1. Toronto Asks Developer to Revamp Proposed Tower North of the Legislature
Catherine Nasmith

Postcard View of Queen's Park

Views of Queen's Park Jeopardized

City of Toronto planning staff are inviting Menkes Development, the proponents of a two tower development of 44-46 stories at 21 Avenue Road--on the site of the present Four Season’s hotel, to revamp their scheme to be more in keeping with the existing planning regime in the area. The report goes to Toronto East York Community Council on February 9th. If the City is not successful in getting this scheme re-designed, it will permanently damage the view from the south of Queen’s Park and the Ontario Legislative buildings.

Menkes are proposing to replace the existing Four Seasons Hotel with buildings more or less twice as tall, notwithstanding that the existing hotel encroaches on the dignity of Legislative Buildings. It is at night when the Queen’s Park is floodlit that the view up University Avenue is most dramatic. The existing brightly lit hotel sign sitting above the roofline is inappropriate. Any building taller than the existing building will be particularly distracting at night. This is not the only issue with the project, but is the one of most interest to heritage advocates.

The history of University Avenue is relevant here. Queen’s Park and University Avenue have always been seen as an integral to each other, but it seems the City may be about to give up on that gracious civic idea.

University Avenue, originally called College Avenue, and its view of Queen’s Park were laid out in 1829 as a stately entrance to University Park, to be used only as a civic promenade. Streets were not permitted to cross College Avenue until 1859 when the City took a 99 year lease on both the Avenue and the present area of Queen’s Park. At that time the street was opened to general traffic. William Dendy describes the history in Lost Toronto, pages 136-7 and says “College Avenue-especially when the vista was climaxed by the new Parliament Buildings in 1892- remained a beautiful enclave well into the twentieth century. It inspired the first important schemes for re-planning the downtown area and was one of their central features.”

City planners have already indicated their willingness to settle for half a loaf. The planning report talks only about protection of the postcard view of Queen’s Park from the corner of College and University, which would permit much higher buildings to occur than if the City took the position that the views from further south, the ceremonial approach to Queen’s Park, are also important. The post card view being quoted is a bit chicken and egg, if there wasn’t already encroachment in this view, the vantage point would undoubtedly be further south.

Interestingly, when the Four Season’s hotel was given permission to build its current building taller than the height restrictions in the area, it was over the objections of the Toronto Historical Board. An exception was made on the basis of the economic development of a hotel use. For reasons of compatibility with the surrounding predominantly low-rise neighbourhood and also to ensure the integrity of the views of the Legislature from the south the height regime on Avenue Road kept buildings to the height of the Hazelton Lanes. It would not be unreasonable for the City to take the position that redevelopment should correct the mistakes of the past and be kept to a lower height than the existing hotel.

Subscribers may recall articles about this situation published in September 2008 issues, BHN no 135, http://www.builtheritagenews.ca/newsletter_archive/54.html, Item No 8, Four Seasons Hotel Image impinges on the Dignity of the Legislature, and 126. http://www.builtheritagenews.ca/newsletter_archive/55.html, Item No. 8, Speaker Objects to Tower Proposal. Those two stories compared the protection for Toronto’s Legislative Buildings with Ottawa’s regime, which has had regulations in place for decades to protect the dignity of the “National Symbols”, a grouping of federal buildings, including Parliament.

In Toronto, the situation is not as clear. When there was a tower proposed for the Planetarium site, south of the Royal Ontario Museum on Avenue Road, one of the objections was that it would impinge on the view of the Legislature from the south. Regrettably the protection for this key view is not binding enough to prevent inappropriate development proposals. The province does not have clear policy in place because planning is a municipal responsibility-- the province cannot dictate requirements for protecting the views of Queen’s Park.

The province is on record as objecting to the development, and has requested the City undertake studies to ensure the views to the legislature and its dignity at the head of University Avenue are protected. The planning report suggests a moratorium on development approval in the area until such time as a views protection study can be completed.

Menkes is arguing that their development will be largely invisible because of its glass design, and because their site is outside the protected zone identified in the University of Toronto plan. The City is hoping to be able to negotiate another project, but it is possible that the matter will end up before the Ontario Municipal Board with both the province and the City with their pants down because of insufficient regulations to protect these views.

The planning report is available at the link below:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-18711.pdf

What you can do:

Write to the Mayor and City Council asking for immediate action to protection the views of Queen’s Park from all of University Avenue

Write to your MPP asking for Provincial Action to protect the dignity of the Ontario Legislature.

Preliminary Report - 21 Avenue Road - Official Plan Amendment and
Rezoning
 

2. 1890 View of University Avenue

View of University Avenue 1890, the fountain was replaced with the statue of Sir John A. MacDonald

3. Canadian Centre for Architecture celebrates 20 years in its award-winning building throughout 2009
CCA Press Release

The CCA opened to the public in 1989 as a new type of cultural
institution, and has produced internationally recognised exhibitions,
programs, research, and publications that continue to influence the field
of architecture and museums.

Twenty years after its opening to the public, the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) celebrates its anniversary with an ambitious series of activities throughout 2009. Founding Director and Chair of the Board of Trustees Phyllis Lambert and Executive Director and Chief Curator Mirko Zardini announce programs and initiatives that underscore the CCA’s past achievements and ongoing role as a unique cultural institution.

The CCA is an international research centre and museum founded on the conviction that architecture is a public concern. Over the years it has increased public awareness of the role of architecture in society, promoted scholarly research in the field, and stimulated innovation in design practice. The CCA has become a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding, and widening thought and debate on the art of architecture, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today.

