Keep Heritage Ottawa Strong – Renew your Membership

Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage

August 2020 Volume 47, No. 3

Keep Heritage Ottawa Strong

– Renew your Membership

Message from the President

www.heritageottawa.org

Our Walking Tours are

back with a new look!

In order to meet current safety

standards, we are limiting the

number of participants and strongly

encouraging mask-wearing.

Note: Online registration

and payment in advance of each

tour is required. Our social-distancing

tours begin in August and run

through to October.

Join our experienced guides

for a fun and safe way to enjoy

the outdoors while learning about

Ottawa’s heritage.

Walking Tours are $5 for members

and $10 for non-members.

Visit our website for tour

information and how to register

online: heritageottawa.org/

heritage-ottawa-walking-tours

TOURS

WALKING

SOCIAL

DISTANCING

Greetings to members of Heritage

Ottawa. Like you and so many of

our neighbours and friends, Heritage

Ottawa has had to adjust to the

reality of COVID-19, which has

meant the unavoidable postponement

of a range of activities that encourage

membership renewals. We have

missed these occasions to meet and

talk with many of you.

Still, with exception of social

distancing, it has been a spectacular

year for Heritage Ottawa – our prole

and success in advocacy have never

been higher.

Our work of encouraging the

preservation of our city’s historic

buildings and neighbourhoods

continues, despite the pandemic.

As we know all too well, when

these special places are gone, our

heritage goes with them. at is

as true today as it was before the

current crisis. Help us by renewing

your annual membership when

it comes due.

How to renew

Renewals are easy on our secure

website. Visit heritageottawa.org

and click JOIN US followed by

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

to complete the process by credit card.

If you prefer to send a cheque, please

complete the membership form on

the back page of this Newsletter and

mail it to 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa,

ON K1N 6E8.

Important New initiative

We have also created a new

Working Group on Membership

and Fundraising to help build our

membership base and generate more

revenue to support our important

work. We are looking for members

with experience in membership

development and retention, and

fundraising, to assist us. e group

is just getting started so if you are

interested, please contact Gilles

Séguin at [email protected]

or 819-431-7603.

We appreciate your continued

support. Please take care and

stay safe!

Richard Belliveau

President, Heritage Ottawa

Heritage Ottawa is a non-prot

organization dedicated to the

preservation of Ottawa’s built heritage.

Hunter McGill

Guest Editor

Jan Soetermans

Graphic Designer

Katari Imaging

Printing

Heritage Ottawa

2 Daly Avenue

Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2

Tel: 613-230-8841

Fax: 613-564-4428

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.heritageottawa.org

Board of Directors

Richard Belliveau

François Bregha

Peter Coman

Julie Dompierre

Zeynep Ekim

Louise Fox

Ian Ferguson

Hilary Grant

Linda Hoad

David Jeanes

Anne Maheux

Leslie Maitland

Heather McArthur

Hunter McGill

Robert Moreau

Carolyn Quinn

Martin Rice

Gilles Séguin

Katherine Spencer-Ross

Heritage Ottawa acknowledges the

nancial support of the City of Ottawa

and the Ontario Ministry of Culture

Earlier this year, Council selected

me as the new Chair of the Built

Heritage Sub-Committee, for which

I am grateful.

I would like to acknowledge the

past Chair of this Sub-committee,

Stittsville Councillor Glen Gower,

who served during a period when

the Subcommittee was considering

dicult les. His depth and breadth

of thoughtfulness concerning heritage

and the application of policies, by-laws

and ensuring that the public were

fairly consulted was deeply appreciated

and will continue to be highly valued.

I also want to applaud our professional

City sta and all Subcommittee

Members for their past, current

and continued eorts. Serving in

this position along with other Sub-

committee members provides a unique

opportunity to actively protect built

heritage of a unique and distinct

nature in our City, including buildings

that represent a combination of

aesthetic, historical, cultural and

social importance and signicance.

Our objective is the protection of

Ottawa’s historic places for present

and future generations.

Indeed, this position is important

because it provides a unique

opportunity to actively protect built

heritage across the City, including in

Ward 13, which includes Rockclie

Park, which we know is the only ‘park

neighbourhood’ in Canada.

