A lease agreement is now in place between the Higginson Tower Committee and Champlain Township, which owns the structure, restored between 2004 and 2006 by the not-for-profit Higginson Tower Committee.
The committee has been managing the site and doing summer programming, but it now has a formal lease with Champlain Township.
Champlain Township acquired the former windmill turned observatory around 2004. At that time, the volunteer-driven Higginson Tower Committee was formed with the purpose of restoring and preserving the tower, to promote and educate about its historical significance, and to promote tourism in Vankleek Hill.
The township credits the Higginson Tower Committee as the pioneer of renovating the tower, which is located beside St. John’s Anglican Church.
The five-year lease is in effect from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028. The rent is not high. The committee is only required to pay the township $2.50 per year to lease the tower. Under the terms of the lease, Champlain Township is responsible for all capital costs associated with structural repairs, major landscaping, and other site services. However, the committee is still likely to fundraise to cover the cost of any significant future projects which may be necessary at the tower. The lease agreement allows the tower committee to continue to use the tower for historical interpretation and tourism promotion.
There was no discussion among councillors about the lease agreement and the bylaw to enter into the agreement with the Higginson Tower Committee was adopted unanimously. Councillors Paul-Emile Duval, Paul Burroughs, and André Roy were absent from the meeting. Councillor Peter Barton declared a conflict of interest and did not participate in the discussion or vote.
The Higginson Tower Committee recently had Roots Restoration install a new lintel above the main entrance door to the tower while masonry was being repaired at the base of the tower. Roots Restoration originally restored the entire stone base of the tower as a first step in the restoration process. The committee raised more than $300,000 worth of monetary donations, conducted fundraisers and had donations in kind to complete the restoration project. The tower officially opened for visitors in September 2006.
The lease agreement is similar in nature to the lease in place for the Vankleek Hill Museum, which is operated by the Vankleek Hill and District Historical Society, which is also entirely volunteer-run.
