News

NEWS RELEASE

LET'S FINISH FAIRBAIRN TOGETHER

(This News Release may also be viewed by downloading the PDF version)

La Pêche. September 28, 2010: Today the Maison Fairbairn HPDF Versionouse Heritage Centre celebrates the completion of renovations to the exterior of the Fairbairn House and a start to the next phase - fixing up the inside.

"It has been very important for us to complete the exterior renovations before winter. Now we can concentrate on the interior and the final evolution of the House into a Heritage Centre" said Michael Cooper, co-president of the Centre's Board of Directors.

As a launch to the program, Mayor Robert Bussière, Mayor of La Pêche and Warden of the MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais, presented the Fairbairn Board with a cheque for $3,836, representing the proceeds awarded to the project from this year's annual municipal golf tournament, held in August.

"Our success depends on support from the community to finance the project, so today we are also launching our fundraising campaign to finance the remainder of the work. Let's finish Fairbairn together!" said Mr. Cooper.

The exterior received a new metal roof, a wrap-around verandah, new siding, paint and an entrance to the basement where two meeting rooms and a kitchen will be located. The work was done by Constructions Marc Paris of Chelsea and L. Martineau Portes et fenêtres of Masham La Pêche who replaced the windows. Total cost of the exterior work was $160,000. The well and septic system are also planned for completion this fall.

The interior work will include an elevator, a research/archive room, basic renovations for main floor exhibits, office and administration space, and completion of the basement rooms. The anticipated cost is for inside work is $195,000. The new Maison Fairbairn House Heritage Centre is scheduled to open in 2012.

"We will be seeking donations from businesses as well as individuals. Of course we will be providing various types of recognition to the supporters. Both businesses and individuals will be recognized, according to amounts contributed, throughout the Centre", said Jean laFlamme, co-president.

"With help from our neighbours we should be able to do the work next summer. We hope to be able to open in 2012 with a Heritage Centre that will celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the Gatineau Valley. It will be the only facility of its kind between Gatineau and Maniwaki," he added.

-30-

For more information call: Michael Cooper at 819-459-2787, or visit our website at www.fairbairn.ca

Maison Fairbairn House Newsletter No. 9

(This newsletter may also be viewed by downloading the PDF Version)

Summer/Autumn 2011

Dear Members:
Fairbairn House renovations have been more or less in a holding pattern in recent months, as we await results from two promising government grant applications the board has been working on over the spring and summer. A restriction on both these grants is that none of the work for which they are intended can commence prior to final approval of the funding. In the meantime, we have raised funds locally to install the well and septic systems for the house, and do some landscaping on the grounds. Also, the paper work has started on an application to the Quebec government for Fairbairn House to be chartered as a non-profit organization, this being required for signing a long-term lease on the house with the Municipality of La Pêche.

Exhibits:
Meanwhile, planning for our first exhibits has been underway, so they will be ready when the house interior is completed next year. The topic Settlers and Settlements has been selected for the opening exhibit, and we are taking inventory of the numerous donated artifacts now in storage to ascertain which of these can be used in this first exhibit. Although the house is not open, there has been an interest from local groups to present special exhibits at Fairbairn House and in Hendrick park. On the sunny week-end of September 17th and 18th a two-day exhibit on river-related history was presented on the wrap-around verandah of Fairbairn House. It was entitled Sacred River and was organized by Patrick and Erika Connor, with our blessing. As a centre piece for the show, they constructed a three dimensional diorama of the Gatineau River valley, surrounded by works of art inspired by the history of the river and its watershed. The displays included historical maps, artifacts, music, photographs, literature, and river folklore. Hundreds of visitors came by to see these exhibits. Other groups have called us, eager to get board approval and book events at the house in the summer and fall of 2012. These are encouraging signs of the excitement and anticipation that is building in the community.

Fund-raising:
Board members are still in fund-raising mode to cover the many expenses involved in opening a new facility. We have had good responses to the "Guide for Giving" we introduced in our last newsletter. To recap, there are three levels: Fairbairn Founders ($15,000 and over); Fairbairn Partners ($1,000-$14,999); and Fairbairn Friends ($10-$999). Since then, contributions and pledges in these three categories have reached $31,000, many through monthly payments to reach their total amount pledged. For more details please visit www.fairbairn.ca

Community Events:
On Saturday, August 6th, the Larrimac Golf Club in Chelsea organized a golf tournament to remember the late Norma Walmsley, Wakefield resident and long-time golfer at the club, generously naming Fairbairn House as a beneficiary. There was a good turnout of golfers, and afterwards about 70 guests sat down to a delicious dinner. With proceeds from the golf course games, a silent auction and private donations, Fairbairn House realized $2,000 more for its renovation fund. We thank the Club and all players and dinner guests for their support. Fairbairn House's Outreach with two local schools, in cooperation with the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, in early summer earned Fairbairn House another $2,000 grant. The Gatineau Valley Historical Society (GVHS) has announced that it plans to hold a special social event in aid of Fairbairn House sometime after the New Year. We thank the GVHS for its support.

Media coverage:
During the summer and fall two Montreal magazines, Luxury Report and Urban Expressions ran stories on Wakefield and Fairbairn House, both written by Susan Campbell, a descendant of William Fairbairn Sr. Both magazines featured our heritage project, as well as the village of Wakefield and the old Wakefield mill to great advantage.

Fairbairn House was also featured in a colourful tourist handout, produced by the West Quebec Post and distributed to local businesses in Wakefield Village and surrounding areas.

Radio-Canada TV program "Changer d-air" ran a half-hour program on the Wakefield area with special emphasis on heritage and Fairbairn House; co-president Jean La Flamme was interviewed along with our municipal councillor, Louis Rompré.

Also, Ottawa's french-language daily, Le Droit, ran a story on Wakefield and the Fairbairn House in a recent issue.

Correspondence with members:
George Fairbairn of St. Catherines, Ontario, has become the 149th member of the Maison Fairbairn House project, and has donated a large picture of his ancestor, William Sr.'s son George (1824-1910), in an antique frame. His ancestor established the Fairbairn farm on Mountain Road in Wakefield Township, on the east side of the Gatineau River.

Another descendant of George, Ted Fairbairn of Ottawa, sent us a note and a CD of his father, Harry, playing his old-time fiddle music at family gatherings.

We have also heard from Janis Ulstein, a descendant of William Sr.'s, daughter, Frances, telling us of a new headstone erected in her memory at Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery (604-325-2646). It reads Frances FAIRBAIRN, wife of David Stewart and John Lovett, 1829-1915. It was erected on February 20, 2008.

Artifacts:
Recently, the Dominic Newton family of Wakefield donated a century-old handmade wooden bread box for display at the heritage centre. It was made for Dominic's mother, Donalda Emond, by her husband Andrew Newton, at their Lac-Ste-Marie home in 1907. Patrick Connor of Chelsea has donated his three-dimensional diorama of the Gatineau River and surrounding hills, prepared for the Connors' recent exhibit, to be available for display at Fairbairn House when it opens.

For further information please e-mail us at info@fairbairn.ca - write us at Box 195, Wakefield, QC J0X 3G0 - or telephone Michael Cooper at 819-459-2787.

(With special thanks to Fairbairn House member Mary Montague for her help formatting this newsletter.)