Treasuring Our History

Right on Evelyn has left a new comment on your post "And All That Jazz":

I believe lots of Aurorans know how beneficial our old museum was.
It was only when I went to the museum in connection with my interest in Genealogy that I realized how special Jacqueline Stuart was.
If only every member of the Town could read letters Jacqueline had written, with her delightful sense of humour, to people who needed information on Aurora, relatives etc.
She was full of knowledge and always willing to help.
She loved her artifacts.
Can you imagine what she could have done with a better physical setting?

Has she REALLY RETIRED??

****************************************

Jacqueline Stuart did retire but she is still serving on the Town Heritage Committee. I can't speak for her but I can't believe she is pleased with how the building was stolen right out from under us .She would probably not put it like that either. That's how I'm putting it.

The reasons Helen Roberts, President of the Historical Society gave for withdrawing the Society's commitment to operating the museum was the small numbers of  the organisation.

They  collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in the community to create the museum in the Church Street School Building. They  insisted on a legal agreement with the town to protect their financial investment. Then they just abandoned the project and the investment.

I'm not sure the Society understood that would be the consequence.

When John Gutteridge, Town Treasurer was involved in setting up the arrangement, he recommended a separate governing body. He had experience with a beautiful old building in Cobourg. It was  that  model he presented. The object was to encourage it to be  self-sufficient from taxes.

A consultant was retained to provide a business plan. He recommended  start up funding of half a million dollars with a reduction of a hundred thousand every year. I couldn't see that happening.

Then John left like so many others and the direction changed. 

The  current agreement provides $340,000  a year , with maintenance costs of $134,000 contributed by the town. With a 3% increase annually . No curator on the payroll, no museum and the word Heritage struck from the buildings title.

Something went badly off the rails there. Attempts to get answers to questions were not successful.

I heard the museum was not  to be located because it  wouldn't make any money.

Then we heard about other things happening that were also not making money but  were  "cultural"like a pre-jazz festival party.

Anyway, It's a new day. We begin anew.