Government House

Main Floor - Entrance Hall

Visitors to Government House are attracted immediately by the beauty and charm of the Entrance Hall, Main Hall and Grand Staircase, and the ornate woodwork and plaster in this area of the residence. The entire area was refurbished and redecorated in the first major renovations to Government House in decades, which occurred in 1999 at the beginning of the term of The Honourable Peter M. Liba.

In a project initiated by Her Honour Shirley Liba, the Chatelaine of Government House at the time of the 1999 renovations, the wall-to-wall carpeting in this area was pulled up to expose the beautiful Manitoba oak flooring. The flooring was refurbished to its original state and now is complemented by area rugs which add to the richness and warmth of the halls. The wallcovering has a traditional design dating back to the early use of wallcovering.

Grand Staircase - The elegant oak staircase curves up to the Second Floor, and the carpet on the staircase and upstairs hallways reflects the primary blue colour on the frieze surrounding the skylight area.

Buffalo Painting by Frederic Verner - Found in flag tower by son of Lieutenant Governor Errick Willis (1960-65), and was cleaned and restored.

Small Victorian Table is walnut, has interesting fret-work design typical of Early Victorian. Larger Table, which is later Victorian, features an incised design on the stretcher and feet. Incising (or cutting a design into) utilized the new tools used by the craftsmen of that time.

Grandfather Clock - One of the original pieces brought to Government House, this clock, made of mahogany, was crafted in England about 1870 or slightly later. It is termed a "Westminster Eight Bells". Although many of these clocks were produced during the latter part of the 1800's in England, and can still be found there, very few have found their way to Canada. They are extra large, very heavy and difficult to service. A distinctive feature is the picture on the top face that moves with the change of the moon. The pendulums are solid brass and so heavy that, if dropped, would go right through the floor. The quality and fine craftsmanship of this clock belongs to another era. It is simply not found today. The calibre of watchmakers able to service this type of clock is also a dying art.

Wardrobe - Fine Early English Victorian; a combination of plain and burl walnut, hand forged steel decorative hooks. In the mid 1970's the back was extended to give more depth so that it could be used for coat storage.

2 Chairs flanking entrance arch - circa 1910-15 – carved oak.

Afghan Trade Delegation Finds Success, Sales at Major Trade Show

A delegation of 10 Afghan rug producers, with the support of the Department of Commerce’s Afghanistan Investment and Reconstruction Task Force, brought their products to Atlanta, Georgia, to participate in the AmericasMart Atlanta International Area Rug Show. The trade show is the largest wholesale marketplace of its kind in the world, showcasing a wide variety of consumer goods and attracting more than 548,000 attendees from every U.S. state and 80 different countries.

A feature of the Atlanta show was a special exhibit of Afghan rugs, titled “Afghan Impressions: Area Rug Artistry and Inspiration.” Keynote speakers for the exhibit opening included Dr. Mir Muhammad Amin Farhang, Afghan minister of commerce and industries, and David Sampson, U.S. deputy secretary of commerce. They delivered remarks to an audience of more than 200 prospective buyers, prominent sector investors, and community and government leaders.

The trade show was a success for the Afghan participants. Virtually all of the rugs on display were sold, and many orders were placed by major wholesalers and retailers from across the United States.

The task force has been working since 2002 to increase bilateral business ties and to stimulate trade between the United States and Afghanistan. Two-way trade between the countries reached $372 million in 2006, a 91 percent increase over 2005. Afghan rugs are allowed duty-free access to the United States.

Afghanistan Carpet Industry Prepares for Global Market

Increased sales could reduce lures of terrorism, poppy growing

Washington -- Afghanistan’s drive to resurrect its fabled carpet industry with U.S. assistance is a key element in the economic reconstruction of the land-locked Central Asian country, according to U.S. officials.

The Afghan carpet industry employs more than 1 million people, about 3 percent of the population. Millions more work in related industries, such as wool production, cutting, washing and design. Because these dominant industries have significant growth and export potential, the carpet sector has become a major focus for Afghanistan’s government and private-sector support organizations.

In 2005, Afghanistan sold abroad $140 million worth of carpets, its largest official export. If the country could repatriate the portion of its carpet industry that has migrated to Pakistan, the size of the industry would double, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Projected to grow 11 percent a year, Afghan carpet exports could reach $350 million by 2015, according to the study.

For centuries, Afghanistan was recognized as a global leader in carpet production. But after the Taliban took power, many Afghan carpet makers fled to Pakistan. Since the Taliban were defeated in 2001, some 60 percent of the carpet makers who fled have returned to their homeland and are producing goods of exquisite beauty.

