Halton Hills

The Arts Alive Award for Patron(s) of the Arts recognizes an individual or family who support a variety of artistic, cultural and/or heritage activities through their continued financial donations.

The Award was presented to two people, this year, one is Fred Helson.

Fred's contribution to the cultural fabric of Halton Hills is legendary and cannot be overstated.  It is probably safe to say that there isn't any cultural organization in town that has not benefited from his generosity at one time or another over the years.  Along with Fred's significant $1 million contribution to our local hospital Fred and his wife Margaret had been avid art collectors all their lives, an din 2013 Fred donated a significant portion of their collection valued at $800,000 to the renovated Helson Gallery making this a cultural destination point for residents and tourists alike.  

Fred epitomized the classic definition of "Patron of the Arts" and our community will be forever grateful.