HERITAGE OTTAWA | MEDIA ADVISORY

Heritage Ottawa was disappointed to learn of the recent proposed closure in 2026 of the Perth Campus of Algonquin College, home to the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Diploma program. The two-year program provides participants with the skills and knowledge critical to the preservation, renovation and restoration of historical architecture. Heritage Ottawa is calling on the Board of Governors to reconsider this course of action.

Algonquin College has stated that the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program will be repatriated to the Main Campus in Ottawa. However, the specialized training facilities at the Perth campus — reopened in 2011 after a $10 million plus investment — are not currently available at the Woodroffe campus. Workshops dedicated to timber framing, log construction, traditional joinery, architectural millwork, historic window and door repairs are critically important to the hands-on nature of the program. The specific context of Perth and Lanark County, with its rich tradition of heritage buildings, has also contributed to the success of the program for over 35 years.

The Perth campus has the potential to accommodate other programs that should be explored with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This could also include the re-instatement of the heritage masonry program (cancelled in 2018), given the ongoing needs for skilled workers for conservation projects on Parliament Hill and beyond.

The Algonquin College Board of Directors will be meeting on February 24 and we encourage them to consider new creative partnerships which could identify opportunities to share the Perth facility and reduce the College's operation costs.

Should the financial constraints currently facing Algonquin College force the relocation of the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program to the Woodroffe campus, Heritage Ottawa urges that the necessary investments be made at the Ottawa location to accommodate the specialized needs of the program.

Media Contact: info@heritageottawa.org

HERITAGE OTTAWA is an award-winning not-for-profit organization that has been championing the protection and stewardship of Ottawa's built heritage and cultural places and celebrating their value in enriching our shared environment for over 50 years.  Through advocacy and awareness-building activities, Heritage Ottawa promotes the public engagement and investment in the protection and enhancement of our city's heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. Visit heritageottawa.org