The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Photo by CIRAi-tAM PAINtr The Haiton Reglon Museum may b. g.ttlng an almosi $2 million malceover In the near Mure. It la hoped the faceilft will make the buildings more visible and attreot more business ta the Kelso Conservation Ares site. 4lalton Region Museum may get needed $2 million facelift By IRENE GENTLE The Champion For more than 30 years, the Halton Region Museum bas been hiding in plain view. And even an eight-foot sigo hasn't been able b keep its drab buildings from being eclipsed by its magnificent Kelso Park setting, said Paul Attack, manager of ber- itage services at the museum. Increasing visibility la one of the thoasta behind a proposed $2 mil- lion museum rehabilitation pmject, Halton's administration and finance committee heard recently. "About 100,000 people go ho the beach each summer and they don't know the museum is there," said Mr. Attack. "'lite brown buildings just don't have any impact." He has been on the job for 10 years, and ail 0f them have been spent looking for ways ho bring the once-proud museum up to stan- dard. But a solid plan began forming FINI YGUBSELF ITHEIESEflE Ilcre's an oppontumtv ta mccl santeane wîth depit antI knawledge you may not have had the povîlege o! knawing hcfaoe. Yournclf. la ttc Reserve. yoa discover niant o! what yast're matIe o! hy mastenng ncw challenges. Yon mort sclecîed evenîngi aid weckends, mcci peopte wirh simular jateresta, leani wjth haads.on expertence. antI cana part-lime incarne. Fiai yonr trac potential. Jaja a! The Laine Scots (Peel. Duffann and Halton) Regiment 90 Thomas St., OakvIlla, ON 844-0604 or 1-800-856-8488 wmwditdu E.. = ~* ~ a. MU. tam - after the Region partnered up with Conservation Halton (CH) in 1997 to address the issue. The maniage made sense, since the museum buildings are leased by the Region but owned by CH. Concerns about the buildings farat surfaced in a 1983 arehitect's report It stated that the site was plagued by a Ieaky foundation, too small washrooms, no insulation, air con- ditioning or fare sprinkler system, and limited wheelchair access. And something had ho bu done ho save the museum's 35,000 arti- facts. They range in scale from Indian arrowheads hocarniages. "You are supposed to control the environment 50 there aren't tem- perature extremes and humidity," said Mr. Attack. "We have reatly struggled with that. We are not doing as well as we could." The site ilself is steeped in histo- ry. The buildings were once a part of the Aiexander homestead, a farmîng family of Scottish heritage who woeked the land since 1870. "They weoe welI known for hav- ing a watef turbine on site. They were very inventive," said Mr. Attack. "They harnessed the springs off the escarpment and made their own electricity for the farm." When the Alexanders relin- quished the land ho CH (then the Halton Region Conservation Authority), the buildings were snappeal up by what was then Halton County. A 99-year lease was signned, which was simply handed over when Halton Country was absorbed into Halton Region in the 1970s. Work on the museum buildings will be done in stages, said Mr. Attack. Recently, committee approved a $525.000 rehabilitation plan ho add air-conditioning to the main bam stnacture and brang the washrooms and the kitchen up to standard. If approved at council, the money will be taken out of the 1999 budget. me Canadien Champion, Tuesday, Oclaber 5.1999 -3 FinalIy. Used Vehicles with Solid Guarantees. 411 *aet. tulIV îoadad. 89100 99100, >.Mfl'M p.s., MIV [OR. -, 008 s, toi, fl~ laathe~ SIBiSO, macaiete 29Kni. teattiêi. ioadêd. ~ owwWf Lamait avasiable o,, mont 1994 oni fumer vet,,cles LOWEST FINANCE & LEASE RATES 0F THE YEAR ON USED CARS ATTENTION ALL USED CAR BUYRSI IF WE DON'T HAVE THE CAR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, WE CAPE GET IT FOR YOU..., PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILSI!! *FINANCING/Leaslng/Tax O.A.C. PST/GST/UCJGASIADMJEXTRA CAL!. FOR DETAILS 40* 8MIN ST.E. LE~EU~L M~TON Get your Heating Ducts Cloanod By 1h. Profossionals at Thermosheil ~CaH for detailsi (005)878-0380 * 1-800-4054071