“The goal of the CCA is to improve the quality of the built environment through
knowledge and understanding,” said Founding Director Phyllis Lambert. “We
endeavour to shape current discussion in architecture and the city by raising
unexpected questions and by giving resonance to big, small, and overlooked ideas. As a totality, our building, collection, exhibitions, publications, and research programs interrelate ideas and the concrete world in which we live.

http://www.cca.qc.ca

Editor's Note:
A visit to Montreal is not complete with the CCA.

4. Port Dalhousie OMB Decision Imminent
Carlos Garcia

A number of you have been asking about this so we wanted to update you.

At the closing of the Hearing, Chair Susan Campbell said: "Don't check your emails before the end of January". However, even though Chair Campbell is known for her efficiency, late January is still an ambitious timetable given the extensive testimony to review. So, we could hear anytime now but, it could also take a few weeks.

The mechanics of how we would find out about the decision: the Board's website will show that a decision has been issued, it will be mailed that same day, but not posted on the website immediately, to allow the parties the opportunity to receive it.

As soon as we know, you will know.

5. Heritage Canada Foundation Sees Positive Notes in Federal Budget
Heritage Canada Press Release

Ottawa, ON February 27, 2009 –The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) expressed measured satisfaction that the federal Budget tabled this afternoon by the Minister of Finance includes some recognition of the need to invest in historic buildings.

The budget contained $75 million for the long-dormant National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program which will make bricks-and-mortar matching funds available for some of Canada’s approximately 900 National Historic Sites (NHS). There is also $323 million over two years for the restoration of federally-owned heritage buildings and $2 million to plan the future of Quebec City’s historic drill hall, the Manège Militaire, a NHS damaged by fire last year.

The budget also contains a number of measures which while not specifically targeting heritage buildings, can be used to encourage much needed investment in them:

• $60 million over two years for cultural infrastructure which will benefit local theatres, libraries, and small museums, many of which are housed in historic buildings.
• A temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit to a maximum of $1,350 per family for repair and renovation of residences. These new credits can be stacked with grants of up to $5,000 from the existing ecoENERGY Retrofit grant program, beefed up with an additional $300 million over two years.
• $2 billion in low-cost loans from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for neighbourhood regeneration projects that communities can tap into.

“These amounts will help keep traditional skills alive and prolong the life of iconic places which shape our identity, create jobs, and attract tourist dollars,” said HCF executive director Natalie Bull, speaking from Parliament Hill. “But HCF is disappointed that a broad federal incentive for the rehabilitation of historic properties is absent from this budget.”

In the United States, a strong preservation industry exists because 30 years ago, the U.S. established a 20 percent federal tax credit for rehabilitation of heritage buildings and a 10 percent tax credit for the rehabilitation of non-heritage, non-residential buildings built before 1936. The program has leveraged over $36 billion in private investment in historic buildings with a 5 to 1 ratio of private investment to federal tax credits. An average of 45 new jobs are created by each project.

The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non-governmental organization created in 1973 as Canada’s National Trust.

For further information
Carolyn Quinn, Director, Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org
Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext. 4; Cell: (613) 797-7206

6. Letter to the Editor Re: Talbot Apartments
Lewis Poplak

Context is the applicant for the Rezoning et al of the redevelopment of the
Kelvingrove, Glen Leven, and Strathavon apartments at 1325, 1351 and 1365
Bayview Ave. Further to article #9 from issue No. 131 of Built Heritage
News, two points of clarification:

1) It is a stretch to say that the Conservation Review Board (CRB) supported
the designation.  Council issued Intent to Designate on all three
properties, and the CRB recommended designation for only the northern one. 
The CRB was not happy with the designation process, nor was the CRB very
impressed by the buildings themselves. The CRB released its recommendation
to the City, with reasons for the recommendation, on October 15, 2008.  

The CRB found that the buildings "are not rare, unique, representative examples, nor do they have a high degree of craftsmanship, artistic merit, or
technical or scientific achievement" and that "the Board cannot agree that
the apartments are important in defining, maintaining, or supporting the
character of this stretch of Bayview Avenue".  The CRB did find, however,
that the Properties had historical or associative value because of their
association with Howard Talbot "and his vision for the continued development
of Leaside as a 20th century, model community".

2) Mr. Kettel refers to the properties as the “Talbot Apartments”; the
properties have always been known as Kelvingrove, Glen Leven, and
Strathavon.  The name "Talbot Apartments" appears to have been coined by the
Leaside Property Owners’ Association in an attempt to create history
retroactively.
 
Otherwise, keep up the good work – I enjoy your publication and find it
informative.

Lewis

Lewis Poplak MCIP RPP
Director of Planning/ Development Manager

Context 
229 Yonge Street, Suite 500
Toronto, ON, M5B 1N9
Phone:  416-673-4249
Mobile:  416-725-1077
Fax:      416-673-4279
Email:   lpoplak@context.ca

Editor's Note:
I owe Lewis an apology, he sent this letter December 2, and thought it went out with the December 1 issue. Better late than never.

7. Update Bazis Development, No 1 Bloor Street East
Catherine Nasmith

The window, now waiting restoration and a new life in another project

Last summer we wrote a lot on the efforts to save the window at 719 Yonge Street, which is now safely stored at the Brickworks in Toronto. There has been serious discussion of its restoration by students at Willowbank. It is still looking for a permanent home.

