Re: “A portrait of the artist,” Oct. 8.
This is a wonderfully informative article that highlights the wide appeal of Emily Carr and all her associated areas of interest. And all under the one (small) roof of Carr’s home.
The importance — local, national and international — of maintaining such a national treasure cannot escape Times Colonist readers. The Heritage Branch of the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is responsible, providing undeniably much-needed financial support.
The terms of this funding fall under the parameters of an old contract in need of an update to reflect the realities of today. A long-term plan that addresses core operating funding and much-needed project maintenance funding is essential.
Also, while much has been accomplished the restoration work is not complete. My father, David Groos, bought this house in 1964 to save it from being razed by the B.C. government and turned it over to the Emily Carr Foundation in 1967. As a child, I remember watching him take the lawnmower to one-metre-high grass on what is now the front lawn and telling us about how our grandmother was a potter with Carr, something we only grew to appreciate as we got older.
A collaborative effort resulting in a strategic plan that includes sustained funding, allowing the remarkable work of the Emily Carr House to move forward, is the direction to go — otherwise the door to Carr’s home remains precariously open.
Hilary Groos
Victoria
