About the Foundation

In 1992, the Trinity Church Cemetary Committee was awarded a grant to restore the Absalom Shade monument.

Absalom Shade (c.1793-1862) was a businessman and politician in what is now Cambridge Ontario. Shade was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania and came to Dumfries Township in Upper Canada 1816. He operated a general store, a mill and a distillery in the settlement that was originally known as Shade's Mills (later Glat, then Cambridge)

Shade helped to establish a number of private enterprises in the area, including the Grand River Navigation Company and the Gore Bank in Hamilton. He was active in local government, serving as a township councillor and Reeve of the village of Galt among other posts. He served two terms in the Legilastive Assembly of Upper Canada.

Absalom Shade was an active member of Trinity Anglican Church, and helped to finance the building of the church in 1844 and the Sunday school building in 1855. Shade died in 1862 and was buried in the cemetery of the church that he helped to found.

The Foundation awarded a grant towards the restoration of this homestead. The Farmhouse was built in 1850 in a style typical of Pennsylvania German architecture. Restoration work on the home, which had been gutted by fire, began in 1975. The farmhouse is owned and operated by the University of Waterloo. It is located beside Columbia Lake on Columbia St. W. in Waterloo. Many local groups hold meetings here.

In 1976, the Foundation supported the restoration of the Council Chamber in what is now known as Old City Hall. The building was opened in 1858 as the Galt Town Hall. It was home to Cambridge City Hall until 1981 when the municipal offices were moved to Water Street. Historic City Hall is now home to the Cambridge Archives.

The Foundation supported the restoration of ceiling paintings in Castle Kilbride in Baden, Ontario.

Castle Kilbride is the former residence of James Livingston (1838-1920), a member of parliament and owner of flax mills in Baden, Ontario. The home was built in 1877 in the sytle of an Italianate villa. An important feature of the building is the decorative murals throughout the house. Castle Kilbridge is now a museum and a National Historic Site.

The Foundation awarded a grant to support the restoration of a Cheese House at the Stager Homestead at Black Horse Corners in North Dumfries. The cheese factory dates back to 1835.

In 1989, the foundation supported the restoration of the Clock Tower on the former Waterloo Post Office Building. The Post Office was built in 1909 in the Romanesque style typical of Canadian post offices of the time. The Clock Tower was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1969.

The Foundation supported the preservation of the Detweiler Meetinghouse in Roseville.

The Detweiler Meetinghouse is the only remaining stone meetinghouse built by 19th century Mennonite immigrants. The Meetinghouse was built in 1855 and is named for early pastor Jacob H. Detweiler. The last service was held in the Meetinghouse in 1966. In the 1990's, the Meetinghouse was restored to reflect its appearance in the late 19th century. The adjoining cemetry is well-preserved and is the burial site for many early Mennonite settlers.

The Foundation mounted an Award of Excellence plaque in 1988 for the restoration of the Bandstand in Gore Park, Elmira.

In 1989, the Foundation helped fund moving a small cemetery that was at risk due to road construction. The cemetery was on private property in North Dumfries Robert Loughlean. Dr. Shelley Saunders of McMaster University oversaw the project to exhume the bodies and remove the headstones. The tombstones are now at Doon Heritage Crossroads and the remains have received a respectful internment elsewhere.

The Foundation has supported two restoration projects at the Homer Wateson Gallery: conservation of the frieze on the walls of the studio; and restoration of the roof of the coach house.

Homer Watson House and Gallery is the Homestead of Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson (1855-1936). Watson was acclaimed interpreter of the Canadian landscape. Today his paintings are found in many galleries, including the National Gallery in Ottawa and the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as in numerous private collections. Two of his works hang in Windsor Castle in England having been purchased for Queen Victoria when Watson was a young man.

Watson painted the frieze in the homestead in 1894.

The Foundation supported the Kitchener Industrial Artifacts Project by funding the restoration of an industrial press that would be displayed in public. The Press was donated by Mitchell Plastics Ltd. in Kitchener.