As Martha Edmond so eloquently

noted in her book “Rockclie Park:

A History of the Village”: “e

physical characteristics of Rockclie

have played a role in determining

how the community would develop

over time. e topography has

inuenced the siting of houses, the

choice of construction materials, and

has provided a distinct and dening

character to the Village.”

I believe that the distinct and dening

character of this neighbourhood

must be protected. Rockclie Park is

Ottawa’s largest conservation district,

and the only one that was once

self-governing.

at is why I am pleased to announce

that by-law amendments to restore pre-

amalgamation setbacks in Rockclie

Park will occur in 2020.

Based on advocacy of the Rockclie

Park Residents Association, City sta

have agreed to restore the setback for

accessory buildings to ve feet.

I am also looking forward to bringing

consistency to street signage in

Rockclie and repairs to the erosion

of the Dogwalk, which represents an

important part of this Nation’s military

history, as it was once used for funeral

processions to Beechwood Cemetery,

and further represents a key example,

of how landscaping around and

between homes, is as important, as the

Village’s built heritage.

Over the course of this term of

Council, I’ll work with the Rockclie

Park Resident Association’s Heritage

Committee to preserve the park-

like nature of Rockclie through

examination of my oce’s approach to

community input concerning heritage

permit applications, and our approach

towards heritage preservation generally.

I understand that this community,

along with many other neighbourhoods

and associations across the City,

including Heritage Ottawa, takes the

role of being the guardians of heritage

very seriously, and I support this eort.

Rawlson King is the City Councillor for

Rideau-Rockclie and Chair of the Built

Heritage Sub-Committee.

Ottawa Built Heritage Sub-Committee

By Rawlson King

Minto Square – A Heritage Gem in the

Golden Triangle

By Carolyn Quinn

e Minto Park Heritage

Conservation District (HCD) is one

of the City’s smallest. It comprises a

1.5-acre urban park surrounded by a

collection of 16 houses and duplexes,

and a historic church dating from the

late 19

and early 20

centuries.

It was the local community who

spearheaded Minto Park’s heritage

designation in 1988. ey wanted

to not just protect the historic

residences, but to reserve its function

as a popular neighbourhood

green space. at the impetus for

designation came from within the

community is most tting as the

park’s creation resulted from a

May 9, 1898 petition signed by 76

citizens and presented to the City of

Ottawa Board of Park Management -

an early instance of public participation

in the city’s planning process.

Formed by two narrow lots, Minto Park’s original design divides the rectangular

landscape into semi-circular paths that intersect at three points where planting beds

are located.

View across the park to the Macdonald Club at 153 Gilmour Street. Built in 1906 as

a private residence, this substantial house anchors the corner of Gilmour and Cartier

streets and reects the increase in property values that followed the establishment of the

park. e Women’s Monument is visible in the foreground.

Photos: Hillary Quinn-Austin

Located in Centretown’s Golden

Triangle, the park is bounded by

Elgin and Cartier streets on its west

and east sides, and Gilmour and

Lewis streets to the north and south,

creating an enclosed rectangular

urban residential “square.”

e City purchased the vacant land

in 1898 for $7,500 from prominent

lumber baron and land owner

J.R. Booth. e name Minto Square

was chosen to honour Canada’s then

Governor General, the Earl of Minto.

Minto Square was designed for

leisure rather than recreational

activities, with interwoven paths

and circular patterns of planting

beds and trees interspersed with

benches on which citizens could

rest and admire the surroundings.

e design of the park coincided

with the establishment of the

Ottawa Improvement Commission

(OIC) in 1899, created, in short,

for the purpose of developing public

parks and driveways to beautify the

capital. e OIC’s early landscape

projects followed the more informal,

naturalistic design approach

popularized by renowned American

landscape architect Frederick Law

Olmstead. And although the designer

of Minto Square is unknown, the

inuence of this trend implemented

on a small scale is evident in the

park’s layout and ornamentation.

omas Payment, one of the OIC’s

four original commissioners, was also

the Mayor of Ottawa and chair of

the city’s Board of Park Management,

which oversaw the development of

Minto Square.

