The Municipality is looking into potential uses for some of North Grenville’s historic buildings.
It was determined by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture that new uses needed to be identified for the Kemptville Courthouse and the old Oxford-On-Rideau Town Hall in Oxford Mills. The Courthouse currently houses Provincial and County courts as well as the North Grenville Historical Society. The Oxford-On-Rideau Town Hall is not being used and needs an extensive amount of work on the inside and outside of the building.
Potential future uses for these buildings have already been identified by the department. Recommendations include selling the Courthouse in the next 5 years and relocating its current tenants, and working with the North Grenville Historical Society and the North Grenville Heritage Committee to restore and renovate the Oxford-On-Rideau Town Hall into a museum or archival centre.
Before a conclusion can be made, the Municipality wishes to get public input on these recommendations. They have hired Letourneau Heritage Consulting Inc. at an estimated cost of $3,870 to help with public consultations and use their expertise to determine the best plan of attack for these buildings.
“We feel that having a third party assist us with that will give us better information, and the community may feel as if their voice is being heard more if there is another party who specialize in this type of work,” says Mark Guy, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Mark hopes the firm will get started sometime this month. Their services include facilitating meetings with the North Grenville Historical Society, the North Grenville Heritage Committee and the general public. They will also prepare an online survey to give people a convenient way to engage in the process.
Uses for Maplewood Hall and the Armoury were also considered by the municipality. Despite a request from the Oxford Mills Community Association to take over Maplewood Hall, the Municipality has decided to maintain ownership of the building.
“It’s the only building we have to offer the community that is outside the limits of Kemptville,” Mark says. “We think it is in the best interest of the community if the Municipality owns and looks after the facility.”
The Armoury building will continue to be used as it is currently, with plans for future capital work to be done.