The Kitchener Industrial Artifacts Project was initiated by Nicholas Rees in 1996 as part of the City of Kitchener's Culture Plan. The project placed unique pieces of antique machinery at selected sites within the community - both indoors and outdoors. Sites displaying these pieces of machinery include Kitchener City Hall, the Registry Theatre and Globe Studios as well as outdoors on the Iron Horse Trail and Forest Heights Community Centre/Fire Hall.

In 1985, funds were awarded to the City of Kitchener to have molds made of the unique lamp standards on Queen St. N. between Ellen and Lancaster. Money was granted to the City of Cambridge in 1983 for the same purpose - molds of lamp standards in this City.

The Peter Martin Farmhouse which with funding assistance to the Grand River Conservation Authority provided money to move this house [1974] to the present site at Doon Heritage Village 10 Huron Rd., Kitchener, Ontario.

Peter Martin and wife Anna Zimmerman moved from Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania to an area now taken over by the noth end of the City of Waterloo. They constructed their home in 1820 on the east side of Weber Street North, north of Northfield Drive and a bit south of where Randall Drive begins. The house built in the traditional Pennsylvania-Mennonite style, served temporarily as a place of worship until Martin's Meeting House on King Street North in Waterloo was completed. The house slated for demolition after over 150 years of use as a residence and theough the help of the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation saved and moved.

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the Township of Wilmot a project was undertaken to mark and preserve the site of the original 1850 Wilmot Township Hall [1549 Bleams Road, Baden, Ontario] by marking this site with a park, benches and sculpture of a young boy and girl entitled "A Leap of Faith". The Oasis pays tribute to the culture and natural heritage of this area and represents the spirit of community. This plot of land was deeded by the Crown to Peter S. Gingerich in 1836. The sitting wall at Oasis in the Centre represents both the foundation of the 1850 Wilmot Township Hall and the strong community foundation built by those early settlers. The sculpture was crafted by an area resident Ruth Abernethy, and portrays two young people about to leap from the stone archway. They face the future with confidence, courage and spirit - as did those who came before. The Foundation's contribution was a plaque which depicted the history of this park.

The one storey split granite fieldstone schoolhouse located at 600 Erb Street West, Waterloo, Ontario wase was built in 1867 replacing a log structure and is the only remaining stone schoolhouse in Waterloo. It was the site of a school from 1843 and when land was purchased from David Eby for five shillings it was scheduled for demolition. In partnership with the City of Waterloo, the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation and the Kitchener-Waterloo Bilingual School funds were designated to restore and preserve this local piece of history. It serves for special occasions and extra-curricular activities for the Kitchener-Waterloo Bilingual School.

Joseph Schneider Haus National Historic Site is a dynamic community museum located in downtown Kitchener. It is Kitchener's oldest dwelling, the 1816 homestead was restored and furnished, then opened as a living hisotry museum in 1981. The heart of the complex is the fine Georgian-fram farmhouse built by one of the area's earliest non-Aboriginal settlers, Joseph Schneider, a Pennsylvania German Mennonite.

The Foundation consisted of very enthusiastic directors whose great interest in the preservation of local history commissioned in 1975 an architectural study of the Joseph Schneider Haus on Queen St. S. It then conducted a very ambitious fundraising drive to raise the money required to purchase and restore the house which is a very popular tourist attraction in the area. Through the generosity of many local citizens the campaign proved to be very successful and thus began the restoration. The restoration was completed in 1981 at which time the Region of Waterloo assumed ownership and the responsibility of its staffing and maintenance. Today it is a living and working museum. It is a teaching facility for grade school classes with a hands on approach to educate students as to the way the early settlers conducted the daily routine of living. It also holds numerous hands-on workshops and lectures for all ages throughout the year. The Joseph Schneider Haus has received many awards for the outstanding operation and programs throughout Canada and in the year 2000 was awarded the designation of a National Historic Site by Heritage Canada. This project which began with the foresight of the Foundation in 1975 has developed into a treasure for this area.

The first Preston Scout Troop was organized in 1929 and would eventually give birth to the famous Preston Scout House Band. The owner of a dilapidated stone building at 1580 Queenston Road in Cambridge was asked to donate this property to the Scouting Association. Donations flowed in to fix this building so that the Scouts could use this not only for meetings but could also act as a drop in centre for young people and the "Teen Canteen" dances on Saturday afforded a wholesome environment for teens of the local area to gather and dance the night away. Crowds of up to 500 were normal. The Foundation provided funds to help the restoration of the inside.

