Just a Little Bit About
Community Heritage Manitoba
Community Heritage Manitoba is a membership driven association of all supporting Municipal Heritage Advisory Committees (or MHACs) throughout Manitoba. These MHACs are struck by local municipal councils under the authority of the Heritage Resources Act to advise them on local heritage issues within their municipalities.
Community Heritage Manitoba was formed at the 6th annual MHAC conference held in Baldur, Manitoba on October 25th, 1997.
Our Mission:
"Community Heritage Manitoba shall support all member Municipal Heritage Advisory Committees and heritage partners in their efforts to identify, protect, promote, develop and interpret the heritage of their communities".
Our Objectives:
-
To facilitate the exchange of information and communication of activities among the membership.
-
To facilitate heritage education opportunities to MHACs, municipal councils and other heritage partners.
-
To facilitate the promotion of heritage.
-
To establish creative partnerships for the development of heritage on a local, regional and provincial basis.
Donation campaign begins for Vickers Vedette monument project
Posted By Marc Zienkiewicz (17.04.2009)
Lac du Bonnet’s Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) is kicking off a campaign to request financial support for its Vickers Vedette monument project.
MHAC chairman Gord Emberley said this week that the committee, which works to preserve heritage in the town and RM, has begun a letter writing campaign aimed at raising enough cash to make the project’s $37,000 first phase a reality.
“This whole initiative has been extremely well-received,” Emberley said. “We’ve been planning this for five years and it’s finally going to happen — all we need now is funding.”
The MHAC is sending donation requests to members of the public to not only solicit donations, but to create more awareness of the ambitious project, which involves creating a steel replica of the Vickers Vedette that will be erected at the La Verendrye boat launch along Hwy. 502.
The Vedette was a wooden flying boat that operated in Lac du Bonnet in the early 20th century. It was the first aircraft built in Canada.
Not only will a half-size stainless steel replica be erected at the boat launch, but the site will be turned into a greenspace featuring information on aviation in Lac du Bonnet.
“We want people to be able to picnic there and really enjoy the site,” Emberley said.
Best of all, the greenspace will be as environmentally friendly as possible.
“We want to emphasize the ‘green’ aspect of it. The Vedette was a completely green aircraft — it discharged its cargo from the water and left no footprint.”
The replica will be made by Winnipeg artist and University of Manitoba arts professor Gordon Reeve. Reeve is well-known in Manitoba for his sculpture Justice, which stands outside the Law Courts building in downtown Winnipeg. Reeve also designed the public art project Agassiz Ice on the Portage Avenue side of the Assiniboine Park footbridge.
He’s also dabbled in film, creating the 1992 documentary Moment of Light about ballerina Evelyn Hart.
Reeve noted the site is going to be more than just a traditional picnic area with a statue on it. He has visions for the site that include composting washroom facilities, and even a device that would use the river to generate power that would be used to power things located on the greenspace. The Vedette monument will contain a water pump that creates a mist to create the illusion of the plane taking off.
“I want people to go there and get the feeling that they’re visiting a site that’s completely unspoiled,” he said. “The Vedette was a flying canoe, and the canoe connects us to the entire history of man. Since it was created, the canoe’s basic design hasn’t really changed at all.”
Donations have already started to come in, Emberley said. The MHAC recently received a $2,000 grant from the Lac du Bonnet Ice Fishing Derby.
“The best part is, this is a project supported by both our municipal councils. It’s wonderful to see both councils working together,” Emberley said.
There’s no shortage of people in the community who either have been or are currently involved in aviation. Emberley said project organizers found 80 people in the Eastern Manitoba phone directory who fit that description.
“We’ll be approaching all of them to ask for help in funding this,” he said.
Once the project’s first phase is complete (Phase 1 involves building and erecting the monument), the second phase will involve creating the greenspace and honouring community members who’ve been involved in aviation. Emberley said donors will be asked for their ideas for possible plaques that would be put up at the boat launch.
If enough funding comes through, construction of the Vickers Vedette replica could begin as early as July or August. Seeing as 2009 is the 100th anniversary of aviation in Canada, it seems all the more appropriate, Emberley noted.
For information on the project, Emberley can be reached at 345-8916 or e-mail vergo@mts.net.
(top)