Years after Georgina heritage barn destroyed by fire, rebuild takes shape

"Helping Kids Grow": The new motto for Georgina's ClearWater Farm, which is nearing completion

Yorkregion.com
April 29, 2019
Jeremy Grimaldi

In October 2016 two children, both under the age of 10, walked onto ClearWater Farm in Georgina without permission while holding a flare gun.

Not long after, the community watched in horror as the century-old barn, built on a farm that had been in the Reed family for 180 years, burnt to the ground.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but the devastation to the town, which had just bought the land and those who were planning a sustainable farm and community space in the barn, was palpable.

"Good thing I'm a positive person," said Annabel Slaight, chair of the Ontario Water Centre, the managers of the farm. "You could have just thrown your hands in the air."

Instead of throwing their hands in the air, the Ontario Water Centre got to work fundraising and is getting the job done, even though it needs a final fundraising push to get to finish the job.

On Thursday, April 25 the federal government announced it was giving $500,000 to help finish the barn, for which the structure was erected in August 2018 with the help of timber framers from around North America.

The funding was announced in part to help celebrate the 200th anniversary of Georgina and Slaight hopes the money will go a long way to help finish phase one of the project by this summer and the entire operation by the summer of 2020.

The money is added to the $422,000 raised by private citizens, $80,000 donated by corporations and the $275,000 from insurance. Slaight expects the entire project to cost around $2 million.

"This will give children a chance to get in touch with nature, their hands dirty and their feet wet," she added, suggesting ClearWater Farm's working motto is “helping kids grow.”

It will have many purposes when it's complete. On top of the barn becoming an event and performance space with a sound and lighting system, the farm will also have drop-in programming for children, put on a summer camp and sell food.

The land will also be an educational farm that helps develop local food economy, featuring greenhouses that are heated and trucks that run on bio-digester, which produces organic fuel.

“It's about working in partnership with nature as opposed to trying to conquer it,” explained Slaight, who's the founder of Owl Magazine.

It will also teach children about history, considering the property features a historic maple tree where Chippewas and pioneers would meet and trade eggs and baskets in the past.

The $500,000 was granted to the farm by Canadian Heritage.

There is also a children’s book named Trading Tree coming out in May in both English and Ojibwe about the historic maple tree.

It will serve as a community building with a storytelling centre, a performance art space and a place for community art displays. Interpretive panels will be installed in the barnyard, providing information about the local heritage in English, French and Ojibwe languages.

Anyone looking to donate or gain information is asked to visit www.clearwaterfarm.ca.