Over the years, the more common

word “park” replaced the site-

specic English term “square.” New

additions to the park included the

installation in 1973 of a bronze

bust of General José de San Martin

(1778-1850), liberator of Argentina,

Chile and Peru, that was gifted by the

ambassador of Argentina. In 1992,

the Women’s Monument Against

Violence, designed by local artist,

cj eury, was created and installed at

the other end of the park.

An important part of the Minto

Park HCD designation is the park’s

residential periphery. Built between

1892 and 1906, the houses and

duplexes facing Minto Park present

consistent streetscapes comprising

excellent examples of popular

architectural styles of the period.

e development of new HCD Plans

was mandated in amendments to

the Ontario Heritage Act in 2005.

As well as identifying what is of

cultural heritage value or interest in

Minto Park HCD, and describing its

heritage attributes, the new plan will

explain the objectives to be achieved

by having created the heritage district,

and the guidelines for achieving

those objectives and managing

future changes. e recently released

Centretown Heritage Inventory report

will help inform the HCD Plan.

Commissioned by the City in 2018,

the Centretown Inventory includes

new classications for some 3,000

properties within the study area.

Heritage contributing properties

are classied as either Signicant,

Character-Dening, or Character-

Supporting resources. e ndings

for properties in Minto Park HCD

include 5 Signicant, 12 Character-

Dening and 2 Character-Supporting

resources.

A walk through the park will quickly

reveal to the visitor that Minto Square

is perhaps the most charming and

clearly loved small neighbourhood

park in the centre of Ottawa.

Carolyn Quinn is a member of the

Heritage Ottawa board and Vice-chair of

the City’s Built Heritage Sub-committee

Built between 1892 and 1906,

the houses and duplexes facing

Minto Park present consistent

streetscapes comprising excellent

examples of popular architectural

styles of the period.

Mature shade trees, park benches, and meandering paths make Minto Park a popular and pleasant destination in the Golden Triangle.

A Hidden Mosaic Gem Restored

By Kelly Caldwell

Commissioned in 1927, the

Beaux-Arts styled Metropolitan

Life Insurance Building, designed

by architects D. Everett Waid

(New York) and J.A. Ewart (Ottawa),

houses an excellent example of a

unique Art Deco ceiling mosaic in a

modern Byzantine style. e mosaic

design was created by renowned

mural artist Barry Faulkner, with

work completed by the Ravenna

Mosaic Company, a well-known

highly-skilled glass mosaic rm,

established in St. Louis, Missouri

and New York City, New York.

e suspended barrel-vaulted ceiling

mosaic intricately depicts various

scenes of disasters and protection,

by the female personication of

the company vanquishing mythical

beasts, healing the sick, giving out

pensions, and replacing people’s

houses after they had been burned

down. e scale and minute detail of

the mosaic stand as a unique example

of mosaic artistry in Canada.

e elaborately coloured mosaic,

ranging from multiple shades of

gold to neon, is located in the north

entrance vestibule of the Wellington

Building at 180 Wellington Street in

Ottawa, Ontario. e mosaic began

its recent revitalization story as part of

an ambitious multi-year rehabilitation

project of Public Services and

Procurement Canada to seismically

reinforce the building and to convert

it for use by Parliament’s House of

Commons. e overall aim of this

project was to ensure the stability of

the mosaic and sub-structures and

to maintain the aesthetic integrity

Photos: Kelly Cadwell

Consolidation of delaminated area.

Facing paper removal.

Entire barrel vault east elevation overall, after treatment.

and heritage values. is project was

successfully completed in 2016.

e collaborative eorts of the

multidisciplinary team of conservators,

conservation scientists, and architects

culminated in the protection and

preservation of this vulnerable mosaic

throughout the various phases of

the rehabilitation project. is work

included consultation and research

with the Getty Conservation institute

and mosaic specialists, heritage

recording, materials analysis, vibration

monitoring, and the resulting

conservation treatments. A range of

treatments were completed to stabilize

and repair the mosaics. ese included

removal of protective facing paper,

cleaning, consolidating areas of loose

or detached tesserae, and replacing

missing glass tesserae and mortar.

Kelly Caldwell, Director of

Conservation, Evergreene Architectural

Arts, Brooklyn USA

Strathcona Park Fountain.

