Willowbank

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Queenston, ON
Willowbank

Canada’s leading School of Heritage Conservation - combining theory with applied learning.

05/30/2026

This week, 2nd year student Ellen Siebel-Achenbach presented the Wilderness conservation management plan at the SSAC (Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada) conference in Saint John, New Brunswick. The presentation was included in her session “Hometown Heritage,” celebrating local collaborations and organizations that preserve heritage in communities across Canada. Ellen is a board member with the Society, and hopes to continue to share local heritage success stories with national audiences.

04/19/2026

Our final week of the school year just finished at Willowbank!
1st year students gave an excellent presentation of their Studio project to their client, the Mackenzie family.
2nd year students learned about stone conservation with Keith Blades and also got to visit the Traditional Cut Stone workshop in Toronto.
Finally the students had a movie night to close out the year.

04/13/2026

It was a wonderful week at Willowbank! We celebrated Homecoming which drew almost 100 people from across our community; students, prospective students, alum, faculty, partners, board members, supporters and friends.

Julian Smith - Chair - addressed the audience with his reflections on the importance of people and place.

Katie Houghton - Executive Director - shared developments on fundraising efforts, including introducing Sam Trigila to the community; Sam is the Chair of our Philanthropic Strategic Capital Campaign committee and his role and the committee is crucial to the sustainability of Willowbank.

We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to for donating wine to the event and to for donating beer.

Our second year students also presented their capstone project, a Conservation Managment Plan of The Wilderness in Niagara-on-the-Lake, providing an overview of the site, its history, structural assessments and ideas for adaptive reuse. Now, on to the final week of term!

03/19/2026

Prospective students are invited to join our upcoming virtual open house:
* Tuesday 31 March, 8 - 9pm EST. * Link in bio with details on how to join the session. We look forward to sharing details on North America’s leading school of Restoration Arts, with its incredible faculty of over 50 people actively working in the field, coming to Willowbank to share their skills and knowledge. Join this session and learn about our approach to education in heritage conservation, and why combining theory with applied learning creates well rounded and confident heritage professionals of tomorrow.

03/07/2026

Heritage interiors and faux finishes at Willowbank 🎨

This week 2nd year students spent time learning about heritage interiors with Ashley Bell. They toured Dundurn Castle and Gage House where they saw many examples of intricate interiors which display the design principle of harmony by contrast. They also saw many examples of faux finishes, all of which had been done by the formidable Lori Le Mare, the instructor for the second half of the week.
At the Cotton Factory in Hamilton the 2nd years were taught by Lori how to replicate wood panels and marvel textures.
Next time you're in a heritage building, look closely at the walls and see if you notice any faux finishes!

02/05/2026

This week students learned about Photogrammetry with Adam Weigert from the CIMS lab at Carelton University.
By taking a series of photographs of Willowbank and putting them through a specialized software they were able to create accurate 3d models of the building.
Check out CIMS to see more Photogrammetry.

02/02/2026

Recently the 2nd year's put their learning to the test and created designation reports for potential heritage properties in Grimsby. Alumni and current Town of Grimsby Heritage Planners Bianca Verrecchia and Mike Salvage helped the students prepare their reports and the students then presented the reports to town employees.
These reports will lead to the eventual designation of heritage buildings.

01/20/2026

Curious to learn about North America's leading School in heritage conservation, where apprenticeship style learning in both hands-on and theory is delivered by 60+ heritage professionals from Canada and abroad?

Prospective students are invited to join our virtual open house to learn more about our three-year Heritage Conservation Program, founded in 2006.

Join us! Wednesday February 4, 8-9 PM EST.

Registration link is in bio.

01/15/2026

🎉 Our 2024–2025 Annual Report is now live!

This past year marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Willowbank. With renewed energy, strengthened leadership, and deeper connections with our students, faculty, alumni, and community, the future is looking bright.

Highlights include updates from Board Chair Julian Smith, who returned in January 2025, insights from our Co-Deans of Faculty Jim Mountain & Keith Blades, and a look ahead at Willowbank’s sustainable future from our Executive Director, Katie Houghton, as we approach the 20th anniversary of The School of Restoration Arts.

We’re also developing a bold Strategic Philanthropic Plan to create next-generation learning spaces at Willowbank. These accessible spaces will expand hands-on learning in trades, conservation, and restoration, bringing together students from across Canada.

Thank you to everyone who makes the Willowbank community truly extraordinary!

🔗 Read the full report via the link in our bio!

11/18/2025

✨ Willowbank Heritage Series Finale! ✨

Join this Saturday, November 22, as he explores Fine Art, Auctions, and the Stories Behind Objects. Brett will be speaking on 'Personal Stories and the Relationships behind the Landmark Auctions of HH Princess Salimah Aga Khan, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and HRH The Princess Margaret.' Discover how objects, people, and hidden narratives come together to bring heritage to life.

📍 Bright Parlour, Willowbank
⏰ Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
💵 Reserve your seat: $25 via e-transfer to [email protected]

Don’t miss the final lecture in our seven-part Intersections in Heritage Conservation series!

Address

14487 Niagara Parkway
Queenston, ON
L0S1L0

Telephone

+19052621239

Website

http://www.willowbank.ca/

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