A team of conservator-restorers has begun work on a project to preserve the Lady Head monument in Portage-du-Fort, one of the oldest and most important heritage sites in the MRC Pontiac. The monument was erected over 150 years ago to commemorate the visit by birch bark canoe of Lady Anna Maria Head, wife of Sir Edmund Walker Head, Governor General of Canada.

Lady Head, a friend of Queen Victoria, was influential in the selection of Ottawa as the capital of the future Dominion of Canada. The monument bears witness not only to the exceptional circumstances of her visit, but also to the important role of Portage-du-Fort in Canadian history.

Work is required urgently to stop deterioration of the stone used in the monument, which also serves as the town’s cenotaph. Municipal officials want to ensure that the monument does not become a safety hazard. One of the main problems appears to be infiltration of water into the stone blocks of the structure. When it is subjected to the freeze and thaw cycle of the seasons, the locally quarried limestone weakens and breaks down into small pebbles.

Stone conservator-restorers Elizabeth Cloutier and Isabelle Paradis of the Centre de Conservation de Québec, a department of the Ministry of Culture and Communications (Quebec), spent about half a day examining the monument stone by stone, taking detailed measurements and samples, and documenting its condition. They will continue their analysis back at their lab in Québec City. This stage of the work should be completed by the end of August. It will identify the extent and causes of deterioration, and provide an action plan that identifies restoration requirements, treatment methods, materials and resources.

The Pontiac Historical Society was able to engage the services of the Centre de Conservation de Québec because of financial support from the MRC Pontiac Cultural Fund. “Our MRC’s Cultural Development Agreement helps organizations like ours showcase and preserve the heritage of the Pontiac”, says Christopher Seifried of the Pontiac Historical Society. “The Lady Head monument is an integral part of a unique complex of mid-nineteenth century stone buildings which makes Portage-du-Fort an architectural area of interest within the MRC Pontiac.”

An ad-hoc working group of Portage-du-Fort residents, including Lynn Cameron, Arnold and Geraldine Classen, Cletus and Frances Shea, and Father Basil Tanguay, has partnered with the Pontiac Historical Society to preserve the monument. They hope that it will continue to serve as a durable symbol of the important role of the Ottawa River in local and national history, and highlight Portage-du-Fort’s attractive location, history and architectural heritage as a magnet for tourism, families and commerce.

Submitted by Chris Seifried.

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