In today’s technologically-centered society, everything seems to come to you in your living room. Consequently, most people need an extra little push to get off their couches and explore the world outside their homes. So, in case you needed them, here’s three reasons why you should come visit us at Banting House.
1. Breathe the same air as royalty.
Last Saturday was the 23rd anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s visit to Banting House National Historic Site. On July 7, 1989, she made a whirlwind trip to London,Ontario during which she unveiled a life-size sculpture of Dr. Banting and lit the Flame of Hope. More than 4,000 people came out to see her. Miecznikowki’s bronze sculpture stands 1.8 metres tall and weighs 104 kgs; it depicts Dr. Banting on October 31, 1920 at the time her wrote his hypothesis that would lead to the discovery of insulin. The Flame of Hope stands 2 metres tall and weighs 15 metric tonnes. With special mechanisms to insure it says lit during all sorts of extreme weather, the flame will burn until a cure for diabetes is found. The Queen Mother attended a reception in the Frances Ruth Lawson and the Judge J. M. Seneshen Galleries inside the house before being hurried off to a lunch at a local art gallery. Want to learn more about Her Majesty’s visit? The Frances Ruth Lawson Gallery currently houses an exhibit showcasing the event.
And since our galleries were good enough for a royal reception, might they be good enough for yours? The Frances Ruth Lawson and Judge J.M. Seneshen Galleries are available to rent. Email grant.maltman@diabetes.ca with the subject line “Rentals” for more information.
2. It’s free this weekend.
This week at Banting House will be dedicated to preparations for our Banting & Friends IV event. This art exhibition and sale will begin with a catered and ticketed presale reception on Friday night before opening to the public on Saturday and Sunday. Five local artists – Sandi McCabe, Diana Tamblyn, Nik Harron, Patrick Giles, and Kim Atlin – will be present selling their pieces. They’ve each generously agreed to donate half of all the proceeds directly back to Banting House. To learn more about the artists, check out our Facebook page. Prints from Dr. Banting’s Four Seasons series will also be available for purchase. We’ve had lots of sponsors for this event, and would like to preemptively thank the City of London, ISM, Marketing Strategy and Solutions, Metro London, Stone in Style, Trudell Medical Ltd., Starbucks, Steamwhistle Breweries, and Scotia McCleod for their generous donations which allow us to hold this event. The event will be catered by Element Catering and Chef Services. Anyone attending the event on Friday evening or throughout the rest of the weekend will also be welcome to tour the museum free of charge. If you’d like more information on how to purchase tickets or just about the event in general, please check out our events page or email museum.intern@diabetes.ca.
3. We have a geocache.
Geocaching is a popular new sport that relies on the use of a Global Positioning System, the internet, and adventurous travelers. The goal is to find hidden containers, known as caches or geocaches, using a portable satellite navigation (GPS) receiver. It’s like a big treasure hunt. Geocaches are hidden all around the world. If you needed further reason to check out the Birthplace of Insulin, why not look into it? You can see how many others have found our geocache, and leave us a message.
Here’s what some people have already said:
“Cool location,lots of history at this spot! Co/ords a tad out but very easy to find with the hint! Also ran into some of our geobuddies at this cache as we were about to leave. TFTC!!”
“First cache find of the evening. I knew Banting House was inLondon, have driven past the location many times, but never realized exactly where it is! Thanks for bringing us here tonight, was interesting walking around and reading the plaques. TFTC”
“Searched high and low for a brown stone and was all set to log a DNF when I figured out where it was. I enjoyed reading the plaques and am ashamed that I haven’t been here before now. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“cache #5200. as we both are diabetics we thought this cache would be appropriate for a milestone cache. The office was open so we went inside and chatted with them”
“Have passed this spot many times! Stopped and read the plaques, etc here before searching for the cache. Great spot! Thanks for sharing such a great place and tribute! TFTH!”
There’s plenty of reasons for visiting beyond just these three. Have you been to Banting House? What was your reason for visiting? Are you hoping to come in the future? What attracts you to us? We’d love to know! Leave us a message in the comments.
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