Village Squire, 1979-05, Page 15A chapel built on a prominent mound on the Westover Park grounds is a reminder of the seminary.
days which is still in use during the summer months.
to see that different marriages worked in different ways; that
some couples were very verbal while others very quiet in
discussing differences.
As far as they could determine, he says, the townspeople of St.
Marys seemed to react very favourably, at least in face-to-face
situations. Many of those who eventually left the community
settled in the St. Marys area.
During the years when the community lived in the building
from 1972 until 1976 there were comings and goings. There was
also talk of buying the property from the Scarboro Foreign
Mission which continued to own the building. Finally at the end
of 1976 the offer to purchase was accepted and it was the
decision to buy the building that finally killed the community,
Betty Whitby said. She hadn't been a part of the community in
the early years because she didn't want to severe her
connections in London until she was sure of more permanence in
the situation in St. Marys, in other words until the building was
purchased. When the purchase was made, she was ready to take
part.
But for others in the group the purchase was just too much of a
burden. They didn't have the money to put into the purchase and
two families left. That meant that instead of 10 adults to share
the burden of the cost of the place there were only five and all
shares were doubled, making it even harder. But they were
stubborn, Betty recalls and decided to muddle through on their
own.
So in 1977 the five took over the property but now had to come
up with a new use for it since the community was pretty much
dead. (One couple later had to drop out because of a serious car
accident) How were they going to pay the bills in this monstrous
estate. The idea came up of turning it into a guest house. The
group had no experience in such a business and didn't really
DARhiNq STudio
ART GALLERY
& CRAFT SHOP
For portraits, landscapes, etc.
Oils, Acrylics, Pastels,
Watercolours, Ink Sketches.
WROXETER
[1 block west o1 main intersection]
HOURS:
Tues. -Sat. 1 p.m. -8 p.m.
Other times by chance or appointment.
Phone 335-6362
Mav 1979, Village Squire 13