Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Grantee
Capital Grant
Award amount
$150,000
Award timeline
2016-2017 (12 months)
Age group
All age groups
Catchment
Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha & Pine Ridge
Community size
Mid-size
Population served
General population
Opportunity
Peterborough County wanted to find a way to inform and inspire current and future generations about its agricultural roots.
Approach
Selected Grant Result: Arts, culture and heritage have appropriate spaces.
The project involved building a fitting new heritage space that would both reflect Peterborough County's agricultural past and help shape its future by providing a new space for community activities and education programs in the arts, culture, and heritage.
Community impact
The new building helped the Lang Pioneer Village and Museum stay open year round. It recognizes the area's agricultural heritage through its barn design and by providing a home for the Peterborough County Agricultural Hall of Fame. The modern building with a heritage feel hosts weddings, banquets, society meetings, education programs, and other community events for people of all ages.
- 11,500 sq feet of renovated space
- 140 volunteers contributed 12,000 hours to the project
The barn-like building transports visitors back to turn-of-the-century Peterborough County, a time when agriculture was starting to modernize.
Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Peterborough is a "living museum" that brings the sights and sounds of Peterborough County’s past to life. Visitors can stroll among 30 homes and businesses to get a taste of what life was like over 100 years of history in the region.
Tourists and locals alike can explore the history and culture of local First Nations at Aabnaabin Camp, check out a working 174-year old Grist Mill, and now, thanks in part to a $150,000 Capital grant through OTF, explore the area's deep agricultural roots at the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building (PCAHB).
Canada's 150th birthday was the perfect time to add the new, agriculture-focused heritage building to the village. The OTF funding contributed to the $2.5 million project, and 140 volunteers clocked over 12,000 hours to make the PCAHB a reality.
The 11,500 sq ft, barn-like building transports visitors back to turn-of-the-century Peterborough County, a time when agriculture was starting to modernize. Despite its traditional appearance and rustic cedar beams, the building is insulated and protected to Canadian Conservation Institute standards. This means it can operate as both a museum space, and a place for the community to gather year-round for events and learn about and appreciate the arts, culture, and heritage.
The PCAHB is now the permanent home to the Peterborough County Agricultural Hall of Fame, which recognizes the area's farming leaders, as well as a collection of historical farming tools, a workshop space for conservation and preservation work, and a great hall to allow for community events. The new facility also gives Ontario Federation of Agriculture the opportunity to grow school-based programs in the arts, culture, and heritage.
Inspiring people often requires inspiring spaces. The PCAHB has given the whole community the perfect place to reflect on and learn about the region's past, celebrate the present, and prepare for the future through high-quality programming and infrastructure.
