Fire rages through wooden village, IWM to the rescue!

When the Midland Fire Department reached the scene on Tuesday, May 8, most of the landmark Huron Ouendat [Indian] Village was in ashes.

The village, situated near Little Lake, beside the Midland Museum, was a completely wooden village… it has been a landmark since it was built 60 years ago. Literally hundreds of thousands of school children have learned about early life of the Huron Indians by walking through the longhouses, going into the Shaman’s tent and entering the village past precious showcases full of artifacts.

During the afternoon of May 8, smoke turned into fire and the Midland Fire Department responded within minutes, managing to save about half of the structure. It is being investigated as a suspicious blaze.

The other half of important history, is history itself.

Angelique Ewing has been taking children from the Wild Fire Outdoor Education Centre in Wyevale to the Huron Village. She was devastated to hear the news.

Like any entrepreneur, she decided that the woodlot management business she runs with her husband, Dave Balen, could step up to the plate.

Angelique and Dave have been contacting customers, and putting out the word. They’re looking for cedar trees. They’ll come and cut them, mulch the branches and leaves (and leave it with you, or take it away). The resulting logs are going to restoration efforts at the Huron Village.

Angelique is delighted that one family called with several cedar trees to offer. Another, Debra Woods and John Connolly donated trees from their Shanty Bay property.

So far, Integrated Woodlot Management has gathered up 100 trees for the rebuild project. They need at least 200 more.

Here is the criteria:
4-6″ diameter (about 10 years old)
available to be cut as a donation

If you have trees you’d like to donate to this project, please call or email Angelique or Dave… 735-2100 or cedar@integratedwoodlotmanagement.com.

Leave a specific call back message and the IWM team and their chain saws and chipper will arrive pronto.

Now, there’s community commitment.

Thanks, Angelique. Thanks, Dave.