The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-03-13, Page 660
PogoiOA?form Progress VW
"f ` i�f�,..%iiwWii,=ff 4ii�eA% % 'L�% i�✓,i .*14a .i,%�i�i�'iia\�+i,, \w"
< We Now
it
1
,4p gl:k
PA
j
QuaVit�►
/ �,
��r�c�oto
g1
line of TEXACO QUALITY .
LUBRICANTS at Warehouse prices.
O-
ff Discounts for pick -UP, volume oiderm. Save $$ i
by refillingfiecycling your own containers-
Bulk Delivery Available �•
fieeigoarr i.
,}
FILTER ,<
Buy all your filter requirements . at one spot.
Save and time,buy.,direct. from Distributor.
.y ,
Next day delivery to your door.; ,,
•i, i ��..yy/�;...+,,;+,•aty%r•::•t?;v:i:3:o`.•`.:4: :?.Ct:,.;- ry:•v;;••:•:•G;;�'t';'6�:rs..o>•:s•<+•�::i c,;;; .:
iq:d
'{
N.
�. 'kt;iiS
2
Group fights to save museum
by Blake Patterson
The Ontario Agricultural
Museum has 'beentold it will
soon .be history, out it does not
intend to go down gently.
A group called the Qatari*s
Rural Heritage Preservation
Committee •(GRIIP.). has
decided to form a corporation,
and if . it has itsway, the
Museum will be given a stay of
execution.
ORHPC was formed in
Decemberto discuss options for
the future of the the Museum in
Milton. And simply stated, it
i
said its goal .s to preserve the
site, buildings, artifacts, pro-
grams, archives and the
Agricultural Hall of Fame
which is housed in the Museum
site.:
Murray 'Gaunt, of Wingharn,
a former MPP and farm broad-
caster, is part of O PC's-marr
lceting and promotions •commit-
tee-and
orttee-and he said the group will
soon begin negotiations with the
government to find ways to
keep the acidity open in, one
form or other be, it as air
agricultural theme park or as a
rural heritage centre car soea.
thing else,
lie said the committee has
not decided what direction the
operation of the Museum should
take, but the key to the future
of the facility is to maintain
some form of government own-
ership rather• than allowing pri-
vate interests to take control.
According to Gaunt, the
'ORHPC wants to ensure the
integrity of -the collections is
protected from private entrepre-
neurs who could start selling off
the assets of the • useum.
"Once those things are dis-
persed," said Gaunt, "they,are
gone for/ever."
"Government ownership
would give us ;a comfort level
that it (the Museum) will be
there in perpetuity," Said Gaunt.
The Museum s collections
and archives are the result of
more than 1,500 donations from
private citizens and corporate
donors such as John Deere,
Massey -Harris -Ferguson,
international Harvester,
Cucl sl utt, Ford .and Canada
Packers.
In total, the Museum's 30
buildings hold 15,000 artifacts
and more than 7,0rare refer-
ence books.
Some 80,000 people visit the
-Museum annually; ofthese%
more than 35,000 areschool
children whoartici ate in cur-
riculiu based programs on
agriculture and rural life.
the November economic.
statement, Ontario's Finance
Minister Ernie Eves announced
the goveri ment's intention
toclose : the. Museum as of
MV,larch 31,1997,
According to a Museum
press release at the time, 12
museum staff have already
received notice thein 'obs will
be eliminated in late May. The
rest of the staff will remain until
the Museum is closed.
•turn to,page A
•
'Your #1 Source for...
!Angle *Grating *Bars *Beams • *Channels
*Deck Grating *Floor, Plate *Structural Tubing
•Pipe !Plates & Sheetsteed *Aluminum &
Stainless .Steel.
Custom Cutting Ant
Forming Upon Request.
•Chain *.Hooks *Binders Anc
Attachments For All Your
Load Binding, Towing or
Hoisting Chain
Requireme tS.
ALL TODAY
FOR YOUR NEEDS TOMORROW!
PAH.111,3
A scene'fronm hi front of the Ford Garage at the Ontario Agricultural Museum.
Your
C'oinpleto
Truck
Gentrei .:
AIRPORT RD'
GODERICH
BUSINESS: 524-73'79 ` FAX: 524-7
BRIAN.
BUFFINGA
Residential
ommercial...
Agricultural
Home Security Systems
Pole -Line Services
FREE STMATES }
519-33-3340.
N A