Part 1: Wellbanks House Barn Repairs and Heritage Grant Move Forward in Prince Edward County - 09/16/2026
Prince Edward County’s Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee met virtually on September 16, 2026, with a heritage permit and grant request for the historic Wellbanks House property in South Marysburgh forming the main public discussion of the meeting. The committee was also scheduled to consider Heritage Awards nominations, although that portion of the meeting was moved into closed session because it involved personal matters about identifiable individuals.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Valrie Porter, Chair of the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. and explained that it was being livestreamed and recorded. The committee approved its agenda and adopted the minutes from its August 19 meeting without changes. There were no announcements and no comments from the public before the committee moved into its heritage business.
Wellbanks House Heritage Permit Comes Forward
The main public item concerned Heritage Permit Application HP-17-2026 for the Wellbanks House at 1972 County Road 13 in South Marysburgh. The committee was being asked to recommend that Council approve both the heritage permit and a Heritage Property Grant of up to $5,000.
The proposed work involves one of the agricultural buildings on the property. During the discussion, committee members explained that a small section of an existing cattle barn had begun to collapse and was leaning against the main barn, creating the potential for further damage. Rather than allowing the deteriorating section to affect the larger structure, the proposal would remove the damaged portion and reconstruct the end of the building.
The approach would also reuse existing materials where possible. Edwin Rowse, committee member, explained that timbers from the deteriorated portion would be used to rebuild the end of the structure and create a new waterproof end. He noted that the property contains a farmyard of five agricultural buildings and said the proposed work would not heavily affect that overall arrangement.
Rowse described the project as an economical solution that would retain the heritage value of the property while dealing with the deteriorating section before it caused more damage.
Committee Supports the Barn Work and Grant
The proposal received support during the committee discussion. One committee member who had worked on the property’s heritage designation said the barn work was both needed and eligible for the grant. The discussion also highlighted the broader issue of maintaining agricultural outbuildings, particularly as older barns can deteriorate when necessary repairs are delayed.
Rowse agreed with that assessment and supported both the repair approach and the grant. With no further discussion, Porter called the vote. The committee supported the recommendation to approve Heritage Permit HP-17-2026 and recommend a Heritage Property Grant of up to $5,000.
The grant amount does not automatically mean the property owner will receive the full $5,000. Bob Waldon, speaking on behalf of staff during the meeting, explained that the County’s Heritage Property Grant Program operates as a matching grant covering up to 50 per cent of eligible work. A quote exceeding $10,000 had been included with the application.
Once the work is completed, the property owner must provide receipts and other required documentation to the planning department before the grant funding is released. Waldon also told the committee that the recommendation was expected to go to Council on September 22 for consideration.
Heritage Awards Move Behind Closed Doors
After finishing the Welbanks House discussion, the committee moved into closed session to consider Heritage Awards nominations. The closed meeting was permitted under Section 239(2)(b) of the Municipal Act because the discussion involved personal matters about identifiable individuals.
Earlier in the meeting, Edwin Rowse had noted that he was close to Elizabeth Driver and did not want there to be any perception of bias if her nomination was discussed. He said he would remain silent during any discussion involving her nomination.
Before the livestream ended, Waldon explained that the public broadcast would not resume after the closed session. If there was anything to report publicly from that discussion, it would instead appear in the meeting minutes and the following Council agenda package. As a result, the transcript of the public portion of the meeting does not contain the committee’s discussion or outcome concerning the Heritage Awards nominations.
Three Key Takeaways for PEC Residents
Repairs to the Wellbanks House property received committee support. The proposed work would address a deteriorating portion of a cattle barn while reusing existing timbers and maintaining the overall heritage character of the farmyard.
The committee recommended a heritage grant of up to $5,000. The County program covers up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, with funding released after the completed work and required receipts are submitted.
Heritage Awards nominations were considered privately. Because the discussion involved identifiable individuals, the committee moved into closed session, with any reportable outcome to be made public through the meeting minutes and Council agenda package.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:39:24. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
Comments