Christa Lowry knows how to read a room.
The two-term Mayor of Mississippi Mills is a third-generation municipal politician, who yesterday set out to convince the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority not to amend its Strategic Plan to divest the two historical collections it houses, and turn the Mill of Kintail into a “water museum”.
The discussion, at the MVCA head office in Carleton Place took forty minutes.
The Mississippi Mills Mayor knows the issue like the back of her hand- she’s a former Town representative at the MVCA table, and sat on a successful two-person task force that recommended retaining the R. Tait McKenzie and James Naismith Collections at the Mill of Kintail Museum back in 2021.
Mayor Lowry recognizes a decision on the future of the Mill of Kintail is up to the MVCA.
The Mill was once the McKenzie family summer home.
Lowry maintains her visit extends and olive branch to the CA.
After Lowry’s delegation there may have been further discussion at the MVCA Board- but at departure, two other threads remain outstanding- one is proper archival care of the two collections.
More egregious may be the lack of respect for the original agreement that bestowed the McKenzie Collection to the MVCA’s care.
The Mississippi Mills Mayor says the James Naismith and R. Tait McKenzie Collections are important to Canadian History.
While she may not have scored a three-pointer from the foul line, Lowry hopes she got the message across.
By Rick Stow