Coldwater museum celebrates work done to Woodrow Homestead

On Saturday, local MPP Jill Dunlop was on hand to officially open the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum for its 2023 season. While at the event, MPP Dunlop was joined by Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) volunteer Sarah Gill, to formally congratulate the museum on work done to the Woodrow Homestead thanks to a $150,000 Capital grant it received last year from OTF. The work has helped ensure that this important historic artifact is available for generations of local residents and visitors alike to enjoy.

“It’s great to see this OTF investment being made for the Woodrow family homestead/log cabin,” said Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North. “The restoration work enabled through this grant will help ensure that the heritage building will be a part of our Coldwater community for years to come.”

The Woodrow Homestead was constructed in 1830 and is a focal point for the museum, which showcases the history of Coldwater and surrounding areas between the years of 1830 to 1950. Some work is still ongoing as the museum is refacing sill logs which had begun to rot. The work, which is also supported by the grant, will enable the museum to replace chinking that will better seal the building to avoid water, rodent and bug infiltration. Much of the work has been completed, with work on the sill logs getting underway on July 17^th. The work will be done by Canadian Log Homes.

“This grant was essential to preserving the Homestead and the museum,” said Richard Jolliffe, Co-Chair of the Museum. “Without it, we could not have saved the homestead, which is one of only a handful of log homes that are open to the public on their original site.”

special - Richard Joliffe and Patti Tournour with steam tractor at season opening of Coldwater Canadiana Museum

The Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum is now open to the public for the summer season. Visitors are welcome to stroll the beautiful grounds, enjoy a picnic, interact with artifacts (people are welcome to touch, climb and see most displays) and learn about the history of the area. The museum will remain open during construction, although entry to the homestead may be restricted during. Please visit the museum’s website www.coldwatermuseum.com to see this year’s schedule of events.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.