Almost 600 site visitors at Doors Open Kincardine

By: Liz Dadson May 31, 2015 1968

Almost 600 site visitors at Doors Open Kincardine

While overall numbers were down slightly from 2013, there were close to 600 site visitors at this year's Doors Open Kincardine, held May 23-24.

Co-ordinator Laura Haight said initial reviews indicate that just over 67 per cent were from out-of-area, meaning beyond Kincardine, Ripley and Tiverton; and of that, almost 12 per cent were from out-of-country. Most of those were Americans, but there were four visitors from the United Kingdom who attended several sites.

"This out-of-area statistic is the one that intrigues me the most," says Haight. "People made the effort to come to Doors Open from places like Strathroy, Mitchell, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood and Guelph."

Bruce Power had 218 people take the bus tour and a number of others at the Visitors' Centre who were unable to book tours.

The Beaton House, the Inn at the Harbour and the Cross House were very popular and certainly that speaks to the traditional heritage theme of Doors Open, says Haight.

"Sharon Cross’ house on Queen Street has not been on either Doors Open or the Christmas Tour of Homes, and although not designated, it shows a lot bigger than the outside would have you imagine. Plus, her collection of family antiques made it a special surprise for those who attended."

Built in 1886, the Cross House has seen three additions over the years, including one for the kitchen at the back of the house, an upstairs washroom, and a downstairs washroom. The house features 12-foot ceilings in the living room and kitchen, and many of the original heritage aspects have been preserved, including the hardwood floors and ceiling fixtures.

Cross purchased the house 11 years ago and has been restoring it for the past five years. She then retired and moved here and has continued the renovations, determined to maintain this remarkable heritage home.

The ever-popular Walker House had well over 100 visitors over the weekend, says Haight, and the Kincardine Lighthouse always beats the Walker House in numbers!
The Lake Huron Fishing Club's brown trout hatchery was also steady and gave a super informative tour. People enjoyed having the four sites - Lighthouse, Walker House, Inn on the Harbour and hatchery - clustered and within easy walking distance

New on the Doors Open tour, the Marwanda Estate, west of Tiverton, had a slow start Saturday but picked up quite nicely when the weather warmed up Saturday afternoon and Sunday, says Haight.
Nearly everyone who went there said the same thing: "I didn’t even know this was here” and “I have to come back when the flowers are in bloom”.

The property is owned by Marshall and Wanda Byle (hence the combined name "Marwanda") who purchased it 30 years ago and opened The Chimney Sweep and Gallery adjacent to the county road. North of the business, they built a new home 10 years ago, and north of that are the ruins of an old barn and a 28-acre woodlot.

"We planted 18,000 white pine trees 29 years ago," says Marshall. "We have trails through there, all named after our grandchildren." They have seven grandchildren, ages five to 17, and one granddaughter who passed away.

Along the trails are delightful farm animals, butterflies, and other assorted treasures, which match the trail names. There is also the Parliament of Owls which Marshall calls the "political section."

Twelve years ago, the Byles' daughter, Ashley, was getting married, and they decided to clean up the old barn ruins and hold the wedding there. Since then, they have welcomed numerous couples to have their weddings and receptions, including a tent and dance floor, at the Marwanda Estate.

"Living out here is like living in a park," says Marshall. "It's a great place to be."

The Knox Presbyterian Church in Tiverton was also new on the tour. Built in 1900, it features beautiful architecture, stained-glass windows from London, Ontario, and a tower visible for miles, making is a showpiece in Tiverton.

The Kincardine Airport was another new site on the tour, with a couple of hangars open for the public to view, and pilots on hand to talk about their airplanes and the importance of the airport. Pilots Dave Little of Point Clark and Sandy MacDonald of Kincardine share a hangar which was the first private one, built 15 years ago.

The remaining sites on the tour, included Kincardine Labyrinth Peace Garden, Kincardine Legion, Lake Huron Learning Centre, Kinetic Knights Robotics Team 781, Bruce Telecom, Kincardine Nimrod Gun Club, and the Trails on Saturday only.

"The average number of visitors per site was 63," says Haight. "The volunteers were amazing, as usual, and I can’t thank the site participants enough!"