Another chapter in Thorold history
Thorold’s heritage preservation efforts are in the spotlight this week.
In observance of National Heritage Week, Heritage Thorold committee chairman Craig Finlay spoke to city council Thursday about what his group accomplished in the past year.
Finlay said two designations took place last year: both the Frasier McMann house and Beckett’s Reserve were chosen to receive a heritage designation.
Thorold now has 50 designated houses, but more are to come, Finlay said.
He said designations come with many advantages, as they draw tourists and draw attention to the city’s effort to preserve national heritage.
Sarah King-Head, Thorold’s honorary historian, was asked by the committee to write a book about Thorold’s landscape with the working title Where Beavers Build Their Dam: The History of the Unique Thorold Landscape.
“The book is based on research undertaken by Sarah,” Finlay said, noting the area covered in the book focuses on Beaverdams, Lake Gibson and Decew.
The book will hopefully be ready for sale in the summer, he said.
The committee last year also made a donation to Thorold Public Library in form of a copy of This Colossal Project, a book about the building of the Welland Canal.
During his presentation, Finlay used the opportunity to award John Henderson and the Friends of Beaverdams Church for all of their hard work in preserving Thorold’s heritage.
Finlay said Henderson is a vocal advocate of heritage way beyond his own building on Front Street, Henderson’s Pharmacy.
The book is based on research undertaken by Sarah (KingHead).”
David Cowan accepted the award on behalf of more than 100 members of the Friends of Beaverdams Church.
That building, said Finlay, is safe from collapsing thanks to group.
While the Friends have accomplished a lot, there is still lots of work to do, Cowan said.