Doors Open St. Marys features new and returning opportunities to explore history

St. Marys artist Peter Allan Rice works on a memorial piece in honour of late ice skater Sean Rice, also featuring wife Jodeyne Higgins and daughter Signey, at Riverside B&B.

By Emily Stewart

Residents and out-of-town visitors explored St. Marys during the Doors Open event over the weekend and learned more about the community and its heritage.

During Doors Open on Aug. 9, there were 15 buildings open to visitors during the event including town hall, the St. Marys Museum, Broken Rail Brewing Company and Riverside B&B.

Each place had a unique way of showcasing what St. Marys had to offer. The museum provided an opportunity to explore exhibits such as “Service Above Self: 100 Years of Rotary Club St. Marys,” “Animalia” and “Medical Maladies.” The Flour Mill owner Tracey Pritchard, new to Doors Open, gave an opportunity for visitors to explore historic rental suites with limestone walls. Built in the late 1800s, the space was previously used for retail, meetings and as a flour mill.

Pritchard said it took years of construction to get the building ready for a Doors Open showcase.

“People have been asking me since I bought the building if they could look upstairs. Now’s their chance. Today is their chance and I hope they take advantage of it,” she said. “I’m pretty proud of how it’s turned out up there. I live up there and it’s a really glorious building.”

Riverside B&B had a variety of creatives including visual artists, musicians and authors showcasing their work throughout the day.

“We wanted to have more than the house,” said owner John Stevens. “Being the house of Nora Clench, who was an artist, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t just celebrate the house, but that we celebrate some of the artwork and artists in St. Marys.”

Larry Pfaff, congregation member of St. Marys United Church, spoke of the church’s changing architecture. For example, the Casavant organ, one of the largest in Ontario, was placed in 1907 to fill up the space where a wall used to be. The church also has a unique building orientation.

“The church is one of the finest interior spaces in St. Marys and many people don’t see it. It’s open on Sunday and other occasions, but this is an opportunity for people both inside St. Marys and outside to come and see it and hear the organ,” Pfaff said.

Visitors to St. Marys town hall could either check out council chambers or the town hall theatre. Members of St. Marys Community Players were in the auditorium to promote their fall production, Hilda’s Yard, the Laugh and Learn improv program and a script reading of Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap. Greg George, board of directors member, said the community theatre group is always looking to expand its outreach within the town and beyond.

“We draw a lot of people from outside of St. Marys who come and spend time in the town, have lunch, have dinner, have a walk-around before they come to the show,” George said. “That’s an important part of what St. Marys is all about and, as a community, not only offering a beautiful town, a great social experiences like the (Canadian Baseball) Hall of Fame and restaurants and stuff, there’s also a great theatre community here as well.”