Fall Interim Meetings and Heritage Canada

This is just a short Post to let you know what is currently going on with the Foundation's activities around the Nancy Project.

While the Foundation has been busy of late and is currently awaiting the decision from the Honourable James Moore Minister of Canadian Heritage in regards to our request for a small ship building subsidy of anywhere from 5% to 15% of the cost [to cover the architectural and engineering fees] to build the new NANCY and more importantly in order to "unlock" the private funding for the actual construction costs at the shipyard, that we have decided to open a Facebook page to allow others to join in the discussions around the advent of the NANCY.

Once completed the NANCY will need a crew to sail her and there are plenty of people, both men and women, both young and older who have volunteered to do that from around the Province in general and in particular from the Barrie - Orillia - Port McNicoll triangle area. As well, there are a couple of "black powder" groups who are also interested especially with re-enactments coming up both on land and "at sea" with the Americans during the War of 1812 Bi-Centennial from the fall of 2011 to the fall of 2014. The excitment will grow when we have the functioning cannons [smoke and flash - no cannon balls] and railing guns onboard along with Congrieve Rockets to add a little more "flare" to the meeting with the Americans.

Other groups, such as carvers, wood workers in the finishing trades and home crafts to supply the various products for the new heritage store that will eventually accompany the NANCY at dockside as we try to avoid Made in China/Japan products. So put your thinking caps on and let us see what you are made of and build on our maritime history for the tourists and school kids to see and learn from in the process as we bring it back to life. maybe one day the NANCY will be mentioned in the high school history books.

We are looking at holding public meetings in the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011 depending on the level of response to the new Facebook page around the NANCY Project with the new HMS NANCY becoming a permanent facility in Port McNicoll - occasionally sailing around the Great Lakes to attact more tourism to the southern Georgian Bay Coastal area. For those heritage fans who support us I'd like to ask that you wear a "period" shirt to the meetings [pattern is avaliable from Vogue and Butterick - 1776 pattern]
and for the Scots among us to wear your kilts if you have one.

Lastly, and I'll put this on the Facebook posting as well, is that for all who read this and support this type of heritage project, I would like to ask that they/you spend just a few moments and write a letter of support for the Nancy Project and the grant request, and address it to:

The Honourable James Moore P.C. M.P.
The Minister of Canadian Heritage
Legislative Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0M5

and say that you support the Nancy Project and that you would like to see the new NANCY as part of the Bi-Centennial of the War of 1812 with the help of his Ministry in order to "unlock" the funding condition from the private sponsors. Then pop it into the mail. The leading MP's who support this project with us are of course Bruce Stanton [Orillia] Patrick Brown [Barrie] and Joseph Preston [St Thomas - Port Stanley]. I am sure they would love to hear from their constituents as well.

Thank you very much.