“We were thrilled when Flaherty made the announcement,” said Mary Fay, a member of the board. “And we’ve had a very favourable response from the community. Each of us on the O’Connor House board thank Minister Flaherty and the federal government for their recognition and appreciation of our dedicated work, their confidence in our vision and their support by announcing this award of funds.”
The home was built by Senator Frank O’Connor. Upon his death in 1939, the house was handed down to the De La Salle Christian Brothers who with the Daughters of Wisdom founded Senator O’Connor College School on the estate grounds in 1963. O’Connor was not only a generous Catholic philanthropist but also a noted politician and founder of the Laura Secord chocolate company.
The Christian Brothers left O’Connor House in 2000 and sold the buildings to the Toronto Catholic District School Board. The home, unused, began to deteriorate and has been threatened with demolition on more than one occasion because of the steep cost of restoration.
Fay said the legacy of O’Connor was important to preserve, as it’s a shining example of goodness and truth.
“It’s not just what’s there but what was there before. The legacy of O’Connor is like a diamond in all its facets.”
The O’Connor House board hopes to use the house for promoting culture, heritage, community and learning, Irish and beyond.
With the money, which is still subject to the federal treasury board’s approval, O’Connor House plans to start the restoration of both the home and the coach house, with the intent to at least have the coach house ready for use by the school and the community by the 2011-2012 school year. It will be able to accommodate up to 60 students in a non-traditional classroom setting. Fay said the board hopes to use the coach house’s basement for teaching English to immigrants.
Although the full restoration is an estimated $4-million job, of which $1.5 million still needs to be raised, Fay said the government’s contribution will at least help to get started.
In the meantime the board will continue fundraising and promoting Celtic heritage and culture.
For more information, visit www.irishheritagehouse.com .
$2.1-million federal grant saves O'Connor House
By Carolyn Girard, The Catholic Register
{mosimage}TORONTO - It must be the luck of the Irish. In March, just before St. Patrick’s Day, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rewarded the persistence of the O’Connor Irish Heritage House’s board with a gift of $2.1 million for its restoration of O’Connor House.
For five years, O’Connor House’s board has been fundraising and rallying support to save a Catholic philanthropist’s stately old home on the grounds of Senator O’Connor College School.
For five years, O’Connor House’s board has been fundraising and rallying support to save a Catholic philanthropist’s stately old home on the grounds of Senator O’Connor College School.
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