One of Ottawa’s much-admired

monuments is the Strathcona Park

fountain, located on Laurier Avenue

East in Ottawa’s historic Sandy Hill

neighbourhood. Unveiled 1 July 1909,

this elegant, familiar, but somewhat

mysterious landmark is set in a small

plaza, artfully positioned at the top

of a ight of 42 steps leading up from

the park’s Victorian landscape and

popular Rideau River promenade.

e fountain is a destination for

runners, walkers, lovers, and children

with boxes of detergent.

e fountain was donated to the

City of Ottawa by Lord Strathcona,

after whom the park was named.

But while we are able to establish

many facts about the fountain, much

remains to be discovered, and this

article invites you to be part of

the research.

e fountain was a gift of Lord

Strathcona (Donald Alexander

Smith), a powerful, wealthy,

Canadian businessman, politician,

diplomat, and philanthropist.

It was he who drove the “last spike”

at Craigellachie, British Columbia,

to signal the completion of Canada’s

CPR railroad in 1885. And we know

that the fountain’s material is cast

iron. But there’s more.

e creator of the Strathcona

Fountain was renowned French

sculptor, Mathurin Moreau (1822-

1912). Born in Dijon, France into a

family of celebrated artists, Moreau’s

career was launched when he won

a gold medal at the Paris Universal

Exposition of 1855. His works

include the allegorical statue L’Océanie

(Musée d’Orsay) and sculptures at

the Paris Opera, Tuileries, Trocadero,

Hôtel de Ville, and Gare du Nord.

He was the creator of the City of

Bordeaux’s monumental Fontaine

de Tourny, donated and relocated to

Québec City to celebrate Québec’s

400th anniversary in 2008.

Mathurin Moreau was also an

astute entrepreneur. He became the

administrator of the Val d’Osne

Photos: Hunter McGill

An Enigma Wrapped in Familiarity

By Barry Padolsky B.Arch.,M.Sc.Urban Design OAA, FRAIC, RCA, CAHP

Fountain detail, “Allegory of the Four Continents”.

foundry which cast most of his

works. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

was said to have been inspired by

Moreau’s works.

e Strathcona Fountain was cast

at the Fonderies d’Art Val d’Osne

in Paris sometime after 1866. is

foundry was a prolic manufacturer

of fountains, sculpture, streetlights,

gates, benches, and garden rollers.

ey produced beautifully engraved

catalogues illustrating their artistic

product lines. Ottawa’s Strathcona

Fountain appears meticulously

rendered in the foundry’s catalogue

(Volume 2, Plate 552, Vasque 37)

at a scale of 1:20.

On a visit to Buenos Aires in 1994,

as the Canadian delegate to the

Congreso Internacional de

Rehabilitación del Patrimonio

Arquitectonico, I was stunned to

encounter “Ottawa’s” Strathcona

Fountain on a walk through the city.

It is located at the intersection of

Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida de

Mayo. e Strathcona Fountain has a

twin! Upon reection we should not

be surprised. e Val d’Osne foundry

in Paris was a commercial enterprise.

Are there more Strathcona Fountains?

e Strathcona Fountain is a

beautifully composed and executed

landmark, typical of the decorative

nineteenth-century monuments

designed in the “beaux-arts” tradition.

Mathurin Moreau has given us a

quartet of elegantly posed cherubs or

“putti” supporting a basin (vasque)

decorated with an “egg and dart” motif

and eight lion head spouts. A central,

ornamental spout with four sh rises

above the upper basin, sending streams

of water that nally spill into a larger

cast stone basin below the cherubs.

e cherubs stand on a festooned base

ornamented with seashells and the

Lord Strathcona coat of arms.

My research, to date, has not

uncovered any documentary evidence

that identies the theme that inspired

Mathurin Moreau’s fountain. It

may be that Moreau has given us a

most remarkable, esoteric, romantic,

allegorical gift.

e fountain may represent the

“Allegory of the Four Continents.”

is theme was popular among

European mannerist and baroque

artists in the 16

to 19

centuries.

e theme emerged after the

European “discovery” of the Americas

at the end of the 15

century. Indeed,

a close inspection of the four cherubs

clearly reveals their secret identities

looking clockwise: Europe, Asia,

America, and Africa. I will let the

reader discover the hidden and not so

hidden clues that suggest the allegory.

ey are all there.

is fountain was donated by Lord

Strathcona to embellish Canada’s

capital city and inspire national pride.

