Open Belle Vue's Doors Again

The Town of Amherstburg is looking for a partner or major sponsor in order to build a conference and event centre on property behind the historic Belle Vue house.

Council endorsed a recommendation this week from the Belle Vue Conservancy that administration seek out partnerships in order to move the project forward.

Parks Canada is giving $100,000 towards the roof restoration of the historic Belle Vue House in Amherstburg.

Robertson Roofing was awarded the tender and has begun work on the house which dates to 1816. The roofing project is estimated at $283,400. The remainder of the cost has been raised by the Belle Vue Conservancy.

Terry Whelan remembers coming to Amherstburg’s historic Belle Vue House with her sisters as kids for an annual summer barbecue.

She and Susan were there again Thursday, although flurries and cold temperatures made the idea of summer fun seem like a distant memory.

They huddled on the front steps of the 200-year-old home to present officials from the Belle Vue Conservancy with a $20,000 donation in memory of their late parents Eugene and Elizabeth Whelan.

The historic Belle Vue home is being lit up for the holiday season.

The River Lights Winter Festival has stepped up and helped decorate the home with festive decorations and solar lights. Jennie Lajoie, who is involved with River Lights and the Belle Vue Conservancy, said the former agreed to take on the project.

“River Lights has kindly agreed to light up Belle Vue for the festival,” said Lajoie. “Most of the greenery came from the back of the property.”

Conservancy member Linda Jackson said they are “very excited” that River Lights took on the project.

Over the weekend, the front lawn of Belle Vue was filled with old teacups, paintings, jewelry and other donated things by the community to assist the Belle Vue conservancy in raising more money for the restoration.

Belle Vue is in the running to win $40,000 in “This Place Matters” Competition

The competition is heating up!

“To everyone who has shown support for Belle Vue, the 200 year old National Historic Site in Amherstburg, now is the time to step up and Vote! Vote! Vote!” urges Linda Jackson, Chair of corporate outreach for the Belle Vue Conservancy.

One million dollars at stake! The twice designated national historic site (NHS); Belle Vue House, sits patiently as the property may finally get its chance to be restored and open for public use. Recently listed as one of the top 10 endangered properties in Canada by Heritage Canada National Trust, Belle Vue matters!

A group dedicated to the restoration of the historic Belle Vue House in Amherstburg has released a promotional video to encourage donations towards its $1-million campaign.

Just over four minutes long, the video gives viewers a glimpse of the once-lavish interior of the 200-year-old house built just after the War of 1812. In it, Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo urges viewers to help “keep a Canadian heritage and legacy alive.”

Artist to create Belle Vue painting to raise funds for the building's restoration. Nov 2016