Heritage Church Conservation In Rural Southern Ontario: An analysis Of Outcomes In Three Rural Municipalities

Across Ontario, churches are closing their doors as congregants and clergy members decline. These closures leave a number of surplus churches that face abandonment, demolition or re-use. Retaining surplus churches presents a challenge for heritage planners and communities who wish to conserve these unique, aging, landmarks. While a great deal has been written on the challenges of church conservation in urban areas, very little is known about the pattern of church conservation in rural areas. In this study, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist and United Churches are inventoried in the municipalities of Chatham-Kent, Prince Edward County and the City of Kawartha Lakes to determine the most common outcome of former rural churches. The findings show that adaptive re-use is by far the most common outcome, followed by demolition and vacancy. In addition, the findings indicate low municipal heritage designation rates among rural churches even though they represent some of the oldest architectural landmarks in Ontario. This study calls on heritage planners and communities to plan for the future of their rural religious heritage to ensure that churches of historic and community value are both conserved and re-used for future generations to come.

Heritage Church Conservation In Rural Southern Ontario: An analysis Of Outcomes In Three Rural Municipalities

Across Ontario, churches are closing their doors as congregants and clergy members decline. These closures leave a number of surplus churches that face abandonment, demolition or re-use. Retaining surplus churches presents a challenge for heritage planners and communities who wish to conserve these unique, aging, landmarks. While a great deal has been written on the challenges of church conservation in urban areas, very little is known about the pattern of church conservation in rural areas. In this study, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist and United Churches are inventoried in the municipalities of Chatham-Kent, Prince Edward County and the City of Kawartha Lakes to determine the most common outcome of former rural churches. The findings show that adaptive re-use is by far the most common outcome, followed by demolition and vacancy. In addition, the findings indicate low municipal heritage designation rates among rural churches even though they represent some of the oldest architectural landmarks in Ontario. This study calls on heritage planners and communities to plan for the future of their rural religious heritage to ensure that churches of historic and community value are both conserved and re-used for future generations to come.

RFK, Prince Edward County, and the Revolution for Justice

This chapter tells the story of Ambassador vanden Heuvel's meeting and subsequent close working relationship with Robert F. Kennedy. Appointed assistant attorney general at the Justice Department in 1962, he was tasked by the Attorney General with re-opening the public schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia, after four years of closure due to local officials' resistance to desegregation after Brown v. Board of Education. His efforts led to the creation of the Prince Edward County Free Schools, which opened in September 1963. After President John F. Kennedy's assassination two months later, vanden Heuvel remained with RFK at the Justice Department, eventually working with his campaign for Senator and then president. Along the way, he travelled extensively with RFK in South America and Europe. He includes his speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Prince Edward County Schools.

Land Use Change Effects on Soil Quality in Prince Edward County, ON

Soils play a critical role to society as a medium that facilitates crop production and also contributes to the energy and carbon balance of the Earth System. Land-use change and improper land-use is one of the dominant factors affecting soil erosion and nutrient loss in soils. We examined the effects of land-use change on an Elmbrook clay/clay-loam soil on a farm in Ameliasburg on the northern part of Prince Edward County. Three cover types were examined: a sod field (established for over 10 years), a wheat field (part of a wheat/corn/soybean rotation for 30 years) and an undisturbed deciduous forest. Under each land-use type, cores to a depth of 40 cm were collected along three random 30 m transects (at 8, 16 and 24 m), then divided them into 10 cm increments, combining all similar depth increments along one transect. Soil quality was assessed by analyzing various soil physical and chemical properties. Bulk density of the soil was much higher (1.55 vs. 0.95 g/cm3) in both agricultural ecosystems compared to the forest, but only in the 0-10 cm layer. Soil moisture at 60% water holding capacity was much greater for the forest than the sod and wheat soils. Soil pH was slightly lower in the forest compared to the sod and wheat fields. The sod and wheat fields showed losses of ~52% and ~53% organic matter, respectively, in contrast to the forested area. The greatest differences in organic matter and total carbon were found in the top 10 cm, likely due to the greater accumulation of litter at the ground surface in the forest compared to the agricultural sites. It appears that long-term (10 year) agricultural production has led to a decline in some, but not all, soil quality measures, particularly soil organic matter, bulk density and water holding capacity. These findings are consistent with much of the literature concerning the effects of land-use change on soil quality, and highlight the need to develop improved management systems to minimize losses in soil quality that can lead to declines in the productivity potential of soils over time.

Branding Prince Edward County as a Gastronomic Niche Tourism Destination

Increasingly, gastronomy is playing a role in people's motivation for travel, and destinations are making food and beverages their main attraction. This study explored the growing field of gastronomic tourism, a type of niche tourism, through the theoretical framework of destination branding theory. Using a qualitative case study research design, this research examined the branding of the emergent region of Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada as a gastronomic niche tourism destination from the perspective of tourism industry players. Findings indicated that the region turned to gastronomic tourism due to its agricultural history and need for economic development. It was also found that tourism industry players utilized the processes of brand identity, product development, collaboration, support and communication to brand the region. This study contributes scholarly and practical knowledge to the areas of tourism and branding, by providing insight into the development, management and promotion of destination brands.