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Tme has stood still in uptown Waterloo for too long. But that will change next week with the grand reopening of the city's omcial timekeeper. atop the former Watedoo post office, The fbur-faced clock. which can be seen from almost any vantage point in the core, has been out of commission for a decade. Uptown heritage clock to resume ticking But with the help of four dedi- cated volunteers. including a mas- ter of heritage clock restoration. the Iong-time landmark will he back up and running during a community celebration, to be held at noon May 27. The date holds even greater sig- nificance, as Queen Victoria pro- claimed Waterloo a village on May 27, 1857. "We want to create a heritage moment," said Mark Whaley. a well-known local volunteer who bore the idea of restoring the clock last fall. "Since that clock was built. Peo- ple used to look at it as Watedoo's Guide] keeper of time, Whenever it broke down. citizens would be up in arms. MMQMUWIIW vtmtiiirtgmttrtorqrtmr.amt Br Mom Bum - ,Chi‘W‘lf EVIL C5iiiiiiitii' Repairs & alterations Wedding gowns Solvent-free cleaning "A lot of people have been angry that it hasn't been working for a long time. And thinking of it just sitting there idle made me sad, "But I won't be sad for much longer." _ The unveiling of the clock will be a momentous occasion, espe- cially for those who recall the many changes the historic build- ing has gone through over the years. Howevér. by I956 the clock and tower was starting to decay and was soon removed. _ _ After public protest and debate, the government replaced the clock and tower with a shortened ver- sion, In 1969 the building survived a tire on the third Mor, which again damaged the clock tower and resulted in another shortened ver sion of the tower. In l913. the Waterloo Post Office and Custom House, which included the clock tower, opened on the King Street site, The building underwent a major renovation in 1987. which included the rebuilding and recon- struction of the clock and tower. But for the past decade, owners. PAGE 3 including the Perimeter Institute wttichisrtowhmtsedinthebuiid- ing. were unable to secure the parts needed to more the dock. A solution came in the form of Ron Gimble of Kitchener. who has worked on the maintenance of other historic clocks throughout Brian Dietrich (left) and Mark Whaley wanted to restore the old doth tower, atop the former Waterloo pout ofrsce. 1llti)NICll But Whaley said the job could- n't have been complete without the help of volunteers like Sven Budzisch and Chris Hatton, who helped merge the old technology Ontario, He found the required parts, and has rebuilt the time- keeper in": original form _ _ The Westvale Neighbourhood Association held its annual Victoria Day extravaganza last Saturday featuring midway rides for the children and fireworks for kids of all ages. Enjoying the swing ride was Alex Austin, seven, pictured left; white one-year-old Faith Sheppard got a ride on the pony (above) with help from Allison Jaspers-Fayer. Celebrating Queen Victoria 345 Erty St W 746-2570 20 tang St. N 835-2170 56 NOW DI. 88F3230 It"! - at mm Han 8869t20 King ' John 744-1107 Whaley said he gained a strong appreciation for heritage preservation when he helped represent Waterloo in the Nations in Bloom competition in Germany last year. Brian Dietrich ofWaterloo's Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) praised the group's efforts to revive a piece of local history. with a new power source, "That really put me in touch with Waterloo's heritage." he said. "I thought I could contribute in some small way" "That is one of the most recog- nized community buildings. and it's scoring a lot of points as one of the most important structures that was built with quality in mind." he Whaley said the public is invit- ed to attend the celebration. The group will meet at tt:45 a.m, at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, before making their way to the dock tower. "This is a perfect demonstra. tion of (citizens) caring about their city's heritage." _ 'People will be able to look up. see the omen] time and celebrate their heritage," he said. 135 mm sts 744-4411 Find" M H 894-2070 Fons! Glen Plan 742-1641 460 PM 743-7511 450W th 573-5940 “Wm“