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Grandson hopes legacy will be remembered Continued from page 1 3 · Wednesday, February 15, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com "I think anybody that looks at that building would recognize that it's not a very good gallery. It's a lovely old house. It's got a historical designation on it," Lalonde said. "We want the house to be put back to its former status. As long as we use it as a gallery, it's just going to get run down and wrecked. It's an old dwelling and not a gallery." The Town's legal department has looked at Gairdner's will and determined the property does not have to be used as a gallery. "The will is not a condition of obtaining the property. It was his wish or hope that it would be used for a gallery, but it was not a mandatory requirement," Lalonde said. The gallery house is what used to be the main house on the property, formerly belonging to Lt. Col. W.G. MacKendrick, who lived there as of the 1920s. After the colonel's death in 1960, Gairdner purchased the property. GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Considering selling: Pictured is the heritage house that is currently used by Oakville Galleries on the larger property that is Gairloch Gardens on the lakefront in southeast Oakville. Gairdner, who was of Scottish descent, named the estate Gairloch, after a small village in Scotland. In Gaelic, the name means "short lake." When Gairdner, a Toronto investor, died, he bequeathed the estate to the Town of Oakville in his will with the request that the property would be used "as an art gallery for the display of works of art by contemporary artists, and the remaining land become a public park." Since 1974, the land has functioned as a Inside Opinion............................................6 Wheels...........................................14 Artscene.........................................17 Sports.............................................19 Classified.......................................22 Full Delivery: Real Estate, 3 for 1 Glasses, RMP Athletic Locker, Hand & Stone, JYSK, Rona, Shopping News Partial Delivery: Staples, Home Depot, Sears For home delivery & customer service call (905) 845-9742 Mon., Tues. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Thu., and Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (open for calls only after 5 p.m.) Closed Sat. and Sun. New subscriptions call (905) 845-9742 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com public garden and the home as a Town-owned art gallery. The first floor of the home is used for exhibition programing, a reading room and an education centre. The second floor has an education room and an administrative office space for staff. The third floor is used for archives and there is a small apartment for visiting artists and curators. The idea of the Town selling the home is surprising to William Gairdner, grandson of James Gairdner. "My initial reaction was what were they doing selling off a bequest to the Town?" he asked. "I guess they can make good on that by putting it in some equivocally noble public purpose. If they're just putting it in the Town's coffers because they're running out of money or something, that's not a nice thought." William Gairdner no longer lives in Oakville but was born in town and attended Appleby College. And he has memories of the old home. One of the final Christmases the family spent with the late Gairdner was in that house. He said if the Town sells the property, he hopes his grandfather's name is carried to whatever purchase the Town makes with money from the sale. Ward 3 Councillor Keith Bird admits the Town does not have a legal obligation to maintain the property as an art gallery; however, he noted there is a moral obligation. See Town page 5 "Fall in love with Downtown Oakville all over again . . . " Helping You Make Smart Decisions About Your Money A TASTE OF DOWNTOWN February 15th to 29th FEBRUARY FREEZE Saturday February 11th 12:00 - 4:00 pm Fabulous February is Downtown Oakville's major winter shopping and dining event so come Downtown this February and feel...fabulous! www.oakvilledowntown.com Brought to you by the businesses of Downtown Oakville and the generous support of our sponsors Free Parking after 6 pm and all day Sunday For all the fabulous details please visit Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI 220 Randall Street · Downtown Oakville Phone: 905.842.2100 www.peterwatsoninvestments.com