But did he also provide Mathurin

Moreau’s “Allegory of the Four

Continents” to inspire us to think

more globally?

is essay is dedicated to my friend

Chuck Dalfen who recently and

unexpectedly died and whose

curiosity and opinions on the

signicance and meaning of such

things as an ornamental fountain

I will now never hear. Many thanks

to those who have helped me with

this project.

Grand Beaux-Arts Laboratories: A Nod to

Canada’s Pride in Our Scientic Achievements

By Allison Margot Smith

e National Research Council

(NRC) of Canada building at 100

Sussex Drive in Ottawa was purpose-

built to house NRC’s headquarters

and laboratories. e federal

government of the day recognized

the growing importance of scientic

research to our national economy. But

its bronze and marble, its sandstone

and granite, and its Beaux-Arts

classicism collectively speak to the

pride of Canada, and of Canadians,

in the scientic achievements

happening inside.

e NRC began as a volunteer

organization that sought funding

to support research for Canadian

industry. e rst NRC research

project, in 1917, helped develop

a fuel briquette industry using

lignite from Saskatchewan. e

success of the fuel briquette project

demonstrated the value of publicly-

funded research to support the

growth of Canadian industry.

Eight years after the founding of the

NRC, then President Henry Marshall

Tory hired the Council’s rst full-time

scientic researcher, Frank E. Lathe.

Mr. Lathe researched magnesite,

which was being used in a protable

Quebec industry. is industry was

facing erce competition from its

Austrian counterpart after the end

of World War I. e project was

successful, motivating Parliament to

approve funding, in 1927, to build

the NRC headquarters and

laboratories at 100 Sussex Street

(now Sussex Drive).

In 1928, the NRC also hired

Margaret Gill to be the rst librarian.

Until then, records had been kept

in the Parliamentary Library. e

new NRC library was open to the

public. Patrons requested items which

were brought out for study in the

NRC reading room. Eventually, this

library became a part of the Industrial

Research Assistance Program (IRAP).

& Rolph, the NRC building was

completed in 1932. However, the

Great Depression of the early 1930s

led the NRC to defer any further

hiring of scientists.

By the end of World War II, the NRC

was working on nuclear power. Its

Atomic Energy project was partially

carried out at the Chalk River,

Ontario, plant. Research moved

entirely to Atomic Energy of Canada

Limited (AECL) in 1952.

e NRC logged many achievements

through its history. In 1971, Dr.

Gerhard Herzberg, an engineer who

ran the physics division, won the

Nobel prize for chemistry. Herzberg

specialized in molecular spectroscopy,

studying the relationship between

matter and electromagnetic radiation.

He was awarded the prize for his

work on the electronic structure and

geometry of molecules.

By 1977, another NRC scientist,

Dr. Saran Narang was synthesizing

human genes faster than anyone

else in the world. Dr. Narang

subsequently produced the rst

synthetic pro-insulin.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, the

NRC’s research focused on pure

science before reverting, in the 1990s

to projects that had specic practical

links to industry, the environment,

the economy and public interests.

roughout this more recent history,

the NRC developed, among other

things, cost-eective methods for

processing industrial waste for re-use

and environmental protection.

In 1988, this NRC building was

designated a “Classied Federal

Heritage Building.” It has retained

its outward appearance, including

its squared, gure-eight plan,

and grand Beaux-Arts style. e

sandstone and granite exterior has

a number of classical elements

including the Roman Doric

columns, the entrance pavilions,

and the entablature and pediments.

Its symmetry, horizontal elevations,

and elongated façade all accentuate

its monumentality. e Beaux-

Arts style, continued in the steel

casement windows, with multiple

panes and ne lines, enhance the

building’s beauty and classical form.