Anyone who has passed the site may be wondering what is happening, the cranes seem to have stopped and the site is sitting empty. A recent note from Bazis indicates that construction is scheduled to restart in the spring of 2009.

If your are looking for a place to live, they still have some units available.

http:// www.1bloor.com

 

8. Update: Historic Properties Development, Halifax
Press Release: Nova Scotia Heritage Trust

Final arguments will be held Wednesday, February 4, in Armour Group
Limited's appeal to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. The hearing will
commence at 9:30 a.m. in the Board's hearing room A on the third floor of Summit Place on Lower Water Street.

Armour had applied to Halifax Regional Municipality to demolish all but the
facades of four registered heritage properties in the central block of Historic
Properties. Armour proposed to place an underground parking garage and a nine
storey glass and concrete office tower on the site, which has a 25-foot as-of-right
height limit.

Following the advice of its Heritage Advisory Committee and Planning
Advisory Committee, HRM Council in October rejected a development agreement for the project. Council gave as its reason that the development did not carry out the intent of Policy CH-1 of the Regional Municipal Planning Strategy. This policy states that significant architectural features should not be removed from heritage buildings and that new construction should be subordinate to the heritage buildings.

Armour appealed the matter to the Board.
Speaking for Armour will be George McDonald and Robert Grant. Karen
Brown will speak for HRM and Ron Pink for the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, which has intervened on the side of HRM.

Testimony concluded on Monday and Tuesday. Maggie Holm, a heritage
planner, testified for HRM and Mac Mackay, an architect, testified for Heritage Trust.  The Board toured the interiors of the buildings on Tuesday.

Contact: Phil Pacey, Heritage Trust, 494 3334, 237 1375, 422 8814

-30-
 

9. HCF Accepting Nominations to the 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List
Heritage Canada Press Release

Submit your nominations to Canada’s TOP TEN Endangered Places List
by March 20, 2009

Ottawa, ON January 30, 2009 – The Heritage Canada Foundation is accepting nominations to Canada’s Top Ten Endangered Places List. The list is released annually to bring national attention to sites at risk due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. It has become a powerful tool in the fight to make landmarks, not landfill.

HCF uses three primary criteria to determine the 10 final sites for inclusion on the list:

• Significance of the site
• Urgency of the threat
• Community support for its preservation

If you know a site that should be included on our list, tell us about it today.

Click here for the 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List Form.

Nominations should be received by Friday, March 20, 2009. The 2009 list will be announced in April.

Feel free to contact us if you’re considering a nomination or have any questions.
By email: heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org or phone: (613) 237-1066.

10. National Trust for Historic Preservation: 11 Endangered Places

you tube video

Very interesting U tube video on America's list of endangered places.

Click here for Link

11. Globe and Mail: OMB Dismisses SLAPP suit
John Barber

STRATEGIC LAWSUITS AGAINST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Win whets appetite of green warriors

You'd think that Rick Smith and David Donnelly would be happier. The two green warriors - Dr. Smith as head of Environmental Defence Canada, Mr. Donnelly as scrappy lawyer in the same cause - won the provincial policy lottery last week when the Ontario Municipal Board dismissed a developer's demand that they and their allies pay more than $3-million to cover the alleged cost of their opposition to a huge resort development on Lake Simcoe.

It turned out that the board agreed with everything the two had always said: that they hadn't acted unreasonably in opposing the marina at Big Bay Point, that the developer had no right to recover costs and that its extravagant claim was meant to have a "chilling effect" on other individuals and groups opposing development.

But defending the case cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the environmentalists say, and the OMB decision does nothing to discourage another so-called SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) tomorrow.

"Our hope now is that the province moves to introduce an anti-SLAPP statute," Dr. Smith said.

Editor's Note:
SLAPP suits or not, it is very expensive for citizens to participate at the OMB, wins are almost unheard of. The next big one for heritage advocates is the upcoming decision on the proposed tower in Port Dalhousie, in a Heritage Conservation District.

Click here for Link

12. Globe and Mail: ROM sells Planetarium to U of T
John Barber

U of T gets room to grow, ROM gets out of a jam

It's no more newsworthy to report the death of yet another condominium project in Toronto today than it is to note that dog bites man. But man bit dog on Queen's Park Crescent yesterday, with a commendably fatal result. News that the University of Toronto has purchased No. 90 from the Royal Ontario Museum means a definitive end to the museum's controversial plan to replace the mothballed McLaughlin Planetarium with a 46-storey residential tower.

"This is a win-win-win for the U of T, the ROM and the public," said university president David Naylor. The museum gets $22-million to help pay off the $84-million left owing to the provincial government after its $270-million expansion, the university gets badly needed room to grow and the public gets relief from a persistent threat to despoil a treasured landscape.

The museum tried twice to develop the site, withdrawing the first proposal shortly after a heated public meeting revealed public opposition that, according to ROM director William Thorsell at the time, was "too deep and broad" to overcome.

Eighteen months later, however, Mr. Thorsell said the museum was considering several proposals to redevelop the planetarium for residential use. Considering the small size of the site, just south of the museum proper, another tower was the only foreseeable result.
Print Edition - Section Front

Section A Front Enlarge Image
The Globe and Mail

Although proponents cited public opposition, resistance from the university next door was likely more influential in stalling the museum's scheme. The $22-million the university has agreed to pay to re-acquire 90 Queen's Park Crescent, which it transferred to the museum free of charge in 1967, is roughly the same as the net profit ROM once hoped to make by speculating in residential real estate.

