracebridge Historical Society (circa 1978 I believe), I was thrilled to have a potential partner. The initial response had been slow. I didn’t really know who Wayland (Buster) was, at that point, until my girlfriend at the time, Gail Smith, told me about the book he wrote on Lake Superior. I found out quite a bit about the good Mr. Drew, before I attended the meeting at his Bracebridge house. Here I was, a snotty nosed recent university graduate, with the ink still wet on the diploma, and I’m having an intimate meeting about Canadian and regional history, with an author of considerable national acclaim.
I wasn’t in that meeting five minutes, before I knew we would come to be good friends, and something terrific would happen up on that Woodchester Villa hillside. He had such a gentle, calming influence over a scared kid, who had just then, been happily, but politely put in his place. I was delighted to be his underling. And that never changed through many years and quite a few challenges. We didn’t always agree. Wayland and I got into a terrible fight over the removal of huge trees, that lined the steep lane up to the Bird house. He was trying to protect the century old pines and I advocated cutting them down. I was wrong. I told him so later. By then some of those trees had been removed. I won the initial argument, siding with the town, but it was no victory when I realized I’d crushed my partner.....a keen environmentalist who cared so much about the heritage of nature.....
Wayland may never have known this, because I certainly gave the appearance of being an unflinchingly independent, arrogant son-of-a-bitch, but he became one of the only mentors I’ve ever had. I read everything he’d put his pen to, and I thoroughly enjoyed his company for those early Historical Society evenings. He was an important man but you’d never know it, being in his company. It’s at Woodchester now that I see him so clearly. Every time I visit the site, I think about our first tour up to the Bird House, all boarded-up and desolate in early 1978. Gail and I walked around the property with him.....and despite how desperate the situation to reclaim the building, he had confidence something construction could happen here. And it did. He called his friends. Those friends called others, and it kept going and going, until there was a battalion of volunteers. I spent a lot of time in Wayland’s company, usually with my chin stuck against my chest, in absolute awe how he did what he did!
While to many Bracebridge citizens today, Woodchester Villa isn’t even a blip on the community radar. Why would it be? It’s just a museum. It has become largely a tourist-only venue, in its own thirty year history, although that was never the intent by those who faithfully tended the restoration. There is something important here that has been lost....just as much in need of refurbishing as the building itself. It’s the attitude we nursed along for that first decade, trying to make Bracebridge citizens as proud of the museum as we were. It was the exceptional show of citizen action, the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of folks who worked on that restoration......, and set-up the museum, that inspires me even today about the power of a hometown to attain incredible milestones. I think now about the thousands of hours spent on paper work issues, negotiations for the Alvin Kaye collection, gardening, decorating, painting and trimming.....not to mention work spent on so many elaborate fundraising events in those early years. To many weary folks, exhausted from exquisite Empire Dinners, and both Blueberry and Strawberry Socials, that took so many, many hours away from family, home and business responsibilities. It did result in family stresses. I was threatened with divorce many times during my years of near-residence on-site. Yet, at the end of every event, at closing time every day, sitting on those steps of the front verandah, it all seemed worth the effort. It seemed so very relevant to Bracebridge.....and it’s true that all the work, and blind faith in what we were doing, tended to blind us to the reality many citizens still had no interest in visiting.....even when we suspended admission charges. We just didn’t have the money to invest in promotion and counted on the generosity of two local newspapers to help us out. But that was running into opposition as well, by the late 1980's, as their publishers decided the free-ride was over. It was a back breaker but they were right. We should have been able to pay for and profit from promotions. It didn’t happen that way. Then came the recession. Change was imminent.
When it comes to a thorough examination of Woodchester’s future, I will have no hesitation whatsoever, barking out in a loud, clear, and arrogant voice, about my very great pleasure in life, to have been associated with the grand effort of the Bracebridge Historical Society, the Bracebridge Rotary Club and the Town of Bracebridge, in a hometown partnership that produced a really fine museum. What might now be considered a nuisance expense, and a civic burden, was once considered the hallmark of citizen action. It was not just the “who’s who” of Bracebridge who rebuilt Woodchester, but a mixture of casual acquaintances who became friends; good and lasting friends.
The last time I spoke with Wayland Drew, it was at an outdoor literary event, sponsored by “Muskoka Ink,” held at Woodchester, long after we had both retired from the Historical Society. Quite ill, by this time, I remember him walking across the lawn to shake my hand, after I’d read a short paper about former Toronto Sun columnist, Paul Rimstead, a former Bracebridge lad. I didn’t know it prior to this, but Wayland and I were both Rimstead fans. He let me know I’d written an excellent tribute piece. From him, it was a moment to be cherished. The fact that he acknowledged my writing at all, was a great honor. We stood for awhile talking about the old days at Woodchester, all the work, the frustrations, anxious moments, and successes we both felt had been achieved on this beautiful hillside, overlooking the Muskoka River. It was such a perfect, warm and memorable evening. We shook hands, made the same trustful eye contact, we had on our first meeting, and wished each other well. And I knew this would probably be our last meeting. It was.
When it comes to making a decision about the property, there are many who should be consulted about its fate. There’s a lot more to this old building than what appears to the eye. It is very much a monument to so many people, who had the best intentions for the site.......but if they can be at fault for anything, it was a general misunderstanding of grants and revenues, long past those first five years of operation. The fact so many of these people were elderly at the beginning, meant an ongoing need to bring aboard enthusiastic young folks to carry the burden. It didn’t happen with the same vigor as it had begun. As the town debates this site’s future, I hope it will consider its history with some sensitivity and compassion......because to dismiss it casually, or disregard its storied past, would be unforgivable to all hometown values.
Let Town Council know what you think. They know my opinion!
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