And contrary to current rumour,

the building’s design was not based

on Buckingham Palace!

e two internal courtyards formed

by the gure-eight layout were

intended to oer a place of repose.

ey originally contained grassy

lawns and ower gardens, and

indeed, there was even a period, in

the 1930s, when a goat was kept

in the courtyards. e courtyards

are now lled in with oces. Parks

Canada suggests that the removal of

these ‘temporary’ structures would

return the courtyards to their original

purpose, but they are silent on the

subject of the goat!

Photo: National Capital Commission. “An Inclusive and Meaningful Capital.” e

Plan For Canada’s Capital (blog), n.d. http://capital2067.ca/inclusive-meaningful/.

e interior of this special building

has two distinct characters: its grand

public spaces, and its utilitarian,

safety-oriented scientic laboratories.

e public spaces include the front

entrance, main hall, President’s

oce and boardroom, auditorium

and library/reading room. ere

were also exhibition spaces located

in the basement, now converted to

a cafeteria and a computer server

room. ese public spaces are

notable for their beautiful Travertine

walls, and lovely coered and

painted ceilings.

e laboratories, on the other hand,

are industrial in style, and built to

accommodate changing research

requirements and maintain safety.

While the exhibit spaces no

longer exist, the NRC’s interest

in showcasing Canada’s scientic

advancements for the public has

not diminished. e Canadian

museums of Science and Technology,

Aviation and Space, and Agriculture

and Food, located in Ottawa, all

stemmed from NRC’s initial plan to

reach out to the public.

As well as its historical and

architectural value, this NRC

building is also recognized for its

park-like site qualities. Its appearance

complements the post-1950s formal

nature of its surroundings.

Although only the footprint of

the building is included in the

formal designation, Parks Canada

recommends that the neighbouring

heat plant and power house also be

preserved. Together, this collection of

buildings is consistent in materials,

design and proportion.

While the NRC building at

100 Sussex Drive is no longer

the headquarters, that role having

moved to the newer NRC buildings

on Montreal Road, it remains an

active laboratory facility where

scientic research continues.

Current research involves advanced,

non-linear optical imaging and

microscopy for oil and gas, material

science, manufacturing, cosmetics,

food science and pharmaceuticals.

As well, there is a human health

therapeutics research facility and

microbial fermentation pilot

plant for biotechnology and

biopharmaceutical research. Finally,

there is a printable electronics lab

for digital manufacturing.

Allison Margot Smith is an historian

and historical documentary lmmaker.

She is a member of Heritage Ottawa.

In 1988, this NRC building was designated a “Classied Federal Heritage Building.”

following year. e majority of

First Avenue has maintained

its authentic design and details

extremely well and even though it

has been modied over the years,

presently it looks almost as it did

in 1907.

First Avenue’s heritage has a

profound impact on the students

that continue to learn within

its walls. Students who grow up

learning in historic buildings get a

unique insight into the history they

are learning about in class and are

naturally encouraged to develop a

greater appreciation for their own

heritage and older buildings around

them. First Avenue has a rich

history which is worth conserving

for future generations, especially

since currently many schools lack

the craftsmanship and architectural

beauty that First Avenue possesses

in abundance. A lot of schools

that have been constructed in the

last few decades simply do not

have the same atmosphere that

is so advantageous for learning

as First Avenue. As a graduate of

First Avenue I can conrm that

the time I spent in this school has

strengthened my appreciation for

my own heritage and that of my

city’s as well. In conclusion, the

atmosphere and history that

First Avenue provides to young

people today cannot be adequately

replaced by just any building, First

Avenue is something truly unique

and worth keeping around for a

long time to come.

Erica Waugh is a graduate of

First Avenue School and a student at

Glebe High School.

Since its construction, First Avenue

has been an academic institution,

providing an education to thousands

of children. Whilst some parts of the

building have been renovated and

additions have been added, the school

maintains its historical character to

this day. It was built to accommodate

the growing population of the Glebe,

which was expanding at a rapid

pace in the late 1890s and today the

school still works to accommodate its

surrounding community. It’s a great

example of how heritage buildings

can still be used in everyday life

without detaching from their original

designs and styles.

