Old barn lovers unite: Ontario Barn Preservation urge farmers to save old barns

Old barns are usually considered the humblest of buildings but a new Ontario group is focused on preserving them as icons of agriculture heritage.

Ontario Barn Preservation is a non-profit volunteer group made up of farmers, architects, historians, engineers and contractors who appreciate the craftsmanship and heritage value of old barns.

Their mission is becoming more urgent as old barns are swiftly disappearing from the rural landscape said Will Samis, secretary for the group and a beef and sheep farmer from the Iron Bridge area.

“They are unique buildings built by the farmer who owned the land. For those of us who have the bug, they talk to us about the past,” he said.
The group’s president is Jon Radojkovic, a Chesley-area contractor south of Owen Sound, who specializes in heritage barn repair and who has also written two books on historic barns.

Samis said wind storms and fires have claimed many of the old barns, especially the “bank” barns that are built into a slope in the land. But some of them are being demolished by bureaucratic neglect because they are often not included in a severance granted for a rural home.

“The barn may be perfectly good and salvageable but it is often demolished because of unintentional planning policies. We are lobbying for changes to that.”

Samis said old barns are typically used for storage but they can be repurposed as restaurants, antique shops and wineries. Some can also be converted for use by small, specialized farm enterprises. Samis said there is a rare 12-sided barn in his area, one of only three in Canada, that is used as a farm market in the summer.

Ontario Barn Preservation offers advice and support to barn owners, helping them dig up information on the age and origins of the structure as well as grants and contractors that are available for reconstruction.
He said each barn is unique because it was built by the farmers, his family and his neighbors based on the material available and the needs of his farm.

The group’s most ambitious project is to create a directory for all barns in the province. Samis said there is a variety of barn styles in Ontario reflecting the German, English or French heritage of the farmers who built them.

For more information on the group go to the website www.ontariobarnpreservation.com.

Barn owners who want to be part of the directory can upload photos and information about the barn directly to the website.