Hamilton-based think tank invests $2 million to restore 187-year-old Hamilton home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2023

HAMILTON, ON – Cardus has officially reopened Hamilton’s historic Chedoke Estate. This milestone follows a year of detailed, meticulous restoration work at the 1 Balfour Drive heritage property and a $2 million investment from Cardus.

“I’m so grateful for the work that dozens of people have put into bring Chedoke back to life,” says Michael Van Pelt, CEO of Cardus. “It’s a privilege to have Cardus call Chedoke home. I can’t wait to let all of Hamilton see how this heritage gem looks today.”

Cardus officially gained occupancy of the Chedoke Estate this week. Local staff have now moved in to begin working from the restored space, which Cardus is stewarding.

Cardus’s restoration and maintenance of Chedoke represents a multi-million-dollar investment over the life of the 17-year lease, while the property remains in the public hands of the Ontario Heritage Trust. As steward of Chedoke, Cardus is following a 200-page conservation plan that reflects the work of a leading team of experts. This group includes Julian Smith, Canada’s top heritage architect and co-author of Canada’s heritage standards and guidelines. It also includes Emma Cubitt, Principal of Invizij Architects, and heritage consultant Megan Hobson. Cardus’s minimalist restoration plan allows for meetings, study, and research while protecting all 66 heritage characteristics defined by the province for the site.

Cardus is committed to hosting Hamiltonians at Chedoke regularly throughout the year. It was inspiring to see more than 2,000 members of the public receive an early taste of that hospitality as Cardus played host at Chedoke during Doors Open in May 2022.

Cardus wishes to thank the Bartels family, associated with the Budget Environmental Group, for its philanthropic investment which has been key to reaching today’s milestone.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES
Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Communications
613-899-5174
media@cardus.ca

Cardus – Imagination toward a thriving society

Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.