There will be further discussion early next week at both the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, whose board of directors meets Monday afternoon, and at Mississippi Mills Council and Committee of the Whole sessions this coming Tuesday- on a way forward regarding the Mill of Kintail Museum and the “favourite sons” collections of R. Tait McKenzie and James Naismith.
Following Mayor Christa Lowry’s delegation to the MVCA’s September meeting, General Manager Sally McIntyre returned the favour by making a presentation to Mississippi Mills Council, asking they consider two possibilities: that the Municipality think about increasing its funding for maintenance of the Mill and its collections to 50 thousand dollars a year- and that the Town contemplate assuming ownership of te McKenzie and Naismith collections in the process.
Ms McIntyre put a deadline of six months for discussions on the two requests to be resolved, and then future of the collections and the operation of the Mill of Kintail would be referred to a “working group” for possible remedy.
Elected representatives in Mississippi Mills suggested an extension of the deadline to a year’s time would be in order, as present arrangements don’t expire until 2029.
The back-and-forth resumes next week.
By Rick Stow