Dear editor:

The land at 176 Wellington St. carries a deep legacy. In the early 1950s, families across Niagara-on-the-Lake gave what they could to build a hospital for their neighbours.

Their generosity was born out of hardship. After two world wars, communities understood the importance of places that could offer safety, care, and belonging.

The hospital they built still stands today. It houses the Royal Oak Community School and serves as a quiet reminder of what happens when a town decides to invest in its young people.

This building was never meant to be temporary. It was built with care, strength, and the belief that some places must last. For more than 70 years, it held the most intimate and transformative moments of life — births, recoveries, final goodbyes.

Generations of Niagara families were born here, healed here and passed on here. Before the hospital stood, this land had already borne witness to gatherings of First Nations, to battles and treaties, to the shifting tides of war and peace.

The walls of 176 Wellington are layered with memory. They hold the echoes of care and conflict, of resilience and renewal. That history matters — and it deserves to shape what comes next.

Its resilience speaks to the foresight of its builders. They knew that infrastructure must endure, not only physical but also social infrastructure. They expected future generations to benefit from their efforts, to honour their legacy.

We are those generations. We now face a choice.

Built in the early 1950s through community fundraising and volunteer resolve, the hospital was a symbol of shared purpose. It looked after everyone, from young families to seniors, regardless of background or means. It was an anchor for those in need.

That spirit — of inclusiveness and mutual care — should guide us now.

The land itself is extraordinary. Bordered by the Commons, Fort George, the Shaw Festival Theatre, and the waterfront, 176 Wellington sits in one of the most culturally, historically and ecologically rich locations in all of Canada.

Decisions made today will either preserve that legacy — or diminish it. In determining how this site can best serve our community, we must look beyond today’s wants and imagine the needs of tomorrow.

We are not just planning for this generation — we are planning for the children who will raise their own families here 10, 30, even 50 years from now.

Places like Niagara-on-the-Lake need more than beauty to thrive. They need a strong community identity, year-round economic resilience, and a governance culture that welcomes participation from all sectors — not just the loudest voices or the most privileged.

A community only flourishes when all sectors are at the stewardship table. That includes farmers, teachers, artists, caregivers, seniors, youth, tradespeople, local business owners, and cultural workers, and everyone else who calls this region home.

These voices must be heard in meaningful ways — especially when we’re talking about the future of one of the last publicly owned properties in the heart of town.

We must be careful with our community: seasonal wealth and picture-postcard charm can mask a deeper fragility.

When workers can’t find year-round housing, when the economy tips too far toward seasonal tourism, when community institutions like schools are lost or hollowed out — the soul of a town fades. NOTL should avoid that path.

So, what do we build? We build something that makes sense here.

Something that celebrates this place, welcomes the public, and offers room for innovative education, culture, environmental learning, and Indigenous storytelling.

We invest in programs that keep the site alive all year — not just in the high season.

We ensure that whatever rises at 176 Wellington is locally grounded and nationally significant — a place where residents of all ages can gather, learn, perform, celebrate, and grow.

And above all, we protect it from being lost to short-term thinking or exclusive development.

As someone who lives here and has chosen to give back to this region through our Foundation’s work in the arts, education, and child equity, I know we are capable of extraordinary things when we act together.

Let’s keep 176 Wellington in public hands. Let’s honour its origins.

And let’s rise to the opportunity that history and geography have placed in front of us — by creating something that truly reflects the best of us in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Jim Burton, Chair, James A. Burton & Family Foundation

Ottawa