For more than 125 years …

Victoria Jubilee Hall has been an important part of the community for more than 125 years bringing people together as a regional hub for arts and culture.

 Victoria Jubilee Hall was built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign. The cornerstone was laid on August 12, 1897 and the first Town Council meeting was held on February 19, 1898 in the newly built Town Hall.

The Hall was designed by A.R. Denison and constructed by contractor Henry Clark, using marl brick, clay and local fieldstone, intended to replace the original wooden structure used by the town. The marl clay was taken from an area which was gradually filled in with water, creating Marl Lakes.

According to the local news article from 1897, in the cavity of the cornerstone they placed a scroll, a vial of Canadian coins, a list of voters, the town bylaws, a history of Walkerton and copies of local and regional newspapers including the Walkerton Telescope and the Toronto Globe.

 One of the many that helped to build the Hall was John “Jack Black” Douglas. Douglas was a two-time Town Reeve and was also a foreman at Spool & Bobbin and is buried in the Douglas Hill Cemetery on Bruce Road 3 near Eden Grove. One of his descedants has donated some of the original tools used during the construction to the hall to be kept as artifacts of hall history.