Ted Ross, 2006 Garfield Weston scholar

For 2006 Upper Year Garfield Weston scholar Ted Ross, the past is not another country: it is very much part of his here and now. A graduate of Algonquin College’s applied museum studies program, he has dedicated many years to Watson’s Mill Manotick Inc. This non-profit group runs a 19th-century grist mill in Dickinson Square—the only working industrial heritage site in the City of Ottawa.

As director of special events and fundraising, Ted has been instrumental in obtaining over $800,000 for the mill, much of which was invested in restoration work. “Raising the funds for the restoration of the mill was very important to the community and a strong source of personal satisfaction,” he remarks. “This mill will be celebrating its 150th birthday in 2009 and the restoration will mean that this unique piece of history will survive well into the future.” Ted also used summer funding from the Garfield Weston Awards program to set up the Manotick 150th Anniversary Committee, which is currently planning events to celebrate the milestone year.

Receiving a Garfield Weston Award boosted Ted’s confidence and gave him much-needed encouragement as he was preparing to embark on a new adventure as a mature student. “The scholarship came at just the right time,” he explains. “I was 52 years old when I decided to make a major career change, which can be pretty scary…To have the folks from the Garfield Weston Awards choose to invest in my new career was extremely rewarding.”
Now a manager at the Nepean Museum, Ted plans to combine his career with his passion by working for Dickinson Square.