Click here for Link

13. Heritage Toronto

check out the Heritage Toronto blog from time to time for Toronto news

Click here for Link

14. Toronto Star: Black History Month Exhibit
John Goddard

Exhibit tells story of Mohawk chief's slave

Ontario Archives painting of Joseph Brant

One of Burlington's most famous early settlers, Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant, owned a kidnapped, black, slave girl and other human chattel.

Sophia Pooley was her name. She was born to slave parents at Fishkill, N.Y., on the Hudson River north of New York City, in perhaps the mid-1760s. At the age of 12 or 13 she was snatched away with a sister.

"My master's sons-in-law ... tied their handkerchiefs over our mouths, carried us to a vessel, put us in the hold, and sailed up the river," Pooley recalled late in life for an oral history by Benjamin Drew. The account is held by the Archives of Ontario, which is hosting an exhibit as part of Black History month, which began yesterday.

Nothing more is known of the sister, but the kidnappers sold Pooley to Brant on the U.S. side of the border near Niagara. When he moved to Burlington in 1784, he brought her and his other slaves with him.

"(He) probably owned over 30 slaves," says a panel from Enslaved Africans in Upper Canada, created by the archives department and showing until Feb. 26 at Toronto's First Post Office.

Paul Stone, curator at Burlington's Joseph Brant Museum, confirms the archival record. "There has even been a suggestion that they came along willingly – that they were just workers more than slaves and that he looked after them well," he says. "But that could be artistic – or historical – licence."

Click here for Link

15. Globe and Mail: The Ritz of gas stations looks for a new life
LES PERREAUX

MONTREAL  As architectural landmarks go, the gas station on Île-des-Soeurs was barely visible, with its clear plate-glass walls, subdued colours and narrow steel skeleton. But this wasn't just any gas station. The Esso on Berlioz Street was designed by world-famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1968, one year before he died. It was one of the final projects for the pioneering modernist designer of modern skyscrapers such as the TD Centre in Toronto and New York's Seagram Building. The Mies gas station is no more. In December, Esso quietly removed the pumps and put plywood over the glass and the company sign out front. Now, Montreal's Verdun borough is left to sort out what to do with a rare piece of architecture not easily adaptable.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090127.wstation27/BNStory/National/home

Click here for Link

16. SpacingMontreal.ca: Heritage gas station needs a new vocation
Alanah Heffez

Yesterday the ever-vigilant Montreal City Weblog noted that a unique gas station on Nuns Island, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is now boarded up. Mies van der Rohe is the architect behind the Seagram Building in NYC, among other monuments of modernist architecture. He was also a design consultant on Torontos TD Centre. Built in 1968, the gas station in question was operated by Esso until last December. Todays edition of Le Devoir reports that the Conseil du Patrimoine is beginning an official process to recognize the building, which could facilitate its preservation.

Click here for Link

17. The Sun Times - Sheldon Place
Maria Canton

Sheldon Place sits on more than three acres of land at the top of the westside escarpment, a two-storey Georgian-style, cut and coursed limestone residence also commonly known as the Frost Estate, so-named for the family who built it in 1852 and lived

Sheldon Place  one of city's gems
Estate was once a home for escaped slaves
Posted By Maria Canton

One of Owen Sounds most historically significant properties is on the market, a heritage estate that boasts not only a substantial house and sprawling grounds, but a storied history linked to prominent residents and a key part of the citys past.

Sheldon Place sits on more than three acres of land at the top of the westside escarpment, a two-storey Georgian-style, cut and coursed limestone residence also commonly known as the Frost Estate, so-named for the family who built it in 1852 and lived in it until 1978.

Designed completely by John Frost Sr., one of Owen Sounds first entrepreneurs, magistrates and a former mayor, Sheldon Place was also a haven for escaped slaves who had arrived in the city via the Underground Railway.

The Frosts are said to have built several small houses on their then-101 acre property for members of Owen Sounds black community. John Frost Jr., a lawyer and two-term mayor in the late 1800s, authored the book Broken Shackles, considered to be one of the few books that documents the role of the black community in 19th century Ontario.

Today, the house is owned by Dr. Eric Brown, who describes it as dynamic and very much a home.

The home certainly has a wow-factor  its elegant, it has character, its unique, said Brown.

There have been updates and it has been modernized, but the elements of history are still very much present everywhere you look  its very dynamic in that respect.

Complete with four working fireplaces, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a sunroom and a wrap-around verandah, the house also sits on well-maintained grounds that feature a carriage house big enough for four cars on the lower level and a loft on the upper, a gatehouse near the main entrance and a second, private, laneway once used by horses and carriages.

As an owner of a historic home, my interests are very much in maintaining the value of my property and that includes the historical context of the property and the integrity of the building, said Brown, who has owned Sheldon Place for the 10 years. I do, however, believe in owners rights.

Both the main house and the gatehouse are part of the citys official heritage register, but neither are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Brown was drawn to the house for several reasons, including its location. It is said the senior Frost walked both sides of the escarpment in his quest to pick the perfect spot to build and when he arrived at what is now roughly 3rd Street and 4th Avenue West, he thought he had found it.

According to Marylon Hall, the real estate agent selling the property, a house like Sheldon Place rarely comes on the market.

We dont even have very many houses of this stature left around town anymore, a lot of them have disappeared she said.

People who are interested in properties like this one often love history and old buildings. Its intriguing and beautiful and as soon as you go in you want to live there.

Even many of the trees at Sheldon Place, named after the village of Sheldon in Devonshire, England, where Frost father was born, have earned a place in the history books. Frost had several trees planted as birth memorials for his nine children. Many of the trees are listed in the University of Guelphs honour roll of Ontario trees.

