Sir Frederick Banting Home- Stead Sold to Developer, Family Outraged

NEWS Sir Frederick Banting homestead sold to developer, family outraged

he incongruities seem star- tling, primarily because it’s a T tale involving the honour and memory of Canadian icon Sir Freder- ick Banting, who unselfishly gave diabetes sufferers the gift of insulin for the princely sum of $1. In fact, the altruism and generosity of spirit that lay behind the Nobel lau- reate’s decision to sell the rights to his

discovery to the University of Toronto The Banting family for a song seem entirely absent in an Members of the Banting family and friends being photographed in front of the south embittered and complex imbroglio that side of the family home in 1910. Pictured are, back, left to right: Banting’s mother (Mar- has erupted over his birthplace and left garet), family friends Ella Knight and Sam Graham, Banting’s father (William); and his descendants levelling accusations front, left to right: Banting, brother Fred, sister Essie and brother Ken. Banting was of greed and betrayal of trust. born in the room directly behind his father. At issue is the fate of the family homestead in New Tecumseth, Ont., roughly 35 km southwest of Barrie, The remaining 70 acres would have for severance from the council, which which was bequeathed to the Ontario been designated as heritage property wouldn’t be possible if the Ontario Con- Heritage Society (OHS) for $1 in 1999 and turned over, along with a $200 000 servation Review Board sides with the by descendant Edward Banting in the donation from Mattamy Homes, to the town of New Tecumseth. belief that it was the best way to ulti- foundation for the camp and historical/ As far as Mayor Mike MacEachern is mately protect the 100-acre farm as a tourism initiatives. concerned, the matter is entirely unre- cultural heritage site. Instead, the OHS accepted an offer solved. “To my knowledge, the sale has What has ensued is a mind-boggling from developer Benny Marotta, owner not been completed.” brouhaha in which the OHS is essentially of Solmar Development Corporation, OHS president Chris Oslund de- opposing heritage designation for the under which 96 acres will be used for clined to be interviewed about the soci- birthplace of one of Canada’s most illus- new subdivisions and a scant 4 acres ety’s rationale for the sale or for op- trious sons and has sold off the land to a preserved. Marotta, who declined to be posing heritage designation. But last housing developer for the much more interviewed, also committed to a December, he penned a letter stating princely sum of about $2.2 million. $100,000 donation to help restore dete- that “the New Tecumseth offer was While doing so, the society spurned a riorating buildings on the homestead. less remunerative than another offer purchase offer from the town of New The New Tecumseth council coun- received by the OHS Foundation and Tecumseth and the Sir Frederick Bant- tered by voting to assign heritage desig- also entailed a three-year deferred pay- ing Legacy Foundation that would have nation to the northerly 70 acres of the ment.… While the municipality has seen a sizable portion of the homestead homestead. Rather than support the now initiated a heritage designation of set aside to create a camp for youth with designation, the OHS has appealed it to some 70 acres of the property, the diabetes, an interpretive centre and a the Ontario Conservation Review Board. original offer was silent on the matter museum, but would only have netted the The ruling, expected to be released of conservation and protection of the OHS $1 million. The offer, which was this spring, is not inconsequential in homestead and its buildings, and being negotiated with the assistance of that it may preclude the building of new meeting the costs involved. Indeed, provincially appointed facilitator Alan houses on much of the property and, this still remains an unanswered issue Wells, would have seen 30 acres of the theoretically, may scuttle the sale. The of some concern to the OHS and it homestead sold to developer Mattamy land is currently zoned as agricultural, would be most willing to discuss a her- Homes for $1 million. Those monies so if Marotta wants to build homes, he’ll itage designation regarding the build- would have flowed through to the OHS. need zoning amendments and approval ing precinct.”

That being, of course, the 4 acres, which the Banting legacy foundation says is completely inadequate for a camp for youth with diabetes. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who appointed Wells to facilitate the New Tecumseth offer, and Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco declined comment. But Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson, whose private member’s bill, the Frederick Banting Homestead Preservation Act, appears stalled in the Ontario legislature, and Simcoe-Grey MP Helene Guergis have accused the OHS of outright betrayal and vowed to use every weapon in their arsenals to stall the sale. “A man’s legacy is being completely disregarded,” said Guergis in a press release. “He changed millions

of people’s lives around the globe. I am Doug Curwood deeply saddened and quite frankly ap- The Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation and town of New Tecumseth had pro- palled at the actions of the OHS.” posed using the family home as the base for a camp for youth with diabetes, an inter- The entire affair has outraged Bob pretive centre and a museum honouring the discoverer of insulin. Banting, family representative and great-nephew of Sir Frederick. “The OHS and the Town of New Tecumseth lished the Sir Frederick Banting Legacy the humble bed to scribble notes for — and our family — had been bar- Foundation at their request. We’ve re- what would become the logic pointing gaining in good faith for months. The ceived donations from doctors and to the discovery of insulin. OHS sold our Canadian heritage to people all over Canada and the world. Site curator Grant Maltman ex- the highest bidder: sheer greed Our goal has always been to create a plained, “This room is a shrine. I find prompted this. My uncle, Edward camp for diabetic children.” people weeping in this room, who Banting, bequeathed the property to “If this sale goes through, a lawsuit write notes of thanks to Dr. Banting, the OHS because he wanted it pro- is inevitable,” Banting adds. “And the which we keep a record of, right here.” tected. After he died in 1999, they got family will return all donations to the With a nod to OHS having a dilemna the land free and clear.” Foundation to the donors.” over what constitutes heritage, Malt- “The OHS knew the family have al- Further compounding the issue is man says Edward Banting’s 1988 un- ways had heritage preservation in a debate over the historical signifi- published history, The Grant Family mind,” adds Banting, who has accused cance of the property. While Banting History, states that “in 1925, the large the OHS of being grossly negligent in was born there Nov. 14, 1891, and his old house was torn down to the ground their maintenance of buildings on the family insists his heart always lay with and a smaller 8 room house was built.” property, even while earning rental in- the homestead, some historians argue Bob Banting dismisses that as an come from the farm land. “We estab- that the London, Ont., home, where OHS fiction aimed at devaluing the sig- he lived between 1920 and 1921 and nificance of the property. The 1925 where he made his discovery, is the changes saw an addition built onto the more significant site. house, while renovations were made to That home was designated the Bant- its original core, he says. But the foun- ing House National Historic Site of dation, floors and the room in which Canada in 1997. His bedroom is care- Frederic was born remain intact. — fully preserved in recognition of his Katharine Fletcher, Quyon, Que. medical eureka moment: before dawn on Oct. 31, 1920, Banting leapt from DOI:10.1503/cmaj.070613 Doug Curwood To follow the ongoing saga, visit the Banting House National Historic Site: The Banting family charges that the www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/BantingIndex.asp Similarly, to review letters of Ontario Heritage Society reneged on a support, published articles and more images of the homestead, check the Save commitment to maintain homestead Frederick Banting’s Birthplace Web site at www.discoveryofinsulin.com/feedback.htm buildings in good condition.

CMAJ • June 5, 2007 • 176(12) | 1692