Ottawa boathouse competing for restoration cash
Ottawa New Edinburgh Club hopes national heritage-site contest can kickstart overhaul of historic building.
By: Ryan Tumilty, Metro
Published on Wed Jul 12 2017
A boathouse that has stood in the Ottawa River since 1923 could get some much-needed TLC.
The National Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving historic places, is running a contest dubbed “
This Place Matters," which has organizations competing for votes online to get a piece of $220,000 in prize money to help restore historic buildings.
The Ottawa New Edinburgh Club’s boathouse is among the contenders.
Claire Schofield, the club’s marketing director, said the boathouse is from a whole other time and that the club wants to restore it to its former glory
“It was built to reflect the roaring 20s, so it has this massive ballroom at the top,” she said. “It used to be a big social centre for swing dancing and Scottish dancing.”
The club is hoping to use the contest funds to do exterior renovations, as part of a long-term plan to rejuvenate the space and open it up to the public.
“This would all be for exterior improvements: new windows, siding and painting to keep the weather from getting in.”
She said a lot of improvements need to be made and a cash infusion would get the ball rolling.
Natalie Bull, executive director of National Trust, said the contest is a unique approach, because not only can people vote online for the places they want to see restored but they can also contribute directly to those places.
She said they view it as an opportunity to help small organizations start large-scale fundraising.
“We’re really excited the way this competition is part of a new wave of philanthropy for heritage,” she said. “The groups are also we believe building their own capacity to become more financially successful in the future.”
http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2017...etiting-for-cash-restoration-prize-.html
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