Festival City Rotary Newsletter April 10, 2012
The Rotary Club Of Festival City
President: David Moore
Minutes of the meeting of April 10, 2012
Club email: festivalcityrotary@gmail.com
Club web blog: www.festivalcityrotary.blogspot.com
ClubRunner site: www.festivalcityrotary.ca
Today’s meeting was chaired by Past President Etienne Leushuis.
Guests: Rob Ritz from the Stratford Rotary Club. Also attending were Geza Wordofa, Mary Lou Middleton and guest speaker Ted Hales.
Draw Prize: Kevin Gormley won the prize donated by Brian Rivers.
Announcements:
- M.S. Walkathon: Carolyn Dingman announced this annual event to be held on Sunday April 22. Donations in support of the local team can be made by adding your name to the form circulating at next week’s meeting. More “Event Details” can be found online at www.mswalks.ca
- Banner Presentation: Linda Jones has returned from a winter in Tucson Arizona. She presented the club with a banner from the Tucson R.C. The 250 member club was incorporated in 1921.
- Festival Ticket Auction: Anna Sherwin announced that a pair of tickets to a Festival production will be auctioned at next week’s meeting.
- Coin Boxes: Etienne Leushuis encourages members to fill their plastic Rotary coin boxes and return them to a club meeting.
Guest Speaker: John McNeil introduced Ted Hales, President of the Huron-Perth Branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. Ted was present to talk about the historical plaque program created by the local branch. The purpose is to help people connect with the history of Stratford by identifying commercial and residential properties built before WWII. Properties are recognized with a plaque. Plaques show the date of construction and the name and occupation of the first resident. Properties can be grand or ordinary, residential or business. Art Deco buildings and wartime buildings can be designated.
This program is not associated with the one offered by the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) which is under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Heritage Act. Under the Act designated buildings are bound by certain renovation restrictions. There are no restrictions under the A.C.O. program.
For a donation of $125 and a completed application form your home or business will be researched by the committee. The owner is presented with the details of the research. The committee uses sources at the Archives and Ancestry.ca. Local sign maker Philip Yielding makes the PVC resin plaques which are placed on the outside of the building.
During Ted’s presentation slides of current properties were shown. Applications and information are available by phoning 519-508-1920 or emailing Ted at ethales@wightman.ca
Ted also announced that the 2012 edition of “Doors Open Ontario” takes place in Stratford on Saturday June 2. Eighteen properties will be open for viewing. These are buildings built for one purpose but are now being used for another. Examples include the Church Restaurant, Stratford Brewing, City Hall Annex, and the Falstaff Family Centre.
Ted was thanked by Jack West.