The Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum celebrated a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation on Saturday.
The grant has allowed the museum to repair the Woodrow Homestead, ensuring its historic artifacts will remain in the Coldwater community for years to come.
Patricia Turnour, curator and co-chair with the museum, says damage has been done to the homestead over the years, both inside and outside.
“The logs were rotting with the weathering,” she explained. “The structure of the building was sinking into the abyss.”
The grant will be used to reface sill logs and replace chinking, sealing the building to avoid water, rodent and bug infiltration, and to ensure the safety of visitors. Much of the chinking work has already been completed and work on the sill logs will take place beginning July 17 while the museum continues to operate.
The homestead was constructed in 1830 and is a focal point for the museum, which showcases the history of Coldwater and surrounding areas from 1830 to 1950. It also tells the story of the Woodrow family, who lived on the property from 1840 to 1944.
“It’s essential for the preservation of local history in our community,” Turnour said. “It’s a great walk down memory lane for the older folks, and for the younger group, it’s an educational experience to embrace the history of their ancestors.”
She says the museum was “very successful” before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as of late, it’s been struggling.
“We used to have the Steampunk Festival here that brought around 3,000 people to the area,” she said. “We had our Heritage Day that brought around another 1,000.”
During the pandemic, the museum’s focus was to find enough funds and resources to keep the grass cut and the lights on. This year, it is hoping to bounce back.
“We’ve done a lot of publicity and restructured a lot of our programs,” Turnour said. “I’m hoping, as we move forward and get our whole timetable set, that we will be able to welcome more people.”
While the museum had modified events and functions last summer, it will host a full slate this year, which can be found here.
“Hopefully, we will be able to emerge from the ashes,” Turnour said.
Severn Mayor Mike Burkett says he is proud to have the museum in the community.
“It provides a glimpse of the past and how our ancestors lived here in early Canada,” he said. “It allows us to reflect on where we are today, and it allows us to appreciate the strength and perseverance of the people who settled here and contributed to what Coldwater and Severn have become.”
