County council has taken seriously a suggestion that a master plan for the grounds of Wellington Place be prepared before development there proceeds any further.
The suggestion from June receive extra impetus after someone requested the opportunity to place a memorial on the grounds near the Wellington Terrace.
The grounds include the county museum, archives, library headquarters, and there are approved plans to build a new hospital and heliport on a portion of the lands there, as well as a new police station to replace the one in Fergus. There are also several trails through the area.
With all that activity, councillors want to ensure the best use of the lands.
Last month, they agreed with two information, heritage, and seniors committee recommendations to regarding the lands.
The first one set a moratorium on any future private memorials, statues, plaques, and plantings on the Wellington Place grounds, pending completion of a master plan.
Council then approved a second recommendation to do a master plan.
The reason for the moratorium on additions to the lands came because that will avoid having to move them in the future.
Museum administrator Bonnie Callen told the committee in a report that the parents of a deceased summer student at Wellington Terrace asked staff there if two trees could be planted as a memorial to the deceased.
That request was approved and two trees were planted on either side of the existing Suicide Awareness Garden located on the west side of the driveway leading to the Terrace.
That garden, Callen said, includes a bench and daffodil garden planted in 2007 by a community groups sponsored by Community Mental Health., Fergus, and is now maintained by the museum gardener.
Callen said the small garden does not have a sign, at the request of the Suicide Awareness group, which wanted a quiet place for reflection in the neighbourhood of the bowstring bridge garden.
But in June, the parents of the deceased student contacted the Terrace staff to request that a statue and plaque now be placed near the trees in the Suicide Awareness Garden.
Callen said in her report that at that point she became aware the request and explained to Terrace staff that the garden is not a suitable location for a private memorial, and that perhaps it should be placed inside the Terrace building instead.
Callen said that when the Master Plan is considered, a number of factors should be considered.
Those included that Wellington Place already has a number of private and community sponsored plantings, including Hospice Wellington lilac bushes, the Suicide Awareness Garden, and the Graham A. Giddy funeral Home Memorial Forest near the Terrace, plus two memorial trees in the museum courtyard that have to be relocated for the archives addition.
She added that this spring a local organization made arrangements with Terrace staff to plant a number of trees along the Wellington Place driveway to the Terrace, but those are very close to the driveway and will likely cause problems with snow removal (and museum maintenance staff now find it more difficult to do their work, as well).
Callen listed a number of other reasons why a master plan is needed, and said it should also consider such things as the site lines of the 1877 national historic site, the House of Industry cemetery and monument must be protected, and any community gardens should include consideration of sheds for housing tools and equipment.
County council agreed to the recommendation that “the proposed location of plantings, and the proposed design of any statues and plaques on Wellington Place grounds be reviewed before approval by the Wellington County Museum and Archives and Wellington Place department to ensure their appropriateness.
Councillor Gord Tosh suggested that he committee, too, be consulted before any proposals are permitted.
Committee chairman Brad Whitcombe said he saw no reason why that cannot be done, and said he would take that suggestion back to the committee.
