Projects and Activities
The Fredericton Heritage Trust tribute to William Wellington (Bill) Thorpe
A founder of the Trust in 1972, who died on December 21, 2006
Fredericton Heritage Trust Award to Bill Thorpe
Annual General Meeting, November 16, 2006 (Beaverbrook Art Gallery)
Your Honour, Madame President, Mr. Riordon, Ladies and Gentleman.
In addition to promoting the importance of our heritage resources - particularly our significant buildings - Fredericton Heritage Trust also tries to make a point of recognizing individuals who are a part of this process.
Our award recipient tonight is known to many Frederictonians for many things.
Some will know him as an educator, with an extensive career at Fredericton High School as a teacher and assistant principal.
Others will know him as a sports enthusiast and participant, particularly with respect to playing, coaching and promoting rugby.
Others still, will know him as a municipal politician, serving as city councilor and deputy mayor of Fredericton.
Many others will know him as an advocate of walking trails throughout our city and province.
Indeed, Bill Thorpe is a man of many interests and talents.
For the past 10 or 12 years, I have known Bill as a fellow member of the board of Fredericton Heritage Trust, where his passion for history and heritage has always come to the fore, whether it entailed escorting the Prince of Wales on a motor vehicle tour of our heritage buildings here in Fredericton, or staunchly advocating the rehabilitation of the York Street train station. [On a personal note, Bill, and another Trust colleague – Bob Dallison – initiated me into the Trust's "plaques and awards" committee. Prior to setting out to review the candidate buildings, the committee convened at a local pub to review our notes. At the end of this session, I - as the "rookie" - was called upon by Bill and Bob to pay the tab. Additionally, my working knowledge of the proper procedures for conducting meetings (as vice-president/president of the Trust) was not very extensive, but Bill could be counted on return me to the correct course.]
In the 1970's and 80's, Bill was a key figure in preserving the very core of downtown Fredericton from less-than-sensitive developers. Part of our display in the lobby includes an article from a (fall) 1980 issue of Maclean’s magazine, outlining the events/outcome surrounding development pressures in Fredericton which many thought threatened the core of the downtown area. The article ends with a quote from Bill (as deputy mayor): "Downtown Canada is a little richer for this decision." Fredericton is much richer for people such as Bill Thorpe.
Please join me in a round of applause for Bill.
posted by FHT News and Events editor at February 4, 2007 10:31 PM