The last Frost relation to live in Sheldon Place was Catherine Kitty Mitchell, the granddaughter of Frost She lived there until she died in 1978.

Click here for Link

18. Chatham Daily News: Founding of ACO Branch
editorial, forwarded by Marlee Robinson

Out of the ashes comes the ACO

lost this church

Ridgetown's historical loss may ultimately benefit Chatham-Kent overall in the long run.

Local citizens are forming the Chatham-Kent branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) in the wake of the demolition of the Erie Street United Church in Ridgetown.

By the time the steeple came down in late December, as activists were still battling to prevent the demolition, community members had already been in touch with the ACO.

The provincial group helped put the local group, led by Marlee Robinson of Morpeth, in touch with engineers and architects with specific expertise in restoring historical buildings.

The ACO, in operation since 1933, has 21 branches around the province and is dedicated to helping communities preserve their historical buildings and places of natural beauty and interest.

The Erie Street United Church would have qualified on all counts. But it isn't alone.

Perhaps with an ACO presence in Chatham-Kent, other buildings will remain standing. We've lost too many Harrison Halls, Carnegie Libraries, St. Joseph's Rectories and Erie Street United Churches as it is.

The inaugural meeting of the C-K branch of the ACO is to take place Feb. 5 at 7 p. m. at the Ridgetown campus of the University of Guelph.

Click here for Link

19. Keeler House owners feel misrepresented
BOB OWEN

The Carter family is concerned it has been misrepresented in discussions over the future of the Keeler House with Cramahe Township council. The heritage home sits on Church Street East in Colborne. Named after the family which was instrumental in the founding of Colborne, the Keeler House was inherited by John and Nick Carter and their sister, Jane Urquhart, when their mother, Marion Carter, died in April, 2007.

Click here for Link

20. Northumberland News (Cobourg): Historical mansion to sparkle once again
Jeanne Beneteau

Cobourg councillors have approved rezoning of the circa-1850 Sidbrook estate - Conversion will honour Sidbrook's rich history: developer

COBOURG - If done properly, the rework of Sidbrook, one of Cobourg's major heritage houses, could lead the way for adaptive restoration of other heritage properties in the community, says a local heritage leader. Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) Cobourg Branch past-president Gail Rayment said she strongly supports a developer's plan to restore and preserve Sidbrook while maintaining the building's design, both inside and out, at the Jan. 19 Cobourg public planning meeting.

Ms. Rayment noted these type of conversions are common in Europe and added England has some splendid examples where former estates have been successfully converted into living spaces that preserve heritage features.

Editor's Note:
This is a terrific bit of good news for Cobourg ACO who have had Sidbrook on their watch list for a very long time.

Click here for Link

21. Northumberland News (Cobourg): Pier pressure building in Port Hope
Jennifer O'Meara

PORT HOPE - A local heritage study that concluded the pier factories are an asset to Port Hope was presented to council on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The Pier Group is really thrilled at this time to present this report, said Rod Stewart, co-chair of The Pier Group. It is the first, and only to date, heritage assessment of the waterfront. The Pier Group is hoping the Heritage Assessment of the Port Hope Central Pier will change the municipality's decision to demolish the industrial buildings as part of a revised waterfront. It's not to late to re-evaluate the heritage value of that site, Mr. Stewart told council. A standing-room-only crowd filled Port Hope council chambers to hear about the study and broke into applause at the end of Mr. Stewart's presentation.

The Pier Group formed this summer to save the industrial buildings on the pier and has quickly grown to more than 300 members.

Click here for Link

22. Pincher Creek Echo (Alberta): Kilmorey destroyed in blaze
Jocelyn Mercer, Editor

Little was left of Waterton's historic Kilmorey Lodge by lunch time on Tuesday. Firefighters from Cardston, Cardson County and Pincher Creek were called to the scene around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20. When Pincher Creek Fire Chief Tom Harnos arrived on the scene shortly before 5 a.m. he said the building was already fully engulfed in flames. It would have been extremely difficult for firefighters to get in there and fight the fire, said Harnos on Tuesday. The historic structure, built in the late 1930s, was notorious for its narrow staircases and nooks and crannies. When you have a building that old, once a fire digs in, its so difficult. It was a complete loss, added Harnos. Instead firefighters concentrated on controlling the blaze and saving the cabin adjacent to the hotel by creating a water barrier between the two buildings.

Editor's Note:
what a sad loss, we are losing our timber lodges very quickly in Canada

Click here for Link

23. Waterloo Record: Heritage and Places to Grow Workshop
Editorial

Preserving the past

Local heritage proponents met last week and raised the red flag about how area municipalities preserve their history.

Waterloo, in particular, was centred out because it fails to employ a heritage planner on its staff, whereas both Kitchener and Cambridge at least have this basic position filled.

Why is that so important? Because it leaves significant heritage decisions up to the local heritage committee instead of having someone in the city hall bureaucracy to speak for buildings and areas under development pressure.

Why does that matter? Well, it’s easier to ignore citizens input sometimes as the machinery of development gets up to speed.

With a staff person at city hall identifying potential problems, and advocating for the preservation of significant buildings, we would see the end of some of the more unfortunate decisions made like in the case of the Ontario Table and Chairs building.

The building is one of the last vestiges of Waterloo’s early manufacturing heritage, but will soon be replaced by a new large-scale condominium development.

