Thank you, Bob, for the wonderful story and picture of the Keefer Mansion (Maplehurst). Residents of Thorold have always had a “love affair” with this building. Although it was built as a family home, it has had many uses over the years.
Phil Ritchie has certainly left his mark on Thorold with not only the restoration and furnishing of Maplehurst to accommodate a beautiful inn, but with the paper mill turned into the Book Depot, and the Welland Mills conversion to offices and residential use, always with heritage preservation being considered. This is not always an important consideration with developers. Both Maplehurst and the Welland Mills are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act; as well, the Mills are recognized by the Ontario Heritage Trust.
Phil Ritchie had a huge challenge in this undertaking --- many mountains to climb and obstacles to face in the long restoration process; he has openly explained many of them in Bob’s article, in a very heartfelt way.
Phil talks about Thorold’s commitment to heritage preservation. This was recognized in 2017 when the City was awarded the prestigious Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership – an award which is much sought-after across Canada.
Heritage preservation in Canada is not easy – it is always a walk uphill and is basically in the hands of committed and passionate volunteers, whose numbers are dwindling. Without them, the whole heritage movement would cave in! Although the provincial and federal governments talk about heritage, there is little, if any, support for it. There have been many stories and criticism about the poor condition of Canada’s national parks, and of late the extremely poor state of repair at 24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa (1868) – officially the home of the Prime Minister and a designated federal heritage site. The last statement of cost I read on line to repair and restore this residence was: “It could reach $38 million.” It sits empty. All of this means that the federal government has not been maintaining, on a regular basis, the heritage sites which they own, and, therefore, it is apparent that they do not place a great deal of value on them. Can we, therefore, expect them to value historic buildings across Canada which are in need of financial help? Cities and towns in Europe are extremely proud of their historic buildings and churches – all of which are much older than ours. These sites are a great attraction for visitors and tourists.
Ah – but the big question Phil asks, “But the problem with heritage is, who’s going to pay for it ?” --- This is also the question raised by heritage volunteers. Strong support and some effective economic incentives are needed through our provincial and federal governments to assist those who are stewards of Canada’s heritage –--- that is, if our governments really are sincere in wanting to preserve Canada’s heritage.
Every year National Trust for Canada issues a list of 10 of the most endangered heritage sites in Canada! These sites are at risk due to neglect or lack of funding – places that matter. This is sad, but true.
Our thanks goes out to Phil for the excellent work he did on our Maplehurst – the original home of the very important Keefer family, who contributed so much to our country. We need to help find a new use for this Keefer Mansion Inn – a landmark in Regional Niagara and Thorold’s outstanding and much-admired heritage building.
Pamela J. Minns
Thorold
January 26, 2019.