If one drives through Blair you will come across the Sheave Tower at 90 Old Mill Road. This unique and 2 1/2 storey picturesque tower was built by Allan Bowman in 1876 in the "Carpenter Gothic Style" to harness its horsepower for the adjacent Carlisle Grist Mill [Blair Mill]. The site was earth bermed to direct water through a sluiceway in front of the tower and down an artificial channel or trough. During the 1800's, creek water created power for the larger mill by churning through its turbine. The water then wastefully trickled downstream. The tower was built and installed a turbine to harness the water-power, a second time before it flowed toward the Grand River. As water twisted the turbine under the tower, a series of gears and shafts spun a large steel wheel (sheave) near the peaked roof. Like a giant laundry line with a cable looped around two wheels, water power was transferred from the small tower to the main mill. In 1876 this was a remarkable feat of engineering. It is only remaining structure of it's kind in Waterloo Region. At any given time artists may found painting this magnificent tower. Heritage Cambridge, with support of the Foundation subsequently restored the tower and a new footbridge was constructed.

The Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame display located at 355 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario is located in the Cambridge Centre Mall near their food court.

Cambridge is home of may talented sports figures. To commemorate their achievement, a Committee was formed in Cambridge to honor local athletes in 1996. Over the years many people and teams has been inducted to now where over 146 plaques are on display with pictures and biographies. The Foundation provided funds towards the acquistion of showcases to hold these plaques and other memorabilia.

Located at 811 Bleams Road, Kitchener, Ontario, you will find in the midst of an industrial basin the J. Steckle Heritage Homestead designated as a historical site by Heritage Ontario. The Homestead is named in honor of John Steckle, a farmer, weaver, and pastor of Mennonite faith, originally from Switzerland. He and his wife, Esther Bleam, settled at the homestead in 1833. The farm has remained in the hands of the Steckle family since the time of the original settlers with many of the buildings still intact. In 1978 the current owner, Dr. Jean Steckle, purchased the Homestead and 10.2 acres of the original farm. In 1983 it was designated a heritage property by the City of Kitchener under the Ontario Heritage Act. In 1988 a non-profit corporation was established and its mandate is dedicated to providing agricultural, education and recreational programs to children and families within the community. It provides youth with the opportunity to enjoy a valuable environmental experience, at the same time providing a unique insight into the lives of the early settlers of the Waterloo Region. The old farm house and buildings are a true treasure mixed into a residential/industrial area.

This was the first project to be considered by the Foundation in December, 1973. The Wellesley Township Hall is located at 4805 Williams Hastings Line in the Village of Crosshill. One Storey rubble stone building constructed in the Classical Revival style. It is one of the most historically important structures in Wellesley Township. The Township council from the founding of Wellesley Township in 1852 until this building was completed in November 1855. Over the years it has served as a community hall, a place for church services, Farmer's Institute meetings and council chamber. The foundation funded a plaque recognizing the restoration of this heritage landmark.

In 2000, the Foundation was approached to partner through a grant of a statue in honour of the women who served in the C.W.A.C. between 1941 and 1946. This training took place at the armory at Knollwood Park on 350 East Avenue, Kitchener, where the statue stands. This project was completed and dedicated in the spring of 2001. Many surviving C.W.A.C's living all over Canada were in attendance.

The memorial also lists those who died while on service. The monument has a 6'4" high bronze figure which depicts a young C.E.A.C. member as she might have looked when "stepping out" on a pass in town during her basic training courseat the wartime Kitchener Traning Centre.

The Church of the Good Shepherd located at 116 Queen St. N., Kitchener, Ontario submitted a grant request to the Foundation for the restoration of the wrough iron fence on their property, which since its erection in 1885 had suffered. The fence had originally belonged to the William Roos home, which occupied the site until 1936 when the church was constructed. The Foundation provided funds to help preserve the fence. It is probably the last of its kind in Kitchener.