With Waterloo quickly reaching its municipal boundaries, and committing to growing up instead of growing out, more of these historic buildings and areas will be under pressure of the drive to intensify.

That intensification strategy is also supported by the Region of Waterloo as it looks to build a rapid transit system in the heart of the city, and the province’s Places to Grow legislation to prevent urban sprawl.

One of the unfortunate side-effects of more responsible urban planning is that historic city cores like Waterloo’s will be under more pressure to accommodate that change.

There has to be a balance between preserving the past while embracing the future.

Editor's Note:
Congratulations to ACO Branch for hosting this successful workshop

Click here for Link

24. Waterloo Record: Landmark Waterloo Hotel sold to local developer
Chuck Howitt

Twelve years after saving the Waterloo Hotel from demolition and restoring it into an upscale inn with antique furnishings, Bill and Marion Weber have sold it to a local commercial developer. The new owner, Nickolas Georghiades of RomDam Developments Inc., is remaining mum on his long-term plans for the historic property which dates back to 1890. He said he will reveal his plans for the building, located at the corner of King and Erb streets, in three to six months. In the meantime, he has evicted two tenants on the Erb Street side of the building. Erban Corner, a women's clothing store, has moved temporarily to Waterloo Town Square and plans a permanent move in early February to the First Gulf building at 95 King St. S. behind the Starbucks café.

Editor's Note:
I have stayed here a couple of times and loved it, go before it changes.

Click here for Link

25. YorkRegion.com - CRB Dunlap decision may take 60 days
David Fleischer

[CRB] should discount the suggestions of Metruss consultant, Michael McClelland, who did not undertake the depth of research by the other parties.

Now the waiting begins. After seven days of testimony the Conservation Review Board hearing on the future of the David Dunlap Observatory lands wrapped up Friday. It's safe to say everyone has done an exceptional job, board chairperson Peter Zakarow said.

Both he and co-chair Karen Haslam praised the decorum, interest and passion the public has shown in the proceedings. While board decisions are typically released within 30 days, Mr. Zakarow cautioned it would likely take twice as long given the complexity of the case. As lawyers gave their final arguments the committee room at Richmond Hill Town Hall filled up with members of the public, as it had several other times during the hearing.

Each lawyer spent approximately an hour summarizing their positions, beginning with Metrus's representative, David Bronskill. He began pointing out how unique it was that all the parties agreed on the basic principles of designating the three main buildings on site: the observatory dome, the administration building and the Elm's Lea farmhouse.

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26. Moncton Times and Transcript: Keep up MHS fight - Effort to save historic Ont. school caused bitterness
ALAN COCHRANE

Friends of Moncton High School who believe the historic stone building should be saved must do their homework and come up with a strong business case to convince bureaucrats who control the purse strings, says a veteran politician and lobbyist who was instrumental in saving at least part of the historic Brantford Collegiate Institute in Brantford, Ont. "That school was a crown jewel of a heritage district in Brantford and now it's going to remain as a high school building that the students can walk to, but the sad part is that the quality of that school will not be what it could have been if they had spent $30 million on it like they planned," says Mary Welsh, a leader of the school's alumni association who played a major part in the fight to save the school from the wrecking ball. . . .

She says one of the main arguments for keeping the school was money saved, not money spent: it would have cost several million dollars a year to bus students to a new school across town if the old one was torn down. . . . Welsh says the fight to save BCI took several years and resulted in much bitterness between the school district, the city, the alumni association and the province.

In the end, only the oldest and most significant part of the school was saved thanks to the last-minute intervention of the provincial government which found $23 million in a special project fund. The rest of the building, including the historic 300-seat auditorium, was demolished last summer.

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27. Montreal Gazette: Historic church looking for cash
ALAN HUSTAK

The historic church at St. Eustache that was the site of the decisive engagement between French-Canadian Patriotes and British forces during the Rebellion of 1837 is having trouble paying its bills and is looking for alternative sources of revenue to keep it open. The church was built between 1780 and 1819 and was classified as a Quebec historic monument in 1970. But it is in need of hundreds of thousands of dollars for routine maintenance, incidental repairs, heating bills, electricity and insurance. About 800 parishioners attend mass each week, which is not a big enough congregation to foot the bills. "It has to remain a church, there is no question of it being sold and turned into condos," said Nycole Pepper, the head of the church's fabrique, the local parish committee responsible for building maintenance and management. "But using the building exclusively as a place of worship is no longer viable. "We have about 50 weddings, 150 funerals and 300 baptisms each year. Only 15 per cent of the 45,000 parishioners support us financially," Pepper said. "We get about $11,000 a month in the collection plate, but our heating bills alone are $55,000 a year. " The choir loft has closed because it is no longer structurally sound, and operating expenses continue to outstrip the church's income. The Quebec government has pitched in, but government heritage grants fund only 70 per cent of repairs.

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28. Victoria Times Colonist: Craigflower fire a useful warning
Editorial

We came close -- far too close for comfort -- to losing one of British Columbia's oldest treasures, the Craigflower Manor in View Royal. A fire blamed on a space heater caused more than $100,000 damage, but it could have been much worse. The manor could have gone up in flames, suffering the same fate as many other historic buildings around the province. The wood in these old structures can be tinder-dry. Walls do not have modern fire-resistant insulation, and the buildings were not designed with fire suppression in mind. Every time a building like that goes up, we lose another vital link with our past. The last of the five Birdcages, the original provincial legislature, was destroyed by fire in 1957, but that was just one of the more visible examples. . . . . Built in 1853, Craigflower Manor is the third-oldest building in B.C. and has been owned by the provincial government since 1967. It is managed by The Land Conservancy. Heritage resources throughout B.C., including Craigflower Manor, Point Ellice House and the Emily Carr House in Greater Victoria, were transferred to private operators after the B.C. Liberals were elected as the government in 2001. That means there is no longer a provincewide approach to managing the sites; decisions are made locally. And since it's tough for a heritage site to make money, the local control also tends to limit the amount of funds available for maintenance and preservation. There is a limited subsidy rather than deep pockets in times of need.