Built in 1898, First Avenue was

was designed in the Richardsonian

Romanesque style, which is

particularly evident in the arched

front doorway, and in the terracotta

detailing on either side of it. Despite

its beautiful design, in 1907 additions

were made to keep up with the

demand for public education as

the Glebe population grew. A third

story was added containing another

eight classrooms, an assembly hall

and a new ventilation system.

ese modications didn’t alter

the appearance of the building

dramatically and served to maintain

the school’s functionality. Over the

next few decades small adjustments

were made in order to keep the school

safe and practical. However, in 1980

the Ottawa Board of Education

decided to close the school. e

community that the school had

served so loyally for many years,

rallied to protect it and the history

it represented. In the end, the board

did not close the school, and a new

gymnasium and library were added

to the back of the school in the

First Avenue Public School: A Glimpse

Into the Past

By Erica Waugh

First Avenue has a rich history which is worth conserving for future generations.

Photo: Hunter McGill

la Loi sur l’urbanisme, le Tribunal

n’avait pas droit de regard sur la

décision de démolition, seulement

sur le changement de zonage qui y

était rattaché. Action Côte de sable

a fait valoir le fait que l’article 60 du

règlement général sur le zonage de la

Ville prévoit que «lorsqu’un bâtiment

situé dans un secteur désigné à valeur

patrimoniale est détruit ou enlevé,

il doit être reconstruit en respectant

le caractère, l’échelle, la masse, le

volume et la surface de plancher

originaux et être situé au même

endroit qu’avant sa destruction ou

son enlèvement.» En vain. En février

dernier, le Tribunal a statué en faveur

de la Ville.

Cet épisode démontre comment notre

patrimoine souvent se perd suite à

une dérive progressive plutôt que par

des gestes agrants. Un propriétaire

néglige de s’occuper de sa maison;

les agents de la Ville ne font pas leurs

devoirs et ignorent la vrai valeur

de cette maison; ils démontrent par

la suite des reexes d’accommodement

au développement plutôt que de

préservation; la décision

d’approuver un nouveau bâtiment

suit une approche réductionniste qui

complique tout appel possible.

Le processus s’étale sur plusieurs

années et décourage une action

soutenue des citoyens.

231 Cobourg n’est qu’une adresse

parmi d’autres mais elle a beaucoup

de leçons à nous orir sur les

lacunes actuelles de notre régime de

protection du patrimoine bâti.

François Bregha a été impliqué avec

Action Côte de sable dans la lutte pour

préserver la maison.

Entre 1954 et 1958, Lester B. Pearson

a habité dans un modeste duplexe

situé au 231 ave Cobourg dans

la Côte de sable. Pearson était à

l’époque Secrétaire d’état aux aaires

étrangères et c’est sous son impulsion

que, selon plusieurs, la politique

étrangère du Canada a connu sa plus

grande gloire. Pearson habitait à

cette adresse lorsqu’il s’est vu attribué

le Prix Nobel de la Paix pour avoir

désamorcer la crise de Suez.

Cette maison de deux étages en brique

rouge de style fédéral, sans grand

attrait architectural mais avec un

historique remarquable, sera démolie

pour être remplacée par un édice de

trois étages qui servira de bureaux au

Haut Commissariat de l’Ouganda.

La façon dont la décision a été prise

nous en dit long sur les dicultés

auxquelles font face les défenseurs du

patrimoine bâti à Ottawa.

L’histoire commence avec des

craquements dans la fondation de

la maison qui appartient au Haut

Commissariat depuis les années 80 et

un mauvais entretien. Le Véricateur

général de l’Ouganda remarque cette

lacune dans son rapport de 2015

malgré le fait que de l’argent avait

été mis de côté pour des réparations.

L’état de la maison continuant de

se dégrader, le Haut Commissariat

demande à la Ville en 2017 une

autorisation pour la démolir et la

remplacer par un édice à bureaux

plus convenable à ses besoins. Il faut

souligner que la maison se trouve

dans un district de conservation

du patrimoine et est jugée comme

contribuant à ce patrimoine malgré sa

simplicité architecturale. La maison

aurait sans doute reçu une plus haute

cotte de la Ville si celle-ci avait connu

son passé historique mais il semble que

les agents de la Ville l’aient ignoré. Ils

ont donc recommandé l’acceptation de

la demande du Haut Commissariat.

