Intentional community change

Early last month, I had the opportunity to restore a 1930s stained glass door from the Beach neighbourhood in Toronto that was in bad shape and in need of serious love and attention. The piece — comprised mostly of custom bevels — had slumped in its frame over time, glass cracked and bowed, with full sections of lead missing. Screws had been drilled right through the lead in a desperate attempt to hold it together, with tape and metal bars piled on over the years. The effect was less “craftsmanship” and more “patch job.”

The only way forward was to take it apart completely. We dismantled it piece by piece, cleaned the original glass, cut new pieces where needed, matching the original glass as closely as possible, and then re-leaded, soldered, and cemented the entire door before carefully reinstalling it. Because it had to fit back into the same wood frame, precision was everything. We relied heavily on the measurements and cartoon patterns we took before disassembling. The moment we dry fit it back into place and saw that it lined up perfectly was deeply satisfying, as it was proof that the long, painstaking process and attention to detail had been worth it.

This project was a joy for another reason, too: I worked on it alongside my mentor, Bonnie Thomson. Restoration is a unique and somewhat dying art in a world where it’s often easier to throw things away and buy new. Doing it together meant we could share ideas, learn from each other, and enjoy the process as much as the finished result. It reminded me that true restoration rarely happens in isolation.

The door itself told a story. Over the decades, people had done what they could to keep it intact. Tape here, screws there, reinforcement bars everywhere. Each effort may have bought a little time, but the structure was still failing. Only when we took it apart fully, addressed each broken piece, and carefully rebuilt it could it return to its former strength and beauty.

That lesson applies far beyond stained glass. In this month’s Advocate, the Vital Signs research highlights areas in Kawartha Lakes that need attention: health care, seniors, immigrants, and eight other categories. Like the door, some of our systems have been held together with patches and quick fixes. But real change — the kind that lasts — requires us to take things apart, examine them honestly, and rebuild them with intention.

Restoration is never quick. It takes patience, collaboration, and precision. But when it’s done well, what’s rebuilt can carry history forward while also being strong enough for the future. That’s true of doors, and it’s true of communities. When we rebuild together with intention, we create something stronger, more useful, and built to last.