History under construction in Milby
The construction is moving forward on the second historical panel at the Hyatt one-room schoolhouse in Milby. Announced earlier this year as a way of building on the heritage centre’s current offering of Ascott history, the new panel will eventually offer visitors an opportunity to not just read about but also listen to the stories of those who made up the region’s original settlers.
The panel was originally supposed to be unveiled on July 15 but Bev Loomis, who owns the site with her husband Milt, explained that the work was delayed after funding from the Canadian government took longer to arrive than expected.
“When we applied for the grant, one of the rules was that nothing was to be started before we got the money,” she said.
Because of the delays, Loomis added that it is hard to say exactly when the panel will be completed in its entirety. In the meantime, and with the help of a dedicated team of Bell Canada retirees, the frame for the new installation is being built on site out of red pine and old telephone poles.
Loomis also pointed out that part of the work being done on site includes the installation of new security cameras to monitor the schoolhouse and panels in case of vandalism.
“We’ve got to keep this history alive,” she said.
The total cost of the project to install the new information panel is $28,000. Despite the government grant, the local team still needs to raise $14,000 to cover expenses.