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The Acton FrecPrcs Wednesday Aug 1980 If ft for Josef Acn demy would be just another stone house with probably a clapboard addition It took Josef of history and his love for the continuation of that history to restore the Academy to its original form Over a hundred years 1850 ago the Academy was established by William Welhcrald a Quaker minister who established a boys school in the tradition of his religion The huge stone building on the out skirts of served as a school for years and was then turned a private resid Jocscf known as Joe to his friends came to Quebec from Belgium in the early 1950s At the he was studying to be a priest and planned to return to seminary after his parents and large familj of brothers and sisters get settled But Joe destined to be a priest he was already asking questions his religion I answer and was developing the free very philosophy by which his life has been bound Even though he was to become one of best known sculptors he spent part ofjiis young manhood wandering the country working m a Yukon mine and herd on cuttle as a gen cowboy By 1960 Joe was farming north of Rockwood on Jack Frost I and involved in such dune activities as shipping pigs and trucking feed Always fascinated by the Gordon residence on Main Street South in Rockwood Joe found himself picking up a load of pigs with Jim Milne from the barns in the rear one day He had seen the placein a dream and found himself caught up in a dreamlike sequence When he approached the owner lor a tour of the house he casually asked if the man had ever thought of selling Funny thing he should ask the owner replied just three weeks before he had decided he might sell and here was his buyer The price Mr Gordon named the exact figure that Joe had from his first one man art show inToronto SB No financing till Joe found himself the owner of the once Rockwood Academy now down to two from the original three A previous owner had filled in the back to the level of the second floor in order to cut down on heating costs The huge residence was built on very monastic lines with simple Saxon halls and dormitories on the top floor But there would be much work to be done before restoration that Joe had set his heart on could be accomplished The work although n earing completion will not be done for many years yet Since Joe has had the umbrella and fin assistance of the Ontario Heritage Found The Foundation agreed to restore the vital parts of the building in return for the right to pro tect thi attributes of the Academy delighted I don tfeelsoaloneanymore says Joe Up until that time Joe had only his earnings from his art to finance the restoration contrary to public belief that the work was being financed by grants Even though Joe has willed the Aca demy to Canada after his death financially he was totally atone for 18 years The pressure to complete the massive reconstruction program while attempting to continue his work as a turned Josef Into something of a hermit turning away hoards of visitors who thought the Academy was a public institution He says he regrets the necessity to work so hard at the expense of friendships but he is a man with a mission In actuality most people who number themselves among his friends find him extremely hospitable and very proud to show off his beloved Academy taking time for a talk and coffee Expo winner As a sculptor Joe leapt rapidly to inter national fame when he won the Canadian com petition to provide the sculpture for Expo Can s world fair in 1967 Beating out 14 other entrants with his medieval figures put Joe name on lips The financial rewards were immediately poured Into the Academy Describing his Expo sculpture Joe chuckles It was a big bizarre thing A homage to the pioneers of Canada Josef says the work was a historical experience a thousand years of migration to Canada from Viking days on A pioneer family rough hewn were Incorporated in a boat like structure cocoon In a structure of old barn beams Winning the competition enabled Joe to throw Into his life love bringing to light the history of William his family and his school A large portrait of the founder placed in the Academy s entrance hall fills the visitor with awe when he finds himself looking at the face of Drenters In Quaker garb Joe says he snot really aware of any likeness but the resemblance of the two certainly stirs latent beliefs in rein carnation When delves into history he delves He has visited all the Wetherald s early residences he has rested in the room the baby William was bom in he the family as well as he knows his own and he s spent 32 years re searching his own European ancestors back to the 12th Ccnturyl The building began to take shape as Joe core fully piece by piece took each room back to the original and scoured the area fpr antiques fitting the middle 19th century time slot In his travels he absorbed considerable history of and and is now a walking local history book The sunny schoolroom was refurbished with school desks old toys and many of the writings of William in a glass display case However despite Joe love of antiques and careful attention to historical detail the Aca demy la no museum refurnished exactly such as public restorations like Black Creek Pioneer Vil The Academy is foremost a home and strong evidence of Joe a sensitivity to atmosphere