Revitalization of Marie Dressler House Presentation to Cobourg - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Revitalization of Marie Dressler House

Presentation to Cobourg Town Council by Rick Miller President & Chair Marie Dressler Foundation August 12, 2019

Today’s Agenda

• Background
• The Opportunity
• Request for Approval

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About Marie Dressler House

• Built circa 1840
• Marie Dressler’s birthplace on November 9, 1868
• Restaurant started in 1937 by Lenah Field Fisher
• Fire in 1989 caused significant damage
• Restoration in 1990 with funds raised by Marie Dressler

Foundation

• Town of Cobourg staff offices 1990 – 2017
• Occupancy by Marie Dressler Foundation since 1990

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Who Are We ?

• Marie Dressler Foundation, incorporated in 1990, is a

registered charity under Canada Revenue Agency

• The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors
• We are the owners and operators of Marie Dressler Museum
• Our fundraising events include the Vintage Film Festival,

ReaRView DocFest, and Celebrate Marie Dressler 150 events

• For the past 25 years the Foundation has supported graduating

high school students with bursaries and other programs

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Marie Dressler Museum

• Designed by students in the

Master of Museum Studies program, University of Toronto, in 2015

• Creation of the museum was

funded through federal, provincial, municipal grants, business and individual donations

• Opened in September 2016

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The Opportunity

• Identify a long term use of Marie Dressler House congruent

with the cultural value of this heritage asset to the community

• Expand the scope of Marie Dressler Museum to broaden its

appeal to residents and visitors to Cobourg

• Support “Experience Cobourg” by creating a captivating

attraction

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An Expanded Interactive Museum

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Canada’s Best Actress Oscar Winners

Mary Pickford 1929 Norma Shearer 1930 Marie Dressler 1931

from the collection of Marie Dressler Foundation

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Our Partners

• Mary Pickford Foundation
• Darin Barnes (NormaShearer.com)
• Film Reference Library at Toronto International Film Festival

(TIFF)

• University of Toronto Master of Museum Studies program
• The Corporation of the Town of Cobourg

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Request For Approval

• Marie Dressler Foundation requests use of the entire building

and grounds on a cost-sharing basis to enable expansion of Marie Dressler Museum

• Amend the 2015 lease between Marie Dressler Foundation

and the Corporation of the Town of Cobourg to reflect this request, all other terms and conditions of the current lease to be unchanged, (e.g., term, etc.)

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Questions ?

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