ALLISTON - Two local service clubs are banding together to help preserve a piece of the history at the Banting Homestead.

The Alliston Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Alliston are rebuilding the octagonal drive shed at the homestead, the birthplace of Sir Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin. Work on the project is expected to start in March.

This is the first time the Alliston Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Alliston have joined forces for a project.

Rotary co-chair Jack Vant Spyker said because it will not be an inexpensive project, the clubs are now able to share the financial burden.

The octagonal shed was ranked the highest in a work priority list for the buildings on the property in the Banting Homestead Master Plan that was released in June. The town-commissioned plan included a lengthy list of work that needs to be done on the octagonal shed, which was originally built in 1917.

There are few octagonal sheds left in Ontario, and the Lions and Rotary steering committed has found a way to maintain the look of the shed while updating it to meet today's building standards. The owner of another local octagonal shed built around the same time has promised materials to the Banting Homestead project.

"We are going to use parts of that to keep the shed to its original condition," said Hart Holmstrom, Lions co-chair for the drive shed committee.

Because certain structural standards of the original shed don't meet today's building standards, the rebuilt shed won't be historically accurate in all respects.

The variations of the rebuilt shed include the foundation, which will be laid to withstand extreme weather conditions. A proper concrete floor will also be installed.

The cedar roof will have plywood underlay as well as ice and water shield on the entire roof surface. For security, the double sliding door will also be replaced.

Basic water lines and electrical outlets will also be included for internal lighting and water supply, as well as to connect to overall site services.

To fund the project, the Lions and Rotary steering committee have asked the town to advance them the money for the project. The goal would be to pay that money back by the end of the year, said Holmstrom.

The loan would be so the work on the drive shed can start as soon as possible.

A fundraising committee of Lions and Rotary members is being set up. Until the fundraising arm is created, people wanting to donate to the octagonal drive shed project can contact Vant Spyker at Trillium Ford Lincoln in Alliston, 1-866-672-6111, or by e-mailing jack@trilliumford.com. The Rotary Club can issue charitable receipts for donations.

Having service clubs stepping up to do fund specific projects is the avenue he hoped groups would take, said New Tecumseth Mayor Mike MacEachern, who also sits on the Banting Homestead Heritage Park Co-ordinating Committee.

"We expect the project to go fairly smoothly," he said.

Turning Sir Frederick Banting's Homestead into a heritage park was the suggestion in a master plan, which looked into what should happen to the 100-acre Homestead property. When the town-commissioned report was released in June it recommended the site be used to maintain the heritage value of the homestead and tell the story of Banting and early 20th Century rural Ontario life in. The homestead will also contribute to healthy-living practices and experiences and support the sustainability of farming through training and innovation.

After the completion of the master plan, the Banting Homestead Heritage Park Co-ordinating Committee was set up to implement the master plan.

Ensuring the preservation of the Banting Homestead has been a long journey.

When Edward Banting died in 1999 the land was bequeathed to the Ontario Historical Society (OHS).

New Tecumseth was working on a deal to buy the land from the OHS in 2006 when a developer, Solmar Development Corp., approached the OHS to buy the property for $2 million, twice what the town was offering.

After the Solmar sale was announced, the town moved to protect the land under the Ontario Heritage Act. In October 2007 the Conservation Review Board supported New Tecumseth's decision to protect the land.

The town bought the Banting Homestead in 2008 for $600,000. It officially took possession of the homestead June 30, 2008. To date, town fundraising efforts have brought in about $200,000 in donations. About $50,000 of in-kind donations has also been raised.

New Tecumseth's Recreation and Culture Department has been doing critical repairs to the house and maintaining the grounds while future use for the homestead moves forward.