KIRKLAND LAKE - This weekend is your last chance to visit Kirkland Lake's museum at the historic château of a legendary eccentric prospector.
After 57 years of operation, tomorrow (Aug. 31) is the last day for residents to visit the Museum of Northern History at the Sir Harry Oakes Château. The museum is offering free admission.
The building is owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) and the town has been operating the museum out of it.
The OHT told TimminsToday this week that it's committed to conserving the building, but has no updates right now.
In March, Kirkland Lake council voted to close the museum and leave the property by the end of the year.
In an August statement on Facebook, the town said it's implementing a new cultural strategy.
SEE: It may be your last summer to visit the historic Oakes château in Kirkland Lake
RELATED: People rallying to save Kirkland Lake's historic château
In June, the OHT confirmed funding about $740,000 in repairs at the château this year.
The work includes repairing and stabilizing elements of the front porch, rear balcony, north retaining wall and selected hard-scaping, as well as repairs to areas of the roofing and water goods, like the gutters and downspouts. The work is expected to be done by the end of 2024.
The project has been in development since 2022. It was tendered earlier this year and Roof Tile Management has the contract for the project and is working under the supervision of Stevens Architects.
RELATED: One of the world’s best-unsolved crime stories started in the North
The building is nearly a century old and was built by Oakes an eccentric prospector who became a multi-millionaire during 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 Town of Kirkland Lake has overseen operations of the château through the lease agreement with the OHT since 1981.
The Oakes Project: Heritage, Arts and Tourism (TOPHAT) was started by concerned residents to save the museum.
