The Nellie McClung Homes are back in Manitou and undergoing renovations with help from Enbridge.

The pair of 100 year old houses are where McClung, famed author and women's rights activist, wrote her classic novel, 'Sowing Seeds Of Danny'. The committee also arranged for the transport of the Hazel cottage where McClung boarded as a young teacher.

A group in Manitou has spent the last year raising money to transport the historic buildings from the closed Archibald Museum. Nellie McClung Heritage Site committee member Al Thorleifson explains both buildings have been aged gracefully after 130 years, and even include some of the original furniture.

This week the committee received a cheque for $25,000 from Enbridge. Thorleifson explains that they wish to use the donation towards finishing the second floor of the "big house" and refurbishing both homes, which had not been done for 60 years.

Fellow committee member Bette Mueller says another part of the donation will be put towards the education of what the era was like at the time of McClung's life.

Joanne Bradbury, a member of the Enbridge Community Engagement team, explained Enbridge will be repairing 1600 km of pipeline starting in Hardisty, Alberta and ending in Superior, Wisconsin, USA. 1100 km of the pipeline are in Canada ending in Gretna, Manitoba, where an American team will be continuing the rest of the repairs.

Knowing that the pipeline passes through smaller communities, Bradbury explained that Enbridge aims to give back to the communities they pass through with a donation to local organizations.

mcclung1

mcclung2