Executive Directors
Co-Chair
Katherine McHarg
Katherine has been an active member of our chapter for several years, opening her previous home on Ellen St. for ACO’s 2012 House Tour. She holds degrees in Fashion Design, English Literature, and Education, and retired from teaching with the Toronto District School Board recently. She served as a Trustee of the Port Hope Library Board for six years, known for bringing creative ideas forward for both outreach and design elements. A member of the Marketing working group, Katherine also works on strengthening internal partnerships within our branch. Katherine joined the Executive in 2021 and also serves as co-chair of the Education Committee.
Co-Chair
Susan Layard
Susan Layard is a retired school administrator and teacher of history and mathematics. She taught for 21 years at The Bishop Strachan School, where she also served as Head of Mathematics, and for 13 years at St. Clement’s School, where she was the Director of Curriculum and Student Services and Principal of the Summer School. During the 2006-07 year of school construction, she was the Principal. After formal retirement in 2011, she went on to direct the school’s annual professional development institute for teachers of Advanced Placement courses. Throughout her career, Susan was also heavily involved with music, coaching music groups at both BSS and St. Clement’s, and outside, working extensively with Canadian composer Udo Kasemets. Since moving to Port Hope in 2016, Susan has been a Board member of St. Mark’s Maple Court, which provides affordable housing for seniors, and a volunteer for ACO Port Hope. Susan joined the Executive in 2019 and also serves as Chair of the Advocacy Committee.
Vice-Chair
Brian Buttery
Brian was born in this area and has never really left. His ancestors came here generations ago, and he can still feel the hold Northumberland has on him. Early years in brief: He attended the old Dr. Hawkins Senior Elementary on Pine Street and then Port Hope High School, before graduating Trent University with an Honours B.A. in English and History. He got a teaching degree from The University of Windsor and ended up at the same Dr. Hawkins. Brian and his wife, Pamela, bought their first heritage home, a beautiful red brick house on Walton Street, and they have lived in several other historic homes in the area. They learned to appreciate the joy (and challenges) of living with/in history and attempting to preserve the past and currently live in a renovated Ontario cottage in Englishtown. Brian has been a collector and sometime antique dealer for the past 30 years and his appreciation for our cultural and material heritage continues to grow. Brian hopes to build appreciation for, and understanding of, Port Hope’s rich heritage, through his involvement in the ACO live auction, walking tours and the PHHF annual house tour. He is currently serving as Vice Chair of ACO Port Hope.
Treasurer
Brenda Willows
Brenda is a retired CPA and her 45 years business experience includes 15 years at Trent University as Financial Reporting Analysis and nine years as Accounting Manager of the Canadian practice of McKinsey & Company. She enjoys art classes, gardening and YMCA group fitness classes.
Secretary
Jennifer Wadds
Jennifer and her husband Denzil are the (slightly overwhelmed) owners of 77 Augusta Street, also known as the Wickett Mansion. Jennifer’s family has a historic farm on Rice Lake and she grew up appreciating the wealth of history and heritage buildings found in Northumberland County. Jennifer andDenzil escaped the city in 2015 when they moved to Port Hope with their three children and an assortment of animals. When she is not chasing bats out of her attic, Jennifer is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology as well as the owner of a small private practice. She is the past vice-chair of the board of her professional provincial association(OSLA) and is currently co-chair of the Ontario sub-committee of the board of the Canadian professional association (SAC). Jennifer looks forward to contributing to the preservation of the historic architecture of our beautiful community. Jenny also serves as co-chair of the Education Committee.
Directors
Lydia Bell-Gradon (Svenningson)
Lydia and family moved to Port Hope in 1996 and she joined the ACO in 2010, thoroughly enjoying volunteering for house and garden tours. During her career as a senior administrative assistant, Lydia worked at financial holding companies, developers, a Toronto law firm, and most recently finished 20 years at Trinity College School, Port Hope, in September 2021.
Greg Cooper
Greg is a lawyer and the proprietor of Cooper ADR, a family law mediation and arbitration service. He is a former partner of Bastedo Cooper and Cooper Meldrum, Barristers. Greg belongs to the Canadian Bar Association, Advocates’ Society and the ACO. He has volunteered as a Governor of York University, and he is currently the treasurer of the Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society. Greg has been a member of the Port Hope House Tour Committee for the past two years, acting as Treasurer.
Tom Cruickshank
Tom has been a member of the ACO since he was in university in the 1970s, served the Port Hope LACAC in the 80s and the ACO board in the early 2010s. He has an abiding interest in local history and heritage architecture, a subject he has pursued in no less than five books, some with architect Peter Stokes. His work includes Old Ontario Houses, Old Toronto Houses and Port Hope: A Treasury of Early Homes. For the better part of 25 years, he worked in the Canadian magazine industry, first as editor of the Century Home here in Port Hope and later, Harrowsmith Country Life. He is currently at work on an inventory of the older buildings of Hamilton Township.
Malcolm Pike
Originally from Australia, Malcolm was in medical practice in Canada from the 1970’s until retiring in 2021. His practice involved community and hospital-based care. This also involved ongoing participation in hospital medical affairs and for several years, Malcolm participated in professional hospital quality of care initiatives. Over the years he has been fortunate to reside in a few older houses and since 2015, has been living in a designated heritage house in Port Hope. He has been a volunteer at many heritage events, including house and garden tours. Malcolm is keen to contribute to the preservation of Port Hope’s valuable architectural heritage and the town’s surrounding natural assets.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Advocacy
Susan Layard
Port Hope ACO Auction Committee
Blaise Gaetz & Brian Buttery
Communications/Marketing
Laura Antonik
Grants
Susan Carmichael
Education
Katherine McHarg & Jenny Wadds
Membership
Lydia Bell-Gradon Svenningson
Newsletter & Bus Tour
Patsy Beeson