Le Sous-comité sur le patrimoine

bâti du Conseil municipal s’est

penché deux fois sur le dossier. Ses

membres n’étaient pas convaincus

que la maison devait être démolie,

une action qui d’ailleurs est

découragée dans le plan de gestion

du district de conservation. Ils ont

donc demandé aux agents de la Ville

d’étudier la possibilité de préserver

une partie de la maison dans tout

nouveau développement. Malgré

cette volonté claire, les agents de

la Ville ont utilisé une ambigüité

dans la motion du Sous-comité

pour passer à côté de la question et

conclure que les réparations seraient

trop coûteuses. Éventuellement,

en 2018, le Conseil municipal a

entériné la recommandation de

ses fonctionnaires et approuvé la

démolition de la maison.

Action Côte de sable a ensuite

porté appel au Tribunal d’appel

de l’aménagement local (Local

Planning Appeal Tribunal en anglais).

Cependant, parce que la démolition

avait été approuvée selon la Loi sur le

patrimoine de l’Ontario et non selon

Le Haut Commissariat de l’Ouganda,

231 ave. Cobourg, Côte de sable

Par François Bregha

Photo: Bill Blackstone

As you recall, we announced in April

that we would postpone the Annual

General Meeting of Heritage Ottawa

from its usual May time-slot until

October. e prospective date has now

been xed for Wednesday, October 28

at 7:00 pm. e location will be at the

recently renovated Bayview Yards,

at 7 Bayview Station Road.

Our rationale for holding a late AGM

rather than try to convene an earlier

meeting online is the belief that a key

function of the AGM is the gathering

of the Heritage Ottawa family in

person, in an agreeable environment,

to review the year’s activities, refresh

acquaintances and revive enthusiasm

for the heritage mission, and to enjoy

the presentation of a stimulating

guest speaker. is opportunity

seemed particularly important this

year, of all years, as long as public

health standards allowed for it.

Because the Glebe Community

Centre, which had been booked for

our meeting in May, was not able

to accept an autumn booking until

it could assess the circumstances,

we took the opportunity to look

elsewhere. Indeed, in former years,

HO moved around frequently,

holding its AGM in a variety of

heritage venues in dierent parts of

the city.

Many of you may not yet be familiar

with Bayview Yards. e property

was formerly part of a City of Ottawa

works and construction centre, built

between 1941-47 on Bayview Road

on the edge of Hintonburg. Building

#4, which still exists, is a designated

heritage site and has been retted and

refurbished by the city. It formerly

housed key operational and storage

facilities, and is now operated, with City

support, as a “business-acceleration”

facility supporting the growth of new

and innovative businesses.

Our meeting will take place in the

RBC Foundry room, which is an

agreeable gathering space that will

allow larger groups to spread out

safely for meetings. is will be a

good opportunity for us to see what

has been done with adaptive reuse of

the building and to visit a site that

featured in Ottawa’s relatively recent

municipal history.

We have a special guest speaker

lined up for the evening as well.

Johanna Mizgala is the Curator of the

House of Commons Collection, has

published extensively on museology,

architecture and art, and is well

known in areas of heritage and

culture advocacy. She will be a very

engaging speaker.

So that is our plan. Of course, it will

depend on a positive evolution of the

loosening of restrictions on public

gatherings in the city between now

and October. But we are hoping

for the best because we really want

to come together again with our

friends and partners in the heritage

conservation game. It has been too

long already.

Visit heritageottawa.org/annual-

general-meeting for more

information.

Richard Belliveau

President, Heritage Ottawa

October 28 for the AGM

Message from the President

Heritage Ottawa Membership

and Donation Form

Complete and return with payment

(Please print clearly)

First name ______________________________________

Last name ______________________________________

Address ________________________________________

_______________________________________________

City _______________________ Province ____________

Postal code __________ Phone ____________________

Email __________________________________________

Category of Membership

(check one)

Are you a returning member?

Yes___ No___

Senior Membership: $20.00

Student Membership: $20.00

Individual Membership : $30.00

Family Membership : $35.00

Corporate/Institutional : $120.00

Charitable donation $___________

(ocial tax receipts issued for amounts over $20)

Total Payment $__________________

Make cheque payable to Heritage Ottawa

Mail to: Heritage Ottawa, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6E8