An Open Letter to Champlain Township Council:
I would like to express my support for the proposed Heritage Inventory Project and register my disappointment in the very short-sighted dismissal from council.
Vankleek Hill is a town that prides itself on its heritage, it’s a key part of the essential, common fabric of our community. After considering a variety of different towns, the stock of historical buildings, farms and barns was definitively what led to my family purchasing real estate here (a historic farm). We moved here from the GTA in order to start a business, with the ultimate plan of using our historic property for agritourism purposes. We couldn’t believe how beautiful and well preserved the town was, though sadly many of the buildings that were here six years ago have already been lost. As the owners of a historic property, we would have absolutely no objection to a registry and would be keen to list our buildings (house and barn) on it voluntarily.
The heritage architecture in Vankleek Hill is something to celebrate, it has value and is a unique, irreplaceable asset. A Heritage Inventory would be a good first step in protecting these assets that, if properly utilized, would contribute to the tax base through increased tourism, an influx of new small businesses, and new possibilities such as being used as locations for film shoots, commercials etc. As a film and TV executive, I can say this with confidence and know there would be demand to use the town as a location for filming. In fact, I would be happy to work with the council to pursue such opportunities.
This registry does not stand in the way of progress. In fact, it can be used to drive growth, inviting the types of initiatives and support that would preserve our unique history and buildings for future generations and enable us to share our heritage with more people. The cost for the initiative is nominal, there is already supporting community interest, and we have the existing resources to complete it. There is no compelling reason not to move forward with this.
All we need to do is look at the decisions other similar towns have made. We can choose the path that Prince Edward County, Merrickville, Almonte, etc. have taken, allowing agritourism and heritage to drive growth, autonomy, and diversified prosperity, or we can pave over our past in favour of outside industry and short-term development that we become beholden to. Once our resources have been used up, they leave us with nothing but crumbling infrastructure and an out of work, depressed population. The time is now to act to preserve a cornerstone to the success and longevity of our community. Once these buildings are lost, they are lost for good, and we all lose the possibility of reaping the rewards they offer.
Sincerely,
Andrea Glenn
Vankleek Hill
