New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

Historical_Society_Green_Light

Feature Article January 23

Feature Article January 23, 2002

LAND O'LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

Historical Society gets green light for expansionby Will CybulskiWhen Marg Axford made an appearance at North Frontenacs Council meeting on Monday January 14, she brought with her a delegation of Executive members of the Cloyne and District Historical Society. As shown by the attendance of her group, support for her cause was obvious, as was Margs sincerity in making her presentation.

The Society is out of space at its museum located north of the Barrie Township Hall in Cloyne. The present 20 x 30 building sits on land owned by the municipality, and through an existing agreement, the Society is allowed use of the property for the museum.

The Society covers an area loosely bounded by Kaladar, Denbigh, Flinton and Plevna, and partners with funding agencies and community groups as well as individuals in its attempts to preserve and display articles and artifacts of historical interest. A surprising number of people visit the museum each season, and this past summer, the Society was instrumental in hosting the well-attended Sawyer-Stoll Reunion.

As the Society branches off into facilitating genealogical searches, it regularly receives donated items for the museum, but has no more room to store or display the multitude of objects. One particular concern mentioned by Axford was the off-season storage of paper and textiles. The museum is not open or heated in the winter, and moisture as well as mice can play havoc with such items. Currently, papers and textiles have to be packed up and stored at a Society members home over the winter.

Axford informed Council that an expansion was under active consideration. However, as the museum sits on municipal property, support of Council and permission to build was being requested. Axford further asked that the municipality assist in the removal of a large pine tree, and for use of the Townships back-hoe to move/remove the existing holding tank and level the ground, and a waiver of the municipal permit fees.

Council passed a motion of support for the Societys request, indicating that an application through the Building Departments Office was still necessary.

The Cloyne and District Historical Society is looking to double the size of the existing building, and being an extremely committed group, such plans will quickly become reality. Those developments will no doubt form the basis of another article.

With the participation of the Government of Canada