A recent article published by a newspaper in Pittsburgh described how Afghan women weavers are channeling their artistic talents into carpets because weaving is one of their few outlets for expression. The article described one woman weaver who created the design of a falling leaf to symbolize her loss of a child.

Unfortunately, just a small fraction of Afghanistan's intricate and beautiful rugs are sold abroad as Afghan products. The reason for this is that more than 90 percent are sent to Pakistan for cutting, washing and finishing. Those carpets are exported to foreign markets with labels that say "made in Pakistan."

The Commerce Department's director of the Iraq and Afghanistan investment and reconstruction task force, Susan Hamrock Mann, says, "We're helping Afghanistan get its identity back and return the entire production to Afghanistan so that they can start stamping the carpets made in Afghanistan."

In January, the Commerce Department orchestrated the first Afghan carpet exhibition in the United States in Atlanta.

A media commentator wrote afterwards, "I've never seen anything quite like what I saw in Atlanta last week at the January rug show. Because it wasn't just another bunch of people selling another bunch of products. It was a group of people trying to change the world."

Carpet makers changing the world? As the commentator explains, his assertion was not far-fetched.

"It doesn't take an economics major to figure out that if the business climate improves over there because we are buying more of their products, then perhaps the Afghan people will be more focused on business than on some of the other things that have torn that country apart over the past 25 years," he writes. "Making rugs is a lot easier, safer and productive than making war or making drugs."

To burnish the allure of Afghan carpets at the Atlanta show, the Commerce Department arranged for rug merchants to exhibit artifacts, art work, and other textiles along with rugs to give the customers a flavor of the country's exotic culture.

Working with the Afghan government, the department helps Afghan rug merchants and government officials deal with import procedures into the United States, marketing, wholesalers, financing, transport and other issues, according to Hamrock Mann. The director and her colleagues played a key role in supporting the first Afghan International Carpet Fair, which took place in Kabul August 26-28. By the end of the third day of the fair, $3 million in sales had been rung up. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who led the U.S. delegation, said, "The industry is expected to grow substantially over the coming years, and this event is a truly historic moment in the re-emergence of Afghanistan in the global carpet market."

The next major event in the Commerce Department's efforts to integrate the Afghan carpet industry into the global market is an international rug show in Las Vegas January 28-February 1, 2008.

"There is a lot of money and many Afghan Americans in the West of the United States," Hamrock Mann said. "We're working on having Afghanistan as a key feature of the show."

GENERAL RULES

When faced with flood-damaged carpeting and rugs, your options will depend on the source of flooding. If floodwater consisted of clean basement seepage or lawn runoff into a sub-basement, drying and cleaning is an easy decision. But if sewage-contaminated floodwater has covered your carpeting, you probably will need to discard it for health safety reasons. You can assume the water and the carpet contain infectious organisms. Throw rugs can usually be saved.

Rules

• Wall-to-wall carpeting, most large area rugs and any rug with foam backing should be discarded if flooded with contaminated water. Except for valuable rugs, the time and expense of professional cleaning generally is not worth the effort or the health risk.

• If you are determined to salvage carpeting soaked with contaminated water, consult a professional cleaning company that services carpets at its own cleaning and drying facilities. A steam cleaning (hot-water extraction) method is preferable.

• A wall-to-wall carpet soaked by clean rainwater can be salvaged. Have it professionally cleaned or clean it using the directions below.

• Throw rugs usually can be cleaned adequately in a washing machine.

CLEANING RAIN-SOAKED CARPETS

Cleaning basement carpeting indoors is not a good idea in summer because you are adding even more moisture to an already wet area. If the carpeting is installed with tack strips you may be able to remove it, have it cleaned and reinstalled. Padding is nearly impossible to clean so it should be replaced.

If you can't remove the carpeting, dry it as quickly as possible to minimize growth of mildew. If possible, use a wet/dry vacuum system. A dehumidifier can help remove moisture from the air. Keep windows closed when using a dehumidifier.

• When the carpet is thoroughly dry, vacuum the area.
• Shampoo and repeat the drying process. Keep in mind that most modern carpeting is made of nylon and should not be treated with bleach.
• Vacuum again.
• You can reduce a musty smell with the following process:

1. Sprinkle baking soda over the carpet, working it in with a broom or sponge mop.
2. Leave the baking soda treatment on overnight.
3. Vacuum the baking soda out. Vacuum twice, moving back and forth in a different direction the second time.