When philanthropists Lauren and Vaughn Goettler arrived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, their passion for
history, preservation, and community engagement immediately found a home. And not only in the
1908 four-level cottage heritage home they purchased in 2015, but also in their desire to champion
projects that would improve, inspire, and challenge the community. In 2020 they formed the Goettler
Family Foundation to do just that, and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum received the very first gift from
the Foundation.
“I’ve always been a history buff,” said Vaughn Goettler, “and museums are a vital connection to our past
– to the stories and people that remind us of the good as well as the bad. Museums actually help us
understand the roots of our community and gain a sense of who we are. ”
It was that commitment to history that convinced the Goettlers of the necessity of the NOTL Museum’s
expansion plans, and so they became one of the first donors to the Capital Campaign. “ This museum is
already the little heartbeat of the town,” said Lauren Goettler. “But it really needs to be a bigger
heartbeat.” By spear-heading the campaign, their six-figure donation created exactly what the Goettler’s
intended, and that heartbeat continues to grow.
Jodey Porter, Director of the Goettler Family Foundation, echoes the sentiment expressed by the
Goettlers. “It’s very important to champion the activities of museums, and of the NOTL Museum in
particular. The sanctuary of history is beyond valuable today, because there are very few places where
that can happen.” Porter, herself a descendent of United Empire Loyalists, has overseen The Goettler
Family Foundation’s philanthropic projects, from supplying water to villages in Africa, creating fish farms
in Bolivia, planting pollinators along Niagara’s Heritage Trail, to supporting countless local art groups.
“If Niagara-on-the-Lake didn’t treasure its history, which is what the Museum does for us, we would be
just another suburb of St. Catharines. Our history is what makes us different.”
Both Goettlers acknowledge the role the NOTL Museum holds in preserving and protecting treasures of
local history, and for sharing that knowledge through its outreach programs and decades of archival
collecting. “If we didn’t have the Museum,” said Lauren Goettler, “just think of what we would lose. I
love the fact that our history is there, and we know it’s safe.”
As retired entrepreneurs, Lauren and Vaughn Goettler believe philanthropy is a social enterprise, with
huge rewards. Said Vaughn, “This is an affluent town. It shouldn’t be difficult to support cultural
activities here and humanitarian projects overseas. Those of are who are able, should stand up and be
counted.”
Which is exactly what Lauren and Vaughn Goettler do, with a passion. And as the NOTL Museum knows,
that kind of commitment turns dollars into critical improvements, preservation, and a future expansion
that will honour the unique history of Niagara-on-the Lake.