HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-09-16, Page 24Page 24 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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Ringers
Community Youth Handbell Choir
meets lUesdays 4:15-5:30 p.m. at North St. United Church
(no cost, no musical experience necessary, no Church affiliation required)
if you're between grades 3 and 8.
First meeting: 1 iesday, September 22, 2009
Regisier by coMMng 524-2103, or e-moN nsucehurontei on.ca
AlzheimerSociety
HURON COUNTY
Invites you to join us at our
2nd Annual
World Alzheimer's Day Health Fair/Coffee Break
Monday, September 21st - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Come out and see the programs and services
available to seniors in Huron County,
at the same time supporting our
National Coffee Break Fundraiser
Vendors include:
• The Alzheimer Society of • Huron Hospice Volunteer
Huron County Service
• Heart and Stroke • Vanastra Recreation Centre
• Town and Country • Midwestem Adult Day Centres
Support Services • St. Elizabeth Health Care
• Victim Services
See you at the Betty Cardno Memorial Centre
317 Huron Rd, Clinton
Goderich built for CIB from the start
The Port of Goder-
ich, founded in 1827,
unveiled the plan of a
fully surveyed compact
community in 1829.
The central park and
flowered boulevards of
unique layout were en-
visioned from the very
beginning.
The purpose and as-
sumptions of the 'Plan
of Preservation' pre-
sented to the munici-
pal council in 1977
revolved around the
historic downtown as
a shopping, business,
civic arts and entertain-
ment centre, as well as
a significant historic
building area.
The 28 primary and
secondary streets with-
in the 65 -acre footprint,
mainly comprised of
commercial blocks, are
connected by 6,000 me-
tres of roadway where
people can get to any
destination within min-
utes.
More than 200 busi-
nesses and services
thrive within this pre-
cinct today. Construc-
20 YEARS OF SERVICE!
!Y 1
BU*WATER RECYCLING
This Labour Day will mark the Association's
ZOth year collecting blue boxes in the area
During this period, you have managed to
recycle nearly 420 MILLION pounds
of materials that would otherwise
in s �au�d�t11.
We would like to thank you
for all your cooperation.
Please visit our web site at
www bra.org to learn more
about your company.
It
tion of the Courthouse
in 1856 moved an open -
market area to Market
Street nearer the Livery
Stable. The 1870s saw
the stately central park
designed around the
Courthouse beginning
to take shape. Goals and
policies of the Heritage
Conservation District
Plan of 1982, identify
the guidelines for the
park and the commer-
cial buildings around
the town Square and
provide inspiration and
a method of implemen-
tation for its policies.
The "live where you
work" lifestyleis still
as evident today as it
was in the 1800s, with
residential apartments
located in the upper
storeys of many charac-
ter -filled buildings, all
within walking distance
of cafes, bakery and
shops. The beautiful
boardwalk, which runs
along 'La Mer Douce'
or freshwater sea, as the
first Europeans called
it, is just a short walk
down the Harbour Hill.
Today, there is a re-
vival of back gardens in
commercial areas with
boulevards and planters
kept up by shopkeep-
ers and Communities In
Bloom volunteers.
The volunteers work
with the Parks Depart-
ment to maintain 90 lo-
cations of public parks,
gardens and boulevards
throughout the town.
This does not count the
gracious private fam-
ily homes, many built
in the Victorian era,
surrounded by mature
gardens and wide, tree -
lined streets.
The Municipal Regis-
ter of Cultural Heritage
Properties catalogues
monuments, signage,
street furniture, trees,
urban woods, cultural
landscapes and fea-
tures, in addition to
buildings.
There are 40 individ-
ual locations protected
by municipal designa-
tion under the Heritage
Act, which includes the
Town Hall and the .fa-
mous Historic Huron
County Gaol. Our two
Heritage Conservation
Districts and each of
the individual designa-
tions have all been ac-
cepted for the Historic
Places Initiative.
As result of Com-
munities In Bloom's
involvement a repre-
sentative of the CIB
Committee has now
been appointed to the
Goderich Municipal
Heritage Committee.
The restoration work
on the CPR Station is
still ongoing while the
new rehabilitation proj-
ect, being the lighthouse
and its surrounding park
land, is just getting un-
derway. There are 115
locations with collec-
tive and individual des-
ignations in place. The
`significant properties'
brings the number to
over 300 listings found
in the Municipal Regis-
try of Cultural Heritage
Properties. Financial
incentives the Town of
Goderich has in place
include; the Facade and
Signage Improvement
Program, the Goderich
Heritage Enhancement
Fund and a Commu-
nity Improvement Plan,
which offer grants,
waiving of fees, and/or
tax relief.
These incentives help
preserve and restore the
majority of the build-
ings and streetscapes
over the long term. This
is confirmed in the re-
cent study "Heritage
Districts Work" com-
pleted by the Heritage
Resource Centre of the
University of Waterloo.
Our Marine Heritage
at this, the most prof-
itable port in the Great
Lakes system, is cata-
logued by a compre-
hensive "Marine Heri-
tage Walk" with over 50
sites displaying plaques
using the famous im-
ages of historic local
photographer Reuben
R. Sallows.
This decade long
initiative continues
through the commit-
ment of volunteers on
the municipal heritage
committees of Heritage
Goderich and Marine
Heritage, along with
Communities In Bloom
volunteers and Parks
staff.
All of the walks and
tours of Goderich pro-
vide excellent educa-
tional, recreational and
healthy activities.
The natural heritage
is very much a part of
life here at the Lake
and it continues to be
nurtured by groups
like the Maitland Trail
Association, whose il-
luminating web pages
document the attraction
of our woods, trails and
plant species to people
of all ages.
The Menesetung
Bridge Association, the
Lions Club, students,
and retired folk have
all been energized by
the visible results of
our 15 years participa-
tion in Communities In
Bloom.
The land mass of the
Town is surrounded on
three sides by water.
The word Menesetung
means three different
things depending on
how it is used "Laugh-
ing Waters" (Lake Hu-
ron), "Singing Waters"
(Maitland River), or
"Healing Waters" (min-
eral springs). The Ca-
noe Club is part of that
history, along with the
Lawn Bowling Club,
Art Club and Horti-
cultural Society. These
groups are all 100 -plus
years in existence.
The Goderich Little
Theatre group main-
tains a rose garden, and
service clubs and orga-
nizations such as this
have transformed the
Canada Company and
early settlers' burial
lots into Victoria Park,
and commissioned the
1921 bronze Veter-
ans' Memorial statue
of a WW1 soldier. The
gables, gates and gar-
dens of Goderich are
all part of the blessings
here at the mouth of the
old Maitland River and
we are grateful that our
community continues
to bloom.
s
"I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a
garden at the cool of the day."