IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A version of this article was originally published by ThoroldToday on May 1.
The Thorold Museum is getting serious about turning Fire Station 1 into their permanent home — and now they’ve received a $75,000 donation from the Masonic Order Mountain Lodge No. 221 to help further the project.
“We’re very proud to help out the Thorold museum with this financial gift,” said the lodge’s treasurer Ken Atmekjian, while handing over the cheque in a ceremony at Fire Station 1, on Saturday afternoon. “This gift gives the Thorold museum solid footing and the confidence to go forward. We’re happy to help with that.”
As ThoroldToday reported, the City of Thorold will retire Fire Station 1 on Towpath Street, once the new fire hall on McCleary Drive is complete.
The Thorold Museum Board has identified the soon-to-be vacant building as the perfect location to display their vast collection of almost 20,000 historical artifacts.
Just last week, the museum board appointed former Thorold Mayor Malcolm Woodhouse as their new president, to help facilitate the project.
He tells ThoroldToday that the financial gift will go a long way.
“Our vision is long term,” Woodhouse says. “We’re waiting for council approval. Once that happens we’re going to be doing a fundraising campaign for founding members. Anyone who becomes a member will be recorded as a founding member of the museum, in perpetuity.”
To make the museum a reality, the board hopes to raise $2M in total.
Because the fire hall is set to be occupied until the end of the year and the project hasn't been approved yet by City Council, there is no set timeline.
Woodhouse hopes that once the building becomes vacant, it would take six to eight months to convert it into a museum.
“There’s not a lot to do here,” he says. “We need washrooms, we need an elevator, accessibility is an issue, asbestos removal is an issue — all that kind of stuff which is typical for a building from the sixties.”
The museum is meant to serve as a cultural centre for the community.
“This isn’t going to be your typical ‘look at some old stuff’ museum,” Woodhouse says. “It’s going to be a people meeting people place. We anticipate seeing a lot of people coming down here. It’s going to be a big boon for the downtown.”
It is no surprise then that BIA Chair Serge Carpino was present during the ceremony on Saturday afternoon, as well as City Councillors Anthony Longo, Tim O’Hare, and Jim Handley.
“Turning this building into a museum is a great endeavour,” said Councillor Handley. “The Thorold Museum has been bounced around from building to building for many years. I believe with the support of Council, once all the procedures are put in place, that we can make this a valuable part of our community. Museums are tourist attractions and Thorold has a lot of history.”
During the ceremony, Woodhouse told the story of how his family struggled when he was growing up. One day, members of the masonic lodge showed up and gave his family a Christmas to remember.
“These are wonderful people,” he said. “Quietly they’ve been making a difference for many years. People just don’t know. This most generous gift is really heartfelt. They’re giving people and they’ve shown it here once again today.”
