Kirkland Lake is taking steps to divest itself of the Museum of Northern History.
At tonight's Kirkland Lake council meeting, there is a recommendation to write a letter to the Ontario Heritage Trust to express the municipality's "intent to divest itself of the possession of the whole property" and to ask for the trust's written approval.
The museum is housed in the historic Sir Harry Oakes chateau. Built in 1929, it was where Oakes, who discovered gold in Kirkland Lake in 1912, stayed and entertained when he was in the area.
According to the staff report, since 2015, Kirkland Lake has contributed more than $1 million in taxes to operate the museum and the "deficit continues to grow." A 2007 report identified $986,250 of needed repairs, which translates to about $1.4 million today. Since 2007, there has been $224,000 in capital improvements.
In March 2020, Kirkland Lake council approved a $117,000 service delivery review project for the municipality, which was awarded to WSCS Consulting in May, according to the staff report.
"The history and culture of any community is important, and KL is no different — every effort should be made to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of Kirkland Lake. However, with the many challenges that KL faces, including deteriorating town infrastructure and facilities, coupled with the unsustainable Chateau agreement with OHT, it does not appear that the museum can continue to exist in its current form," reads the WSCS final report.
March 9, 2021, in a closed council meeting, staff presented the final Service Delivery Review for the Museum of Northern History. Staff was directed to negotiate with the Ontario Heritage Foundation to divest the Oakes chateau.
While staff could talk to the OHT without a council resolution, the staff report notes that legal counsel had advised that a resolution would "clearly indicate the intent of the municipality."
The Kirkland Lake council meeting starts at 4:40 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube.
