Here's a fine mess. In 1999 descendants of Frederick Banting, discoverer of insulin and Nobel laureate, left the 40-hectare family homestead near Alliston, Ontario, to the Ontario Historical Society.
Now the Society has sold most of the site to a commercial developer. Descendants, local heritage activists, local town council, MPs and MPPs are not pleased. Typical press coverage here. Ontario Historical Society press release at www.ontariohistoricalsociety.ca Save-the-homestead campaign at www.discoveryofinsulin.com/feedback.htm. It's even covered in Wikipedia's Banting bio now.
I don't know. The OHS press release suggests selling much of the land will provide the funds to preserve the homestead itself (apparently the home currently on the site was built after Banting left Alliston). Town and descendants argue a much more substantial memorial project was in the works when the OHS made its sale.
