Historic John R. Park Homestead reopens following $1 million restoration

CTV News22-05-2025

John R. Park Homestead reopened after a two year restoration on May 22, 2025 in Essex, Ont. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
After nearly two years of extensive restoration, the historic John R. Park Homestead near Colchester has officially reopened to the public, just in time for Museum Month.
The restoration, which began in the fall of 2022, focused on preserving the 1842 home built by early settlers John Richardson Park and Amelia Gamble Park — the centrepiece of the Essex Region's premier living history museum.
'The John R. Park Homestead is more than just a museum, it's a living legacy,' said Molly Allaire, chair of the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA).
'Since 1978, we've welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests to step back in time and discover the pioneering spirit of this region.'
The project was sparked by a comprehensive architectural review in 2021 that identified significant structural concerns, including powder-post beetle damage, rotting sill beams, and deteriorating foundations. George Robb Architect led the assessment, which informed the scope of the $1 million project.
John R Park Homestead reopens
John R. Park Homestead reopened after a two year restoration on May 22, 2025 in Essex, Ont. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
'We knew this was not just a renovation,' said Allaire.
'It was an act of preservation, and of responsibility – not just to those who came before us, but for generations to come.'
ERCA received federal funding through the Canadian Experiences Fund to support the work, with additional funds raised by the Essex Region Conservation Foundation. Contributions also came from organizations such as the Toldo Foundation and the Stephanie and Barry Zekelman Foundation.
Tim Byrne, ERCA's chief administrative officer, said the restoration required opening walls and removing panels to understand the full extent of the damage.
'Powder-post beetle infestation had occurred maybe 100 years ago,' he said.
'The damage was done then, and over time, the rafters, beams, trusses, and sill plates all started to sag. Carpenter ants had also gotten into a couple of the sill beams and did their damage.'
The restoration included rebuilding the south porch, replacing windows, repairing plaster and repainting — much of it completed using hand-crafted methods to retain historical authenticity.
'This building was originally constructed in 1842. Other than the Baby House in Windsor and a couple of isolated structures, there's nothing of that vintage in this region,' said Byrne.
'To allow this to disappear — you'd never see the likes of it come back. It's a critical component of who we are as a people.'
John R Park Homestead reopens
John R. Park Homestead reopened after a two year restoration on May 22, 2025 in Essex, Ont. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
Allaire said the reopened Homestead helps to preserve not just a building, but the community's collective identity.
'The work we honour today is not just about preservation. It is about passion. It is about people. And it is about all of you who helped ensure these stories will last for generations to come,' she said.
The restoration is not yet complete. ERCA and its Foundation plan to raise additional funds to address the remaining 11 outbuildings on the site, with work on the historic horse barn expected to begin later this year.
Alex Toldo, trustee of the Toldo Foundation, said visiting the Homestead offers a valuable history lesson.
'This is where people need to come to understand where Canadians actually started,' he said.
'I think people from around Essex County should spend a few hours here and understand the trials and tribulations of the early 1900s. We're Canadian, and we're proud of our heritage.'
The Homestead is open to visitors Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission by donation. Starting July 2, summer hours will extend to Tuesday through Sunday.
For Allaire, who also serves as an Amherstburg councillor, the reopening marks the culmination of years of hard work and a commitment to future generations.
'This place is amazing,' she told CTV News.
'Two years of hard work. Almost 200 years of preservation — and hopefully 200 more.'

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Fire at Yellowknife apartment that displaced public housing tenants caused by smoking

CBC

an hour ago

Fire at Yellowknife apartment that displaced public housing tenants caused by smoking

Social Sharing Improper disposal of smoking materials was found to be the cause of a fire that displaced tenants of public housing from a Yellowknife apartment building in March. Saxon Chung, a spokesperson for the City of Yellowknife, wrote in an email that an investigation by the city's fire department into the Sunridge Place apartments fire determined it was accidental. The city said after the incident in March that the fire was contained to a single unit on the first floor of the three-storey building and that no injuries were reported. Sunridge appears to still be closed, with the windows at the bottom of the building boarded up and a note on the door saying the building's owner, Northview, is working with contractors to ensure the building is "safe and restored in a timely manner." The note says that Northview changed the locks and that anyone needing to access the building could call either their public housing organization or Northview itself. A large vacuum truck was outside the building along with a large dumpster on Tuesday. Multiple units in the building were used for subsidized housing, and the organizations that ran them have been making alternate plans for their tenants. Housing First, a program run by the Yellowknife Women's Society, leased five Sunridge units, three of which had tenants. Hovannes Nazaryan, the team lead for Housing First, said the organization received three replacement units from Northview and has moved tenants to those. "The last time I was there [at Sunridge], we cleaned all of our units out, we moved all the furniture that was salvageable, and basically everything else went to the dump," he said. Shortly after the fire, before the replacement units were ready, Housing First moved its tenants into hotels for acccommodation. He said they're still waiting for two more units, one for emergencies and another to accommodate additional tenants. Nazaryan said he's not sure when, or even if, those tenants will move back into Sunridge when it reopens. Bob Bies is the CEO of the Yellowknife Housing Authority, which had five units at Sunridge. The Yellowknife Housing Authority runs the operation of public housing units that are leased by Housing N.W.T., the territory's housing agency. Bies said they have no plan to return to the building, and they've set tenants up in temporary accommodations with the plan to move them to Aspen Apartments when construction on it is complete. Julie Carter was a former tenant of Sunridge through the Yellowknife Housing Authority. She was planning to move out the day after the fire forced the evacuation. Carter said she was put up in a hotel the first night she was displaced and then was expected to move into her new apartment. But she didn't have access to any of her clothes, food, or other necessities. "I have a completely empty apartment, I have absolutely no funds. How am I supposed to feed myself, feed my dogs, change my clothes?" she said. Carter said she convinced the Yellowknife Housing Authority to put her up in a hotel and that it took weeks before she was allowed to enter her old unit to gather what was salvageable. When the Sunridge building will reopen is unclear. Each housing organization said they were unsure and redirected the question to Northview. Northview did not respond to multiple requests for an update by email, phone and in person.