Woodside National Historic Site gets funding for new roof, site upgrades
KITCHENER — The federal government is providing funds to help restore and enhance former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King’s boyhood home in Kitchener.
Woodside National Historic Site will receive $521,000 from Parks Canada to put toward a recent roof replacement, increased security measures and future trail upgrades, according to a news release.
The popular historic site tucked away on Wellington Street North in Kitchener features a Victorian-era house filled with the tenth prime minister’s family heirlooms and reproductions from that era. It is surrounded by 11.5 acres of mature woodland.
This infusion of funds will help pay for the replacement of 400 metres of heritage fencing, completed in 2017, as well as a new heritage roof using cedar shakes that was completed in June. The security system is also undergoing updates with new wiring and sensors. Next spring, the site will also undergo pathway improvements and lighting upgrades in the popular wooded area that surrounds the historic house.
This funding is part of a $3 billion investment to support infrastructure work to national historic sites, parks and marine conservation areas over the next five years.
Woodside National Historic Site’s grounds are open year-round. The house is open until Dec. 23 from Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more, visit the website at pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ on/woodside.