LAURIE WEIR
ALMONTE — Mississippi Mills council is calling for national support to save two heritage collections at the Mill of Kintail. The site honours Canadian sports icon Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball, and internationally acclaimed sculptor Dr. R. Tait McKenzie.
On Aug. 12, council unanimously backed Mayor Christa Lowry’s motion to open talks with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) board and staff, aiming to slow a decision to disperse the collections and repurpose the building.
“This opens up the opportunity for us to have some dialogue,” Lowry said. “Those of us here are very proud of the history and significance of Dr. James Naismith and Dr. R. Tait McKenzie. It may not be that the 18 members of that board have that same information. Let’s share what we know and encourage they take a slower pace.”
A special advisory committee co-chaired by Lowry in 2021 recommended the MVCA keep both collections at the site. She said the current direction marks “a departure from what we anticipated” and suggested other solutions may not be getting consideration.
The shift follows provincial changes that limit conservation authorities to “core mandate” services. Museum operations now fall under “Category 3,” outside the levy unless municipalities agree to fund them. MVCA member municipalities did fund the museum for five years, with Ottawa contributing about 90 per cent, but that agreement has expired.
All 11 member municipalities signed five-year agreements for Category 2 and 3 services as of Jan. 1, 2024. Category 2 relates to watershed monitoring and planning support while Category 3 is stewardship, education, and visitor services at the Mill of Kintail.
R Tait McKenzie collection. Photo credit: Submitted [Municipality of Mississippi Mills]
“This is more than Mississippi Mills, it’s Canadian,” Holmes said. “We’re letting the States believe they invented basketball, when it was Canadian James Naismith. R. Tait McKenzie’s sculptures are revered worldwide, yet kids here don’t know who he is.”
The MVCA proposes converting the building into a water-focused education centre. Holmes and fellow MVCA board member Coun. Mary Lou Souter fear that would leave the collections “in dire danger of becoming orphans.”
Souter said eight board members need to visit the site to grasp its value. “That whole legacy is being thrown out, maybe not well understood by the board, the CA, or the province,” she said.
Lowry stressed the need for partnership over confrontation and criticized the lack of recent consultation with stakeholders, including the National Capital Commission, Ontario Heritage Trust, and the Naismith and Leys families.
Council’s motion directs the mayor to engage the MVCA board, staff, and partner municipalities on preserving the collections. Residents can reach out to MVCA Board members using this information: https://mvc.on.ca/board-of-directors/
“This is a moment to work together,” Coun. Vicki Lowe said. “Losing things like this chips away at the pride we want our grandchildren to have.”
Lowry told Hometown News she questions the rush. “This was tabled in mid-July, with final decisions expected in September or October. MVCA staff have said 2026 would be the last season for the museum, but the agreements with member municipalities don’t expire until 2028. This has been ongoing since 2019. Why now, over the summer, with little transparency or engagement?”
She said the MVCA must pass on stewardship “in a thoughtful and respectful way.”
“My understanding is the MVCA would keep the Mill and conservation lands, but replace the Naismith and McKenzie collections with a water museum. I can’t see how this saves money. A roof replacement costs the same regardless of what’s inside. I’m eager to see a business plan that says otherwise.”
Lowry wants open engagement involving the MVCA, community, original partners, potential new partners, and heritage organizations.
“Solutions can always be found,” she said. “It’s not OK to auction off historic collections because they are inconvenient. No other place is as authentic to their memory as the Mill of Kintail: McKenzie’s art studio and Naismith’s childhood playground.”
Dr. James Naismith Collection. Photo credit: Submitted [Municipality of Mississippi Mills]
Lowry confirmed in a follow-up email that she will speak to the MVCA’s board on Sept. 8.
Financial pressures driving the proposal
The 2019 More Homes, More Choice Act restricted conservation authorities to core mandate services, reclassifying museum operations as “Category 3” and requiring separate municipal funding. Ottawa carried most of the cost in the last agreement, which ended in 2023.
Under the CA Act, non-core mandate services (like education, the museum, visitor services) can continue to be provided by the CA. However, it requires an agreement with member municipalities rather than being automatically included in the municipal levy for core-mandate services.
Even with cost-sharing agreements in past years, the site is facing a funding crunch. According to the MVCA’s 2025 draft budget, the Mill of Kintail Museum’s operating costs are projected at $92,070. Revenue sources include $30,500 from the municipal levy, a $13,445 provincial Community Museum Operating Grant, $13,081 from the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, and $23,500 in projected fees and donations, with the balance from other revenues. The Category 3 capital reserve for all structures at the site is expected to drop from $19,165 at the end of 2024 to zero by the end of 2025.
Council members say this financial picture underscores the urgency of finding a sustainable solution that preserves the Naismith and McKenzie collections while keeping the Mill of Kintail accessible to the public.
The Mill of Kintail Museum strategic plan survey can be found here.
Read more in Part Two: Funding gap forces MVCA to weigh new future for Mill of Kintail Museum
