Heritage in Action: Learning, Restoration and the Next Generation - August 2026 update
There is rarely a quiet moment at Willowbank. With restoration underway at our National Historic Site, students learning both on the Estate and further afield, and our community coming together to support the future of the School, there is plenty happening in Queenston.
At the heart of it all is the Willowbank approach to education: applied learning. Our students work alongside craftspeople, conservation professionals, faculty and alumni, gaining practical experience with real places, materials and projects.
Restoration in Action at Willowbank
Major conservation work continues on Willowbank’s historic Manor House, where the northwest wall is being carefully stabilized and restored. With scaffolding and shoring in place, masons have been painstakingly deconstructing sections of the wall stone by stone. Each removed stone is marked against a detailed ortho drawing so that it can eventually be returned to its appropriate position — a fascinating example of conservation practice happening quite literally on our students’ doorstep.
Willowbank student Marleen Van den Broek (Class of 2028) is serving as Project Manager, while alumnus Alex Krucker, alongside Frank Rider of Two Rivers Restoration, is undertaking the masonry work. Fellow alumnus Alex Blades prepared the detailed ortho drawing being used to record the stones.
For our students, having a major conservation project unfold at the place where they study provides an extraordinary opportunity to see the principles and skills taught at Willowbank applied in real time.
Help Us Unlock the Full Parks Canada Investment
The work forms part of a much larger investment in Willowbank's future. The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada, has committed up to $193,000 in matching funding towards two critical projects: stabilization and restoration of the Manor House's northwest wall and construction of a new internal fire-rated stair.
Together, these projects will safeguard our National Historic Site while providing safe access to the third floor of the Manor House, opening approximately 50% more usable space for teaching, learning and community use.
The generosity of our supporters is helping us turn this opportunity into reality. Every eligible dollar we raise can unlock another dollar through the Parks Canada contribution — doubling the potential impact of community support. This is an investment not only in an extraordinary historic place, but in the people who will care for Canada's built heritage for generations to come.
Illustration of West facade of Willowbank - Ryan Soudack, Willowbank Class of '28
Investing in the Next Generation
Alongside investment in the Estate itself, new opportunities are continuing to open for Willowbank students. We were delighted to receive a $30,000 Community Impact Grant from Ecclesiastical Insurance, provided over two years in support of Willowbank's Student Bursary Program. The funding will help reduce financial barriers for first-year students pursuing an education in heritage conservation and the restoration arts.
Our students' learning is also taking them well beyond Willowbank. Four Willowbank students recently spent three weeks at The King's Foundation Summer School at Dumfries House in Scotland, supported by the Humeniuk Foundation Scholarship - Unleashing Minds, Transforming Lives. The experience gave students an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of traditional architecture, design and building conservation while learning alongside others who share their passion for traditional craft and the built environment. These experiences are an important part of what a Willowbank education represents: combining traditional knowledge and craftsmanship with contemporary conservation practice, and creating opportunities for students to learn directly from the people and places shaping the field.
Twenty Years of Willowbank - Join Us September 19th!
This September marks 20 years of the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, and we’re opening the doors of the National Historic Site to celebrate the craftspeople, students, teachers and community who have shaped the School over the past two decades.
FREE Community Open House | 1–5 p.m.
No ticket required — everyone is welcome!
Experience heritage conservation and the site in action with tours of the Indigenous Love Garden, live demonstrations by Willowbank faculty, an artisan market, a special anniversary exhibit, Niagara Geo-Park booth, virtual reality, family activities, kids’ crafting with Michaels, PigOut Catering BBQ, Marble Slab treats and more. As part of Willowbank at 20, we will gather for a special Indigenous ceremony to mark the retirement of the Thunderbird totem pole, dedicated to the memory of Albert Choken and honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Boys and Men. The pole will be respectfully retired within Willowbank’s Indigenous Community Love Garden, in a ceremony led by Grandmother Marie Jones and Fred Bowering.
An Evening with The Woodshed Orchestra | 6–9 p.m.
Tickets $20
As the sun goes down, stay for an evening of live music, food and drinks with the wonderfully eclectic Woodshed Orchestra on the Willowbank grounds. Get ready to dance! The Woodshed Orchestra is a joyful, high-energy musical mash-up, moving effortlessly through New Orleans funk and jazz, soul, R&B, blues, ska, reggae, rock ’n’ roll, Klezmer, Balkan-inspired sounds and much more. With a powerhouse horn section, infectious rhythms and full-ensemble vocals, their live shows are all about singing, dancing and celebration. And your ticket will make a difference: proceeds from every $20 ticket will support Willowbank’s Parks Canada matching-funds project — meaning your $20 ticket will have a $40 impact.
