Blogs

Discover stories, insights, and technical know-how from barn owners, preservationists, and OBP experts dedicated to keeping Ontario’s barns standing tall.

All things Ontario Barns

Silence of the Silos

by Joan Corbett-Fujiki, Director/Secretary Ontario Barn Preservation I am not a writer, but have a deep concern and interest in the preservation of barns and outbuildings. When I travel on the back...

THE BURLY BARN

by Jenny Phillips, OBP Regional Rep for Middlesex, Elgin, Chatham Kent and Lambton, originally published in her book “Does it Pay?“ On October 6, 1926, John Kenneth Galbraith, a young cub reporter for...

A STONE BARN STORY

This is one of my favourite barns in our area of Grey County. Although it’s just north of the town of Durham on Highway 6, the barn is set well back from the road and not easily seen. The front field...

Memories of the Haymow’s Seasonal Cycles

by Jim Verwer, Member of Ontario Barn Preservation, originally published in the St Marys’ Journal Argus At this time of the year the short days and the slower pace of winter brings the recollection of...

My Journey Creating an Old Barn Survey: Bowen Pausey, University of Guelph

As the winter 2021 semester comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the unique journey I have taken to get to this point. It’s not everyday you’re offered a position to assist in creating a...

Barn Specia-List is live

Our new list is live!! But give it some time to populate! We would like to encourage you to join our Barn Specia-List available to the public on our website for people looking for assistance with...

Looking for Secretary Volunteer

We need your heeaaaalp!! via GIPHY OBP is growing quickly. And many hands make light work. The interest is spreading and we are having trouble keeping up. We are looking for a volunteer for a...

Barn Frame Anatomy

This short video illustrates the key components in a classic timber frame barn! By Krista Hulshof Duynisveld Please click on the “Watch on Loom” button if you wish to view on a full screen...

Setting up the OBP Barn Survey Project: by Bowen Pausey, University of Guelph

Two months ago, the only time I thought of barns was when I’d drive by them on the way out of the city. In passing a handful of barns on unpaved backcountry roads, I only ever thought of them as a...

Vernon Bailey’s recital of Charlie Smith’s poem “The Barn”

Thank you to Vernon Bailey and Charlie Smith for their wonderfuly contribution of this stirring ode to, of all things, barns! The Orator: Vernon Bailey grew up on a small dairy farm on the north...

A Farmer’s Tasks in Winters Past: Some Reflections and Advice: Part 5 of 5

Conclusion: A Canadian winter was described by and used by authors for various reasons. Joseph Neilson wrote in his 1837 award winning essay, Observations Upon Emigration to Upper Canada, a very...

A Farmer’s Tasks in Winters Past: Some Reflections and Advice: Part 4 of 5

Winter Travel: In Emigration, an 1834 volume of letters from emigrants now settled in Upper Canada, one observer recorded that in the 1830s, during good weather, travel was common; “At these time...