A Wonderful Series Of Speakers At A Historic Niagara, Ontario Location

By Doug Draper

The gorgeous old estate known as Willowbanks is located on a hill in the historic old village of Queenston, Ontario, and will be the setting for a great series of speakers on matters of heritage over the next few months.

The historic Willowbanks estate in Queenston, Ontario. Photo Courtesy of Friends of Willowbanks.

This beautiful building had a date with the wrecking ball a decade ago but finally, a group of caring residents, calling themselves, and some of the municipal councils of the day, including then lord mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake (the municipality Queenston is a part of) and now Niagara regional chair Gary Burroughs, fought to save it.

Among significant others  responsible for the survival of this classicl structure are the late Laura Dobson and Margherita Howe. They were often viewed as thorns in the side of powers-that-be then, but this writer is sure they will always be remembered, among other things, for helping to save this vital piece of Niagara history.

Thanks to them and others in the community, you can enjoy listening to a series of speakers this spring that speaks to the spirit of preserving our heritage. There is a fee attached to this series, but the funds always go to a great cause – the continued renovation of this great Willowbanks building and the fledgling School of Restoration Arts that the building houses.

Posted below is a release from Willowbanks, listing the speaker series and providing additional information for it.

Intersecting the Contemporary and the Traditional
Seven Creative Approaches

Willowbank’s 2011 Lecture Series explores an important cultural shift occurring in the early decades of the 21st Century. This shift is from a somewhat static view of historic resource conservation, as a museological approach to keeping traditional artifacts and practices alive, to a more dynamic view of conservation as part of a creative and sustainable approach to broader design and development issues.

Saturday morning series starts at 10 am

March 19

Developer, SANDY SMALLWOOD, Ottawa
“New Life for Old Buildings”

Board of Directors, Ontario Heritage Trust; Winner of 2007 Corporate Award,
Heritage Canada

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

April 2

Architect, MICHAEL MCLELLAND, Toronto
“The Distillery District in Toronto and Other Projects”

Partner ERA, Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; 1999 TSA
Recognition, Outstanding Contributions to Built Environment

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

April 16

Landscape Architect, GREG SMALLENBERG, Vancouver
“Grounded: PFS and Contemporary Layers in Historic Contexts”

Founding partner, urban design and landscape firm PFS; Major projects across
Canada and internationally

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

April 30

Historian and Architect, JOHN LEROUX, Fredericton
“Bridging the Gap: A Contemporary Approach to Revisiting
Architectural Heritage”

Author, Building New Brunswick: An Architectural History; Professor,
New Brunswick College of Craft and Design
Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

May 14

Wooden Boat Builder, NAT BENJAMIN, Martha’s Vineyard
“Contemporary approaches to a historic craft”

Co-founder of the legendary Gannon and Benjamin Boatyard; Designer,
builder, repairer, and maintainer of wooden boats

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

May 28

Printer and Publisher, ANDREW STEEVES, Kentville, N.S.
“The Gaspereau Press”

Founder and Co-owner, The Gaspereau Press; Internationally-known for
reuniting publishing with the book arts

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

June 18

Theatre Director, CHRISTOPHER NEWTON, Niagara-on-the-Lake
“Refashioning historic artifacts as new works”

Artistic Director Emeritus of the Shaw Festival; Member of the Order of Canada;
recipient Governor General’s Award

Register online:
Friends Membership Registration – $20
General Public Registration – $25

The 2011Lecture Series is generously supported by:
Dr. E.Oliver-Malone and Dr. R. Malone
—
Brad Nixonand Carol Beckmann
—
Heelis, Williams, Little&AlmasLLP
Registration:
Friends Membership Entire Series,$140
General Public Entire Series,$175
The Saturday morning series starts at 10 am, in the intimate setting of theWillowbank salon.
Seating is limited, book early.
To register by phone or if you have email inquires, contact:
Willowbank
willowbank@willowbank.ca
905-262-1239 x 24
willowbank.ca

(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to residents in our greater Niagara region and beyond.)