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Discover 82 years of an award-winning author's adventures into the wildest corners of Canada while exploring the sustainably built R.D. Lawrence Place. Opened on April 22, 2008, the Place is an interactive learning centre with a mandate to foster a love of reading, promote the art of writing, and deepen respect for our natural heritage.
Ronald Douglas Lawrence
Born at sea during a storm on Sept. 12, 1921, Ron Lawrence's life was as exciting as his birth. Stories of his wildlife encounters and studies captivated readers around the globe. The majority of his 30 books published in 32 countries, in 16 different languages, are about Canadian wildlife. His writing style was forged by Jesuits hiding from persecution, who were Lawrence's first teachers during his childhood in Spain. Their strict regime prepared him for the strain of fighting as a teen in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He survived capture and life threatening injuries to proceed to study biology at Cambridge University. Unsatisfed with the dissection of the dead in biology, he pursued a life-long passion to study life in the field when he immigrated to Canada in 1954. HIs boundless curiosity served him well as a journalist, a career he juggled for many years with writing books about experiences in the wilderness and working with wild animals he rehabilitated at private sanctuaries in Uphill and Gooderham. His work earned him professional accolades for proving myths about wolves, beavers, skunks, and other animals to be false. Lawrence was a dedicated mentor to many. He lobbied tirelessly to protect wolves and was instrumental in establishing the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Preserve's Wolf Centre. He was unable to complete his last seven books as a result of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, his legacy of environmental education and love of writing has been preserved by the donation to the Minden Hills Cultural Centre of his literacy estate and memorabilia by his widow, Sharon Lawrence, following his death on November 27, 2003.
R.D. Lawrence Place - a sustainable building
Sharon Lawrence, cultural centre staff, township of Minden Hills and the Friends of R.D. Lawrence Place launched a fundraising campaign in 2006 and succeeded in receiving enough public donations and a Ministry of Infrastructure and Renewal grant to start the Place. In April 2007, 26 students from Fleming College's Sustainable Building Program, arrived and worked for five months to erect a 1,900 square foot straw bale building that features solar thermal heating, indoor wetland waste water treatment and over a dozen "green" construction techniques. Tours are now available to explain the building's unique features.
Fun things to do at the Place
Visitors can watch documentaries about Wolf Hollow, the private wildlife sanctuary the Lawrences operated in Haliburton County, or about Ron Lawrence's fascinating transitions from Spanish youth to war veteran to international journalist to author. Enjoy meeting authors, staged readings of local plays, and other literary offerings through our Writer In-Residence program. Experience hands-on activities for all ages and access to a nature trail. Check the website link to the right for updated information on workshops, programs and exhibitions.
Writer In-Residence 2009 Program Comming Soon
Please see the WIR page for details about these exciting events.
General Information:
Excellent student and volunteer opportunities are available. Leave your mark on the Place and help us forge ahead, check out our "fun"draising. Please provide your feedback and guestbook entry. For details please contact the RDLP coordinator or call 705-286-2298. For a list of books by R.D. Lawrence, an opportunity to order copies, and more information please see our links and visit the Cry Wild website.
Highlands Media Arts also shares office space in R.D. Lawrence Place. Their office hours are Tuesday afternoons.
**The photo of Ron Lawrence and Tundra used on this website's home page was taken by Jim Wuepper at Wolf Hollow, the private wildlife sanctuary operated by Ron and Sharon Lawrence at their Gooderham home in Haliburton County, Ontario. Special thank-you to Jim for allowing us to use his photograph for the commemorative stamp and at RDLP.
*Dates and times are subject to change. Always contact the Place for up-to-date information.
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