The County of Brant is recognizing several community members for their outstanding work to preserve local heritage.
BRANT COUNTY - The County of Brant is recognizing Ontario Heritage Week by celebrating members of their community.
Chair of the Brant Heritage Committee John MacAlpine says they wanted to recognize individuals in the community for their outstanding work to preserve local heritage.
“Conservation of heritage is so important to our community’s identity. Our world is changing quickly and preserving heritage allows our future generations to learn about their history and culture.”
New this year, the Brant Heritage Committee would like to recognize each of these individuals for their outstanding work to preserve local heritage. They include:
1. Dan and Carol Lyn Brown
Dan and Carol own Dan Brown House Reconstruction and have restored and preserved over 35 houses to their original character. They also specialize in making new buildings look like they have existed for many decades. One of their recent restoration projects included the old Miles house on King St. in Burford.
2. Jean Farquharson
Jean has been an advocate of local history for many years. Jean has contributed to research activities with the local branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society and is a valued member of the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre. Jean was the co-founder of the Grand River Heritage Mines Society, produced a number of posters and articles concerning the local gypsum mining industry and authored the book Herons and Cobblestones.
3. Robert Adlam
Rob Adlam has a passion for local industrial heritage and has amassed an impressive collection of artifacts. Rob is a member of the International Cockshutt Club and has written numerous articles for The Cockshutt Quarterly. He also provides leadership to the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre. Rob has collaborated on several publications and produced a series of heritage films about the Cockshutt Plow Company.
4. ARE Holdings Inc.
In 1850, O.D Bradford constructed, what we now call, The Arlington Hotel. It served as one of 17 drinking establishments in Paris which had a population of 2,400. The next owner, John Ealand, expanded the hotel adding a yellow brick addition with Romanesque arcades. Each time the hotel has been renovated over the past several decades, the owners have preserved the original architecture of the building. Presently, under the ownership of ARE Holdings Inc., all 23 guest rooms were completely updated with unique décor and furnishings that evoke personality and spirit.
5. Roger Sharpe
Roger Sharpe is a local author and historian. Roger has an impressive list of accomplishments including the publication of several books including:
- “Soldiers and Warriors, The Early Volunteer Militia of Brant County, ON, Canada, 1856-1866.”
- “A Movement of the Spirit - The History of St. James Anglican Church Paris, ON, Canada, 1839-2010.”
- “The Martial Spirit – A History of the Sedentary Militia and Six Nation Warriors of the former Brant County Area 1784 to 1884.”
- “Canada’s WWI Boy Soldiers the Story of the Young Soldiers’ Battalion
- “The Paris Armoury”
- “For King and Country”
- "CAMP 20 The History of Brantford’s Second World War Military Training Centre 1940-1946."
- “Wings above the Skyline the Story of No. 5 Service Flying Training School, Brantford, ON, Canada, 1940-1944.”
6. John Strachan
John Strachan purchased the cobblestone home located at 16 Broadway Street West, Paris in 2016. Known as the Charles Mitchell House, it is one of Paris’s rare examples of cobblestone structures built by Levi Boughton. Boughton built this home for Charles Mitchell circa 1842. Since purchasing the home, Strachan has completed extensive restorations and has brought the home back to be a showpiece in Paris’s downtown core.
7. Dale Robb
Dale joined the Paris Museum and Historical Society (PMHS) in 2004. Throughout her time with PMHS, she served as a Director for four years, offered historical presentations, edited the PMHS newsletter, offered outreach at community events and provided tours. As well, Dale contributed to local history by authoring the Paris Past articles for the Paris Star.
8. The GEM Marketplace
The GEM Marketplace, at 51 Grand River St. N, Paris, began its long journey of restorations when owner Ann Geary, and her son, Andrew Skuce, a Heritage Building Restoration Specialist, removed the carpet left by the previous tenants. Underneath was the red and blue tiled floor of the A&P Grocery Store, and under those layers, was the original maple hardwood floor of the GEM Theatre – the 1901 state-of-the-art silent movie theatre. The GEM’s full restoration included restoring the tin ceiling, rebuilding the eaves with turn of the century cornice and corbels, re-siding the exterior upper level in wood and restoring period windows and doors. Andrew made moulds and cast new tiles and period lighting was sourced. Today, the GEM Marketplace is divided into seven units and used as an incubator for new businesses.
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