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-- June 1, 2010
Constructions Marc Paris of Chelsea has been awarded the contract to take the Maison Fairbairn House Heritage Centre through its first phase of renewal - the restoration of the exterior of the building, it was announced at the Annual General Meeting of the Fairbairn House Cooperative held on April 28th.
Renovations to the heritage house, in Hendrick Park, at the eastern portal of the covered bridge, will start in mid May. Emphasis will be on upgrading the clapboard siding, adding a new tin roof, a new wrap-around veranda and a side entrance to the basement where two meeting rooms and a kitchen will be located. Also, the windows will be repaired or replaced as necessary by Mme Lucille Martineau of Masham, whose enterprise has specialized in the fabrication of wooden window frames since the early 1900s.
"This renovation work starts the house on its new journey towards service as a bilingual heritage centre to celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the Gatineau Valley and the hills around it," said co-president Michael Cooper.
Marc Paris began working as a contractor with his father in 1988. Since 2002 he has lived in the Chelsea area and, with his own crew, works in Chelsea, Wakefield and Masham.
This first phase of restoration on the Fairbairn House is anticipated to cost $130,000 with a completion date set for this summer. The next phase is the renovation of the interior, planned for the summer of 2011. The third phase will concentrate on spaces for exhibits, programming and like elements for the new Heritage Centre, with an opening date planned for 2012.
The house was built in the 1860s by William Fairbairn, who also created Wakefield's first mill In 1838. It served as a family home for three generations of the Fairbairn family and, in later years, to three other farm owners and their families. More recently, it served as headquarters for a marina operation before it was purchased by the Wakefield Harbour condominium complex. In 2005, the Municipality of La Pêche moved the house and placed it on a new foundation in its present location in Hendrick Park.
"The Fairbairn Heritage Centre will be offering a wide variety of historical activities for young and old, tourists and residents, but to make it a reality we must have the support and involvement of the community" said Mr Cooper. To finance its work the project will engage in a number of fundraising activities in upcoming months.
For more information call: Michael Cooper at (819) 459-2787, or visit www.fairbairn.ca.
