The old dairy barn on the Banting Homestead property in Alliston has seen better days.
The barn, which was built in 1916, has been deemed unsafe for occupancy due to some structural problems. Inside, the barn’s foundation shows noticeable structure failure and is at risk of collapse.
The Town of New Tecumseth's Heritage Advisory Committee is now looking at options to see if the old barn can be restored and made safe for people to enter.
The Committee discussed several options during its Feb. 4, meeting. These include fundraising and grant options to raise the money needed for a restoration project. There is a real possibility that the barn cannot be saved and will be demolished.
In that case, the Committee discussed a process where remnants of the barn could be maintained on the property in some form as a historical record.
The Committee expressed hope that the Banting name associated with the barn may bring interest from both private donors and government grants. The barn was described as “essential to the experience of the homestead which is part of the Banting history.”
It was noted that restoring the barn to a condition that allowed the public to visit would entail a lot of additional money to bring it up to code to make it compliant with safety and accessibility features needed for a public space.
It was also suggested that if the barn was to be demolished, the materials, such as the barn wood, could be sold and repurposed for other projects and the money made from the sale used to fund other projects on the property.
If it is decided that the building must be demolished, there will be a definite time limit put in place when the structure will be brought down.
Brian Lockhart, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Tecumseth Times
