By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Wilberforce Red Cross Outpost, one of the County’s significant historical landmarks, secured last-minute funding to keep its doors open this season. It has hired a student guide after initially being denied a Canada Summer Jobs grant.
The approval comes after the Wilberforce Heritage Guild was initially notified that it was ineligible for the summer jobs grant because the museum doesn’t process its own payroll. Historically, the Municipality of Highlands East has managed payroll for one summer employee on behalf of the volunteer-run organization.
Speaking to The Highlander, Wilberforce Heritage Guild member Linda Cameron explained that the federal government reached out and offered a “one-time” exception for this summer, allowing the municipality to continue to handle the payroll, allowing the museum to hire its planned summer student guide on-schedule.
While the temporary resolution saved this year’s operations, the federal requirements pose a challenge for the historical site’s future. In order to receive these grants, the federal government required that recipient organizations hold their own Canada Revenue Agency payroll accounts to receive funding directly. For Cameron and the guild, this task would be “very, very difficult” for a small, volunteer-operated non-profit, to manage.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Cameron said when asked how the unexpected onetime approval came about.
The original funding denial sparked widespread attention across Highlands East, and resulted in offers of financial support from community members. Cameron said residents responded to the news coverage by stepping forward with direct contributions to help the historic outpost.
“The newspaper coverage generated a lot of interest in the Red Cross Museum, its mission, and circumstances,” she said. “As a result, we gratefully received several generous contributions.”
The Wilberforce Red Cross Outpost served as the only medical provider in the region from 1922 to 1963 and was the first outpost opened by the Red Cross in Ontario. For more than 30 years, the guild, a volunteer-run charity, has partnered with the municipality to operate the site as a museum. In 2003, the outpost was designated a national historic site of Canada.
“I think the reason for us being here is to make sure that the history of all of that is preserved for the people who are coming after us,” Cameron said.
Despite possible hurdles for future funding cycles, the guild remains hopeful. Thanks to the recent public support and an active summer visitor season, the organization continues its work preserving the outpost and its history within the community.
