By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On August 2, the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) hosted the opening ceremony of the city’s Heritage Week. Marsha Paley, chair of the Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee, acted as emcee for the event and introduced each speaker to the podium.
The ceremony took place in the Shoreline and Rotary Room at the AGB, and also served as a celebration for several Burlington organizations and businesses that were celebrating significant milestones.
Paley first introduced Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, who spoke about the importance of celebrating the city’s heritage.
“If we don’t tell the stories of Burlington, nobody else is going to do it for us,” Meed Ward said.
She also explained her own history with the city. “As some of you may know, I’m not from Burlington,” Meed Ward said. “I chose Burlington because I think it’s the best community in the world to live in.”
WhiteEagle, an Indigenous elder and spiritual healer, spoke next and offered her own reflections on what heritage means.
“I really do appreciate being here, and I appreciate being allowed to have a voice here,” WhiteEagle said. “I’d like to say that heritage, the word, for me means traditions, and it means something that has been created for future generations to enjoy.”
WhiteEagle credited Meed Ward for her efforts to include Indigenous people in Burlington’s evolving heritage.
“We [indigenous peoples] look forward to adding our own heritage to your heritage, and in that way, we become one,” WhiteEagle said. “And it really is quite important that we become one, because there are many different groups of people that are here now.”
Emma Sankey, executive director of the AGB, spoke next and mentioned the gallery’s own milestone.
“The art gallery is actually celebrating its 50th anniversary this year,” Sankey said. “It’s an impressive milestone for the gallery, a space that is really committed to bringing the community together around creativity, art, and really trying to inspire people.”
Paley then announced each organization and business that was celebrating an anniversary, which ranged from 190 to 50 years. Each individual who was selected to represent their group also received a City of Burlington certificate from the mayor.
Heritage Burlington, the organization that works with the city through the Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee, works throughout the year on heritage issues in the city, and Paley described some of their projects.
“As you may know, Bill 23 has put a deadline of January 1, 2027, for when we have to have any heritage buildings designated,” Paley noted. “Otherwise, they all come off the municipal register for five years.”
“So that puts a lot of pressure on volunteers to ensure that work gets done, and we couldn’t do a lot of the heritage education, celebration, and promotion that we do without a number of organizations,” Paley added. “And those organizations are part of the subcommittee for Heritage Week.”
Also highlighted was the heritage signage at Spencer Smith Park, a joint effort between Heritage Burlington and the Burlington Historical Society.
“We are working to improve the signage in Burlington with regard to heritage,” Paley said. “A lot of the work is undertaken by the Burlington Historical Society [as well]. Andy Lyster, Heritage Burlington’s vice chair, is working on providing, through our subcommittee, historic signs for some of the heritage homes, because heritage tourism is very important and an amazing economic boost to a community.”
After the event concluded at 11:00 a.m., the first Heritage Week event, the Railway and Historic Houses Walking Tour, started in the AGB parking lot. Alan Harrington, director of programs at the Burlington Historical Society, guided the tour.
