Collingwood
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History: In 2007 the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario granted Collingwood permission to form a branch in this historic town. The timing couldn't have been better. Like so many other Ontario communities, the town of Collingwood is at a critical juncture regarding the preservation of its heritage. On one hand Collingwood has the distinction of being the first town to be recognized on the list of Canadian Register of Historic Places: on the other, however, it has allowed the destruction of eight exceptional historic buildings in one decade. Significant historical buildings such as the Admiral Collingwood School, the Palace Livery and the shipyard buildings have been lost forever, in spite of significant public opposition to their destruction. "Our downtown has been identified as among the best-preserved 19th century main streets in Ontario," says branch president, Richard Lex, "we also have many beautiful residential areas, 260 heritage buildings in the district, and a few remaining industrial landmarks. But we have our work cut out for us as we try to ensure that our town retains its architectural heritage: being a member of ACO should help us do that." A number of other recent developments should help the town. Collingwood residents elected a pro-heritage municipal council last November which has made a commitment to establish a model for future development in the district. Collingwood Conference The 2008 Heritage Conservation Conference with the theme of “Heritage Preservation and Environmental Sustainability” took place May 30th to June 1st in historic downtown Collingwood. The conference featured 18 speakers from across Ontario and the US and was attended by over 225 delegates. The “Landmarks Not Landfill” conference was opened by the Mayor of Collingwood, Chris Carrier and the Minister of Culture, Aileen Carroll and included presentations by the Ministry and the Ontario Heritage Trust. Keynote Donovan Rypkema, author and principle of Placeeconomics, was a highly anticipated speaker who delivered a thought provoking and memorable speech on Historic Preservation and Sustainable Development. Mr. Rypkema, who also teaches a graduate course in preservation economics at the University of Pennsylvania, said "Sustainability requires stewardship. There can be no sustainable development without a central role for historic preservation." Other keynote speakers included former Toronto mayor John Sewell, who spoke on Strategies to Respect Ontario Towns. Mr. Sewell said, “Heritage has something to do with individual buildings, but it is mostly concerned with the feel of a place, the way it is structured. We have to be much broader than trying to save individual buildings of merit. We have to talk about retaining the structure of the small town's settlement.” Collingwood writer Dan Needles spoke on "The History of Persephone Township - An Amusing Look at Rural Ontario History." The three day conference also focused on various other issues including Re-Development within Heritage Districts, Adaptive Re-use of Historic Buildings, Environmental Effects on Historic Structures, and Legal Opportunities and Constraints to Heritage Preservation. Conference highlights and presentations are available at www.heritagecollingwood .ca Website: http://www.heritagecollingwood.ca Contact: |
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