KIRKLAND LAKE - A Kirkland Lake woman is on a mission to save the town’s museum from the clutches of closure.
In March, Kirkland Lake announced that it’s ending its lease agreement with the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) for the Sir Harry Oakes Château. The Museum of Northern History, which is located in the château, will be open to the public throughout the summer, with operations ending on Sept.1 and the town leaving the property by the end of the year.
An online petition calling for the town to keep the agreement has more than 2,800 signatures and supporters recently protested outside of a public meeting.
SEE: It may be your last summer to visit the historic Oakes château in Kirkland Lake
Martha McSherry, who has lived in Kirkland Lake for over 35 years, created the petition.
She doesn’t feel the town is creating an opportunity to hear the voices of its community members about the decision.
“I really want the residents to have that opportunity to work with the town to problem solve. Yes, we vote council in and I get that we're supposed to maybe just back off and let them make our decisions. But, personally, if I sat on the council, I would take every opportunity when issues come up to make sure that people have an opportunity to speak to them,” she said.
The town’s residents weren’t the only ones to be blindsided.
David Leonard, senior marketing and communications specialist for the OHT, told TimminsToday that they learned about the terminated lease agreement through an article.
“Next steps are currently under consideration, and we will share updates as they become available,” he said.
Over the weekend, Charlie Angus Timmins-James Bay MP took to his Facebook page to express his concerns about the museum's possible closure.
"I was thrilled to attend the annual spring art show at Sir Harry Oakes Chateau in Kirkland Lake. Artists from Brasil, Spain, France, the United States sent in their incredible works along with so many great northern artists. I was blown away to meet the Colombian artist Dory Perdomo," he wrote.
"The Harry Oakes Chateau is a centre for northern arts. It is one of only three heritage buildings in the vast region of Northern Ontario. We cannot let this important institution be shut. I look forward to working with the local teams to save this important institution."
McSherry often attends community events and workshops at the museum.
“And then whenever I have company come to town, that's an absolute must to go in there. I mean, I live here and I value it. And I think northerners do,” she said.
The building is nearly a century old and was built by Oakes, an eccentric prospector who became a multi-millionaire from Kirkland Lake’s gold rush. He built the home in 1929 to use during visits to his mining properties. His permanent home was in Niagara Falls.
In 1934 Oakes moved to the Bahamas as a protest against the Canadian tax system and was knighted by King George VI in 1939. Four years later, Oakes was murdered at his Bahamas home. The crime remains unsolved.
The house has a copper roof, features a six-car garage in the drive-through basement and has four fireplaces.
“It's reflective of a period where he was going to show the world he was a success. And it was also around a time where there were major strikes going on in the area. So, you know, there's a lot of history tied up with that museum," said McSherry.
McSherry said she’s concerned that the abrupt decision to end the lease agreement is related to the 9.8 per cent tax levy hike and the number of people from the town on Sunshine List, including Kirkland Lake firefighters.
SEE: Kirkland Lake starts 2024 budget process, 9.8% levy hike proposed
RELATED: 2 small-town Northern CAOs made as much as the Premier in 2023
A dozen people, including McSherry, protested outside the town’s public budget meeting on April 4. She said police were present.
“I think that they just didn't know how people would behave so they felt that it was safe to have their presence so that there wasn't anything out of sorts,” she said.
“And I mean, we do live in a world where people carry around rage and act out. It wasn't a big deal for us. They were polite. We know the officers. Small town, right? There wasn't anybody in our group that I would have anticipated to act out.”
Before the meeting was called to order, Mayor Stacy Wight emphasized that the public meeting was solely surrounding 2024 budget dollars.
"This meeting is not a public forum to comment on the recent decisions previously made by the town council,” she said. “There is no change in the museum’s 2024 operating position for the Town of Kirkland Lake.”
McSherry said they plan to address council at their regular meeting on April 16.
“We want to go there with solutions to the funding issue related to the museum being aware of the town deficit and plan for a 9.8 per cent tax levy increase,” she said.
Wight said those wishing to express in writing their concerns regarding the decision of the divestiture of the Sir Harry Oakes Château can email the town’s clerk.