is all over the house Although monastic in flavor the is obviously the home of an artist who en joys the delights of the senses Classical music is always played on the stereo coffee cups dot tables European statues and some of Joe s own work Ignore visitors from niches The enormous task of removing the in filling from the rear of the building and restoring the original first floor Is now complete The rear is a delight of landscaping paving paths herbs and Victorian rose gardens The recently restored gymnasium Is a welcoming room instead of a storeroom for Joes collection of centurj old agricultural implements as it was not so long ago The addition of a chapel In keeping with the architecture is Joe only departure from He wanted a for meditation so he spent years gathering old stones and started to place them one on top of another until the chapel appeared Full circle To talk of the Academy would take a bookto Josef would take a I ve never before met a man such aB Joe who has the face of a priest the mind of a saint and the body of a lumberjack Sometimes his vocab ulary matches his body I Although considered an academic In some areas Joe Is a confirmed realist Astu dent of history he nevertheless Is very much a part of today I love big cars There a a great danger in being idealistic a self peril you forget about your own survival when you pursue knowledge and history it can be addictive Joe values his freedom above all Man should make himself free that what it sail about Ho explains his early years trained in classical study under the rigours of monastic discipline encouraged him in this philosophy Ono gets the feeling Joe is an historian first and an artist as a means to an end He has the soul of an artist and says he loves to live art Spiritually experiencing it Is beautiful but physically producing the art it always falls short of the Idea Josef goal with his restoration is to return the Academy to its original purpose that of education He not clear how this will be accomplished but wants the building opened eventually for a school full circle Josef Drenters is one of those rare human be ings who seems completely happy and at one with his mission in life Knowing him is a pleas lire and I glad I do Josef Drenters with Academy founder William Wetherald In portrait Fate of trees a worry HALTOIM HILLS JILLS GYMNASTIC CLUB TRYOUTS WHEN Monday August 1980 WHERE Georgetown District High School Gyms 1 2 TIME Registration 30 Try Outs70OB3Op m The Halton Hills Jills Gymnastic Club have both competitive and pre competitive programs operating from September through till June Practice schedules vary doponding on tho group however most gym nasts will practice 1 weeknight and either Saturday or Sunday The try outs are open to any interested girls and over Please dressed in gym suit or shorts and a T shirt Attention YBC Bowlers LEAGUE PLAY BEGINS SAT SEPTEMBER 13 REGISTRATION DATES Saturday Auqui23 it Thursday August Saturday REGISTRATION CAN BE MADE IN PERSON OR PHONE ACTON BOWLING LANES 8534170 Registration Fee 2 BATES 2 Bowling par pair AGE DIVISIONS Bantam NOT of Ago Jun NOT Years of Ago 31BO Seniors NOT 18 Year of Ago 3180 Regional Public Works Improvements to High design maps be posted in Committee Is concerned way from In Regional Council Cham over the number of trees terchange to the inter along with Indlca to be destroyed by the section at are Hans of trees to be Ministry of not currently included in destroyed by the Hon and Communlca s fiveyear plan but reconstruction preliminary design the Ministry is hopeful Approval of the MTC plana for the provisions can be mode plan was deferred to Hon of Highway for their inclusion another meeting where Committee members Public Works Com calculations of tree viewed the Disposed mittee Chairman Ron destruction would be design dirrtirVa meeting suggested available at Halton Regional Museum Wednesday and noted the plans Included no indication as to the number of trees the road improvement design would eliminate Reconstruction will at Highway at Milton and continue north to Acton including the addition of truck climbing lane on the Escarpment THE ACTON FREE PRESS Authorized as Second Class Mall Postal Registration Number 0515 CARPETING FLOORING SPECIALISTS 128 Main St North Acton 8631190 f ate Sifts Cards 3euielleru Redding invitations I Home Gifts Cards Mill St East Acton FOODLAND IS YOUR LAND shoulder roast s Fresh Ontario Pork butt roast 109 shoulder butt pork chops 119 1 Maple Leaf lb average Ready to Serve picnic style pork shoulders 1 29 Maple Leaf 34 lb average sp cottage rolls 159 B B Q Ready breast on and legs back attached fresh chicken parts Maple Leaf pkg side bacon 109 179 Maple Loaf assorted popular varieties luncheon meat Schneider beef steakette 59 York smooth or crunchy peanut butter 129 jams 119 Clow Leal chunk light tuna 11 cheese slices 119 It frozen hash brown potatoes high nor dozen 7Q n batter ticks Firm House lav 12 frozen cream pie haddock FRESH PRODUCE arrives daily at the lowest possible prices Canada It a vinegar 12a or California lead tea flavour crystals o Comavpnkotwh to 3 a bath bar SOap 140 129 139 whitener sweet green relish sweet mixed pickles US readycut macaroni 79 coca cola diapers Decor roll toilet tissue Champ on mustard 59 399 198 179 300 hair spray Weston of wiener or hamburg rolls pkg of raspberry or lemon uSj 59 79