Village Squire, 1979-10, Page 18UPDATE
Thomson Museum
bought by Stratford
A decision of Stratford City council has
saved the Minnie Thomson Memorial
Museum collection of Canadian antiques
from going to the auction block.
The city decided to go ahead and buy the
museum after a proposal that it share the
cost with Perth county was turned down by
the county. The city paid $287,000 for the
collection which had been described as one
of the finest collections of agricultural
antiques still in private hands plus the
collection of buildings that housed the
museum on Vivian Street in the north end
4 of the city and seven acres of land. It had
been estimated that sale of the collection
by individual pieces could realize anywhere
from $150,000 to $600,000.
The museum, a favourite spot for
tourists for many years has been closed
since the death. of David Thomson who ran
the museum for many years. He named it
after his mother who had tried to convince
the county to begin a museum to preserve
the history of Perth County. The project
still requires a new building to house the
collection and a professional staff.
IMPROVEMENTS FOR CENTENNIAL
HALL CONSIDERED
Improvements in the oft -criticized
Centennial Hall in London are being
considered by the London Symphony
Association, one of the major users of the
building. Ian Grant, vice-president in
charge of publicity for the group said about
a half-dozen architectural firms had been
contacted to look over the building.
A feasibility study, half the money paid
for from private sources and half from the
Wintario fund, is planned to study
improvements "with the audience's
interests in mind." Improvements sought
include better seating, acoustics, interior
finish and decor and lighting. It was
pointed out that even though there have
been complaints about the building its
final cost of $1.2 would be more than
doubled today. It is hoped that some
changes can upgrade the building for the
use of the audience.
VICTORIA PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES
WINTER SEASON
Petrolia's Victoria Playhouse has an-
nounced its plans for a winter season of
activity. The theatre will offer packages of
programs to save subscribers money. Only
those tickets not sold on packages will be
available on a single ticket basis.
The Victoria Playhouse Concert Associ-
ation begins the winter program with a
concert on October 4 by the Stratford
Ensemble, a 14 -piece classical orchestra
under the direction of Raffi Armenian. The
Huggett Family specializing in Renaiss-
ance and Elizabethan music and dance will
appear at the Playhouse Dec. 5. February
22 will see Camerata visit the Playhouse to
recall music cf the last century. Liona
Boyd, classical guitarist will be the final
attraction on June 6.
A threatre series is also offered
beginning with the nation-wide hit from
the 25th Street House in Saskatoon called
Paper Wheat. It arrives October 16. Hank
Williams, The Show He Never Gave the hit
show of Sneezy Waters will arrive in late
October. Petrolia playwright Rita Baker
will have a new play presented Gift of
Christmas with public performances Dec.
15 and 22 and student performances Dec.
14, 17, 19, 20 and 21.
The School Show, Ted Johns' hit
one-man show from the Blyth Summer
Festival will visit the playhouse as part of a
provincial tour on March 1. The final show
of the season is The Oil Slick Revue in
March and April. Early plans call for the
seats in the theatre to be removed and a
cabaret set up complete with tables and a
liquor licence.
WILDLIFE PLAN UNVEILED
FOR HULLETT TWP.
It will be 10 years in January since the
provincial government announced a plan
that would turn a large area of swamp in
Hullett township north of Clinton into a
wildlife area in five years.
Last month a second plan was unveiled
to finish the work that was supposed to
have been finished in 1975. This time the
master plan calls for spending $L7 million
to turn the swampy area into one of the
largest wildlife management areas in North
America. The 6000 acres already
assembled will be put to use with the help
of a grant of about $1 million from the
private conservation group Ducks Unlimit-
ed.
The major part of the expenditure will go
toward controling waters to maintain 3000
acres of ponds for the wild waterfowl to
breed in. The area has already attracted
many birds but the lack of water control
has deterred proper use of the area.
DAREiNq STudio
ART GALLERY
For portraits, landscapes, etc.
Oils, Acrylics, Pastels,
Watercolours, Ink Sketches.
WROXETER
[1 block west of main Intersection]
HOURS:
Tues. -Sat. 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Other times by chance or appointment.
Phone 335-6362
16 Village Squire, October 1979