Who will save this slice of history?

The Talk
by Suzanne Bourret
The Hamilton Spectator
Thursday, March 3

Mayor Larry Di Ianni examines giant petition unfurled by Village Theatre members.

It was opening night of A Month In The Country at the Waterdown Memorial Hall.

For local groups intent on saving the hall, it had been like a year in a hospital waiting room while they worried over the fate of their beloved community centre.

The 83-year-old historic hall had been placed on a list of buildings and land that are possible surplus by the City of Hamilton and could be sold.

Mayor Larry Di Ianni was invited to the wine and cheese party before the performance to talk about the situation.

He told a packed audience representing the Rotary, Lions, Legion, Heritage and Village Theatre that city staff have been preparing a plan to deal with up to 1,700 pieces of city-owned buildings and land. They are looking at the most obvious properties such as little parcels of land that make sound fiscal sense to sell off, he said. Dr. Alex Bielak of Flamborough Rotary A.M. suggested that staff should look at the other end of the spectrum and take key historical properties off the list that should remain in the city's hands -- such as Memorial Hall.

Supporters, who presented the mayor with a petition to Save Our Hall that had almost 1,200 names, had hoped the mayor would promise to take Memorial Hall off the list -- but he didn't.

Lisbie Rae, who with her husband Michael, is a founding member of Village Theatre, says Flamborough residents hold many community events in this arts and cultural centre.

Village Theatre has staged three plays a year there since 1973; Waterdown Lions Club holds dinner meetings twice a month; and Rotary Clubs feature a Haunted House that raises thousands annually for charity.

Memorial Hall was built in 1922 with funds raised by the Women's Institute and is one of only a handful of memorials that are actual buildings.

According to Jonathan Vance, war memorial historian at the University of Western Ontario, "to sell Memorial Hall would be like selling the Cenotaph in Gore Park."

This performance was sponsored by:

DON FOX
B.Comm CFP, EPC
Sr. Exec. Financial Consultant,
Investors Group Financial Services
HAMILTON, ON
Phone (905) 529-7165
Toll Free 1-800-561-0659

Puddicombe Estates Farms and Winery

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