I've written a harshly critical letter of John McIntyre to the Aurora editor.
I may regret it. I may not.
I don't linger over battles lost as a general rule, There's no point. One does one's best .
The loss of Church Street School as the obvious location to honor the town's history has been a
bitter pill I have yet to swallow.
I feel the community was betrayed. Not by Mormac and her coterie . I never expected better of them.
No It was the Aurora Historical Society that let us down.
They were part of the ad hoc committee titularly headed by Councillors Gaertner and Granger
that displaced the museum. Historical Society members had to know what they were up to.
I may never rid myself of the suspicion they were bought out by a promise of library status and financing and funding for maintenance of Hilary House.
John McIntyre would know very well what was going on. The experienced and highly competent curator, appointed by the Society to replace Jacqueline Stewart quit in the middle of organising the heritage and culture centre, Society members had to know that was the end.
Yet they said nothing.
When I looked behind for support during the fight to get it back, they were not there.
I remain confident the community will not settle for how things are. But nothing the Historical Society has done or said has helped to change it.
They continued to claim the museum grant and more ams use it for a different purpose.
While they took the pound of flesh and the Culture Centre wolfed down a ton of it., not a pittance was provided for the town's heritage in artifacts in the annual budget.
When expression's of interest were called to operate the museum, both organizations put bids in to operate it .......at a price.
Notwithstanding the munificent hand-outs both receive.
I regard it a brazen insult to the taxpaying community.
Now the HistoricalSociety offers all the valid reasons why the contract should not be awarded to a commercial operation.
We were sold out.
Now they are shut out.
The community loses out.
And nothing worthwhile is achieved,
I remembered reading this article a couple of years back, took me a while to find it. Thought there may be a few people that might be interested.
ReplyDeletewww.yorkregion.com/news-story/1418530-markham-heritage-building-was-crumbling-new-owners-tell-council/
It has all become very incestuous. I noticed a new move to add a member to the committee for the north-east heritage study on the agenda for tomorrow. Same old/same old.
ReplyDeleteIt was approved by Council to name a room in the Centre for Ms Stewart. How are we doing with that one, Cllr Humfyes ? I mention her because she stated very early on that her main ambition was to establish the Museum. Oh, & she also said she would be keeping a close eye on " big ticket " items when she was interviewed on Alison's show. Yeah, right.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIt is refreshing to see the use of the word "out" the way it was originally intended.
Whenever I see it today I wonder what person is going to fall from his or her pedestal.
The next target is from the Farmers Market.
DeleteGood luck to you, E.
ReplyDeletePlease bear in mind that this is a town which hasn't managed to cobble together a press release since the one announcing their joint bid to York.
The person writing at 19:05 asked about the room to be named for Ms Stewart at the Cultural Centre.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was very much honoured by the thought, I was against it, and quietly let it be known to a few people. It is a bad idea to name things for people until the person concerned has been dead for a good long time -- and you can be fairly sure that there are no skeletons lurking in his or her closet.
I am very much alive and while I don't think there are horrible shadows in my past, to date, who knows what I might come up with in my remaining years?!
20:03
ReplyDeleteHere here Ms Stuart.
I have been against the naming of things after alive people for along time.
If I had my way, there would be no streets names after any council member until they have been in the ground for at least 10 years.
Thank you Ms Stewart. I'm pretty sure your closets are clean but appreciate your point of view. I guess the basic point is that a # of commitments were made, then forgotten.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile The former & Cllr Gallo are twitting about the expense of re-fitting Jubilee Park while supporting the totally new, unneeded park on the Minto lands. Such pettiness.
ReplyDeleteWhere did Church Street School go? It's not lost.
ReplyDelete@ 08:02
ReplyDelete*cough* Evelyn Buck Lane *cough*
10:54
ReplyDeleteI know - I don't agree with that one, or Pederson, or John West Way for that matter. Just because you sat at the table does not mean that you are entitled to a street named after you.
I doubt we'll ever see a Morris Drive or MacEacren Place, but there should be some limitation of time before anyone gets their name on something.
12:10
ReplyDeleteYou are like a dog digging up old bones
ReplyDeleteDeferral Avenue
Referral Lane
Hopeless Trail
Disfunctional Drive