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29. Winnipeg Sun: Outrage forces Hydro to rethink substation - Holds off plan for Exchange buildings
ROSS ROMANIUK

Manitoba Hydro is backing off from a controversial plan to buy and redevelop a block of historic Exchange District buildings to make way for a power substation -- at least until it can assess its options. Amid outrage from heritage advocates and the buildings' tenants over the proposal, Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider confirmed the energy utility will hold off on a purchase of the buildings, all of them about a century old, "until we take an overview of where we are and see if there are other options, and look at all the options." "Certainly, the reaction is unfortunate. It doesn't reflect well on us. And unfortunately, I think it's a misunderstanding," Schneider said. "To gut historic buildings is not where we're coming from."

Editor's Note: article contains an additional link to a video news clip.

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30. Archinnovations: Architectural Magazine Online

Interesting Site, with a Newsletter you can Subscribe to

Very interesting projects on line, the heritage buildings of tomorrow. Some a bit too clever for their own good, but still a great site for archifans and architects alike.

Click here for Link

31. Buffalo News: State should commit $7 million soon to site's two-year push to completion
Editorial

The impression made on more than 3,000 historic preservation and architecture experts from around the world will be lasting, as the spotlight shines on the historic and cultural assets of the Buffalo Niagara region, and in particular on the Martin House.

Buffalo's architectural reputation, a keystone of its hopes to use cultural tourism as a major component of economic recovery, is on the line. In October 2011, the city will have an unparalleled chance to showcase itself during the prestigious annual conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; completing the Darwin D. Martin House is essential to that effort, and New York State needs to commit $7 million to that effort now. The final major phase, interior restoration, will return the Jewett Parkway complex by Frank Lloyd Wright to its original design intent. For that work to begin on time, Gov. David A. Paterson must commit that amount no later than the second quarter of this year. An additional $3 million for landscape, furniture and art glass restoration will be acquired through private donations.
 

Editor's Note:
Editor's Note: This editorial contains an additional video portion.

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32. Chicago Tribune: Meigs terminal, Reese buildings "among endangered"
Blair Kamin

Ah, the lists of endangered places that architectural preservationists lay on us every year! They're designed to get the media'and the public' to pay attention. But they're really about the shame factor, which pretty much translates to this sentiment: You should feel horrible for even pondering whether to tear this building down! All the same, I like these lists. Small, scrappy advocacy groups can dig up unnoticed gems, call attention to buildings in dire straits or raise essential issues. We need the groups' passion, even if we would be well-advised to take it with a Sears Tower-size grain of salt. And so it is with Preservation Chicago's annual Chicago Seven list, issued Monday.

http://www.preservationchicago.org/chicago7.html

Editor's Note:
The story contains a link to an EXCELLENT blog which accompanies this story. Go to, http://www.chicagotribune.theskyline

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33. Green Building: Historic Preservation Part of Economic Stimulus Proposal

AIA Proposes Economic Stimulus Plan for Building Sector

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast projects an 11 percent decline in design and construction activity in 2009. To revitalize the building sector, which accounts for about $1 in every $10 of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP), the AIA developed the Rebuild and Renew Plan, which details its recommendations for the allocation of funds in President-elect Obama's economic recovery plan. The AIA is calling on the new administration and Congress to create policies that ensure these monies are spent on the planning, design and construction of energy-efficient, sustainable buildings and healthy communities. If implemented as recommended, the nearly $100 billion plan would create 1.6 million jobs throughout the design and construction industry.

Recent reports estimate that the economic recovery package may total as much as $800 billion, with at least $350 billion dedicated to infrastructure projects. However, the AIA's recommendations call for longer planning and design periods for projects to help ensure they are implemented in the most effective, cost-efficient manner and that funds are not poorly spent on projects that are hastily planned and executed. AIA contends that spreading the funds across a 24-month span will ensure a steady stream of funds for job creation over the anticipated life of the recession.

"President-elect Obama's economic recovery package provides us with the opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on our built environment with projects that improve the safety of the existing infrastructure and increase energy efficiency, so long as these projects are undertaken with the utmost attention to smart design and planning," said Christine McEntee, executive vice president and AIA chief executive officer. "The Rebuild and Renew plan has garnered significant interest from the transition team and key Congressional leaders, and outlines initiatives to build better, safer and healthier communities while creating jobs and stimulating economic growth nationwide that can lead to long-term economic vitality."

The plan is comprised of five key policy areas for immediate attention: 21st century schools; green commercial, residential and institutional buildings; historic preservation projects; transit, mixed use development and complete streets projects; and tax relief for businesses. Highlights from the plan include:

· 21st Century Schools - As the costs for energy and construction materials continue to increase and budgets get tighter, educational agencies are further delaying or canceling major projects to repair and modernize school buildings. The AIA is calling for the federal government to invest $25 billion in districts across the country to green, repair and modernize school buildings. Additionally, it is proposing $700 million for regional pilot programs that would provide grants for the development of model school campuses that support 21st century teaching and learning. This proposal would create more than 445,000 jobs across the industry.

