This post is the fifth in a series in which we reached out to municipal candidates to ask their heritage platform. Responses will be posted in the order received.
The fifth to respond was Lori Wightman, Candidate for Amherstburg Town Council. The responses are in the candidate’s own words only slightly edited in a way that doesn’t in any way change what they said.
I’m happy to share my views about heritage.
As an Amherstburg resident (Chair of our Branch is an Amherstburg resident) you know the depth of our history and how much of it we’ve already lost through demolition or neglect.
I believe it’s important to retain our historic buildings, if at all possible, and that we recognize the buildings and the events of the past through restoration of said buildings or commemorations with plaques or markers.
I love the idea of adaptive reuse. So often a building can sit abandoned and unused until someone creative comes along and rejuvenates it with a new purpose. It’s a great way to develop properties in a way that allows you to reduce costs by taking advantage of already existing infrastructure, decreasing the need for land development and lowering the impact on the environment. It’s a win-win situation for all. This kind of out of the box thinking should be promoted by municipalities.
I have so many good memories of Amherstburg. Even though I grew up in River Canard my summers were always filled with Amherstburg fun – summer days spent at Boblo riding the Sky Streak over and over again, end of the year field trips to Fort Malden and cottage rentals in Amherst Point which always felt like a true vacation and not just a 20 minute trip down the road.
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