· Green Buildings - The current economic crisis presents an opportunity to build better public, residential and commercial architectural designs. This requires investing in the types of full-scale retrofits that can significantly reduce a building's carbon footprint. The AIA is asking the federal government to provide $30 billion for energy efficiency upgrades and modernization for federal, state and local public buildings; residential, commercial, industrial and healthcare facilities; and affordable green housing. Appropriating these funds would result in the creation of 430,000 jobs. In addition, the AIA is calling for the energy-efficient commercial buildings tax deduction to increase to $3.00 per square foot (a $1.20 per square foot jump). This recommendation was just endorsed by the Environment America Research & Policy Center.

· Transit and Livable Communities - A lack of investment in domestic infrastructure since the New Deal has limited economic growth and jeopardized the safety of American citizens. As Congress prepares to create legislation that stimulates the economy the AIA wants to see at least $12 billion invested in transit facilities and operations, since they greatly enhance the economic development, sustainability, safety and livability of communities. Funding for transit-oriented projects will create compact, walkable communities that mix housing, retail, office space and other amenities around high quality train systems and create approximately 375,000 jobs for the building and construction industry.

· Historic Preservation Projects - The preservation of historic buildings already in the development phase will create more work for the building industry and generate positive economic returns in the communities surrounding them. The plan calls for the appropriation of at least $30 million to the Save America's Treasure program for bricks-and-mortar preservation projects. The plan also calls for another $100 million in grants to be provided through the State Historic Preservation Officers and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers for non-federal public and nonprofit historic sites.

· Tax Relief for Businesses - By accelerating the depreciation of energy-efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or commercial refrigeration property installed in nonresidential property or residential rental property, businesses of all sizes would be able to improve their operations, reduce costs and reduce energy consumption. The AIA is also calling for elimination of a requirement that businesses that perform government work have three percent of their payments withheld. For more information on the AIA's Rebuild and Renew plan, or to download the full report, please visit http://www.aia.org/rebuildandrenew.

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34. National Trust for Historic Preservation: Greening Your Historic House

A useful list of renovation projects your heritage home could use....and should be eligible for new Canadian home renovation tax credit

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35. Planetizen-Preservation Magazine: Incompatible Uses in Portland Historic District
Nate Berg

A Historic District, In Name

This piece from Preservation magazine looks at how historic districts in Portland fall short in preventing incompatible uses.

"But there's a fly in the historically accurate color palette. A decade ago, when Montgomery and Byrnes fell in love with the tree-lined streets and century-old houses that define the Irvington Conservation District, their decision to buy the house was strongly influenced by the 'Historic Irvington' signs they had noticed throughout the area. 'What we're really upset about,' Montgomery says, 'is we thought the signs meant the city would protect the character of the neighborhood.'"

"Now Montgomery has realized those signs were just signs. Because despite Irvington's conservation district status, development there threatens to damage the neighborhood's distinctive look."

"In Portland, a regional governmental agency known as Metro is responsible for maintaining that city's urban growth boundary. 'So Metro has to comply with the state,' says Gisvold, 'and cities and counties have to comply with Metro. And Metro has established minimum density requirements that cities and counties have to meet.' Largely, it's those density requirements that unintentionally threaten Portland's historic districts."

"Currently, if a proposed development in a historic district meets zoning requirements, there's little residents can do to stop its construction—even when they feel it's oversized or out of character with their community."
 

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36. Streetsblog: Advocacy Journalism and the Reconquering of the American City
Mike Lydon

The Internet is a trove of great ideas about improving cities. Filling blogs and personal websites, the vast majority of ideas out there are little more than that: ideas.

New York City's Streetsblog -- now a growing nationwide force -- is transforming the conversation into action.

By now you have probably heard the buzz about New York City's Department of Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan— a "guerilla bureaucrat" who is consistently credited with redefining the "T" in DOT. Yet, Gotham's real quest for livable streets is happening from the bottom up, not the top down—more like Jane Jacobs v.2.0 than Robert Moses.

At the center of the city's livable streets movement is a little known non-profit comprised of Gen X and Y tech geeks, educators, artists, and journalist-urban activists who leverage open web technology to network catalytic change in the 21st century city. They call themselves The Open Planning Project (TOPP), and their signature communication tool—the one gaining acclaim and potentially coming to a city near you—is Streetsblog.

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37. Little Information available on James Balfour
Donna Reid/Rob Hamilton

I don't know of any architectural drawings in Hamilton of Balfour
buildings. As the owner of 260 MacNab North I have looked over the
years to no avail. I've also researched Balfour at the National
Archives in Ottawa and turned up very little. Most recently I've been
attempting to collect information on Treble Hall, a Balfour treasure
falling into ruin, that unfortunately the owner refuses to designate.

Donna Reid

I'm afraid that the most you can hope for is to read the following MA
Thesis on Balfour's career by Jean Rosenfeld.

http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/ow/28016498

To the best of my knowledge, there are very few architectural drawings
to be found in Hamilton period.

Pity really but that is the reality of the situation.

The best surviving collections are for other architects and none of them
are housed in Hamilton such is the poor state of affairs when it comes
to the subject of a City Museum and Archives, neither of which exists here.

Rob Hamilton

Editor's Note:
These are two responses received following a request for information on James Balfour, the Hamilton architect. Alma College disappeared last year, and it seems is not survived even by an architectural drawing. This an ongoing problem for Ontario architects, there are few collections interested in receiving architectural drawings.