Brampton Heritage Board Item N1 for November
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N 1-1 .. CHO/ Quarterly Publication of Community Heritage Ontario / Patrimoine communautaire de I'Ontari St. John's Roman Catholic Church, Whitby IN THIS ISSUE John Ecker St. John's Roman Catholic Church 1 What do Calgary's Saddledome first hypar structure in Canada. He built Whitby and St. John the Evangelist his wooden roof house in Aylmer, Quebec. The Honourable Michael Coteau 3 Roman Catholic Church at 903 Giffard (The Pringle brand potato chip is based on Street in Whitby have in common? No, the hyperbolic paraboloid. The shape 2014 Mandate letter: Tourism, 3 they are not both places of worship, allows the thin chips to be stacked to resist Culture and Sport although some Calgary Flames fans might breakage during packaging and transport.) Liability Reform for Municipalities 4 argue the point. Both structures feature a So the question is: How did such an hyperbolic paraboloid roof. A what? interesting and uncommon shape land in Ontario Heritage Conferences - 6 Nicknamed "hypars," this style of roof the form of a church in Whitby, Ontario? A Great Opportunity for Networkin g reached its zenith in the 1960s. The Amer The answer comes in three parts: the New Community Heritage Ontario 7 ican Heritage Science Dictionary times, the use, and the budget. Awards Program describes a hyperbolic paraboloid as a First, when Pastor Leo J. Austin and "surface of which all sections parallel to his parishioners determined it was time for From the Desk of Bert Duclos 8 one coordinate plane are hyperbolas and a new church building, the mid-late mod We Want to Hear From You 8 all sections parallel to another coordinate ern era style of architecture was very plane are parabolas." In practical terms, strong. The trend at the time included President's Message 9 hypar roofs allow longer unsupported unique building materials, open beams, CHO/PCO Board Meetings 9 spans, walls of glass, and require less interesting floor plans, and glass walls. building material per square foot. Such "thin shell" construction was very Copyright Notice 9 A well known Canadian architect, popular. Geometric design supported the Disclaimer 9 James Strutt, is credited with building the use of lishtweiizht and efficient materials CHO/PCO Mission Statement 9 News from the CHO/PCO Board 10 ofDirectors Hamilton Heritage Properties Blog 10 New CHO/?eiv.s- Deadlines 10 CHO/PCO Board of Directors 11 CHO Webinars 11 Advertise in CWOnews 11 Heritage Canada The National 12 Trust Who is Your Heritage Hero 12 ?co St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Whitby. &JJkiL Photo by John Ecker www.conimunir.yhcrir.agconr.ario ca Fall / automne 2014 CHOmm.s N 1-2 that City's 2013 Doors Open schedule. The August 12, 1958 edition of the Globe and Mail notes, "Architectural his tory was made in Whitby tonight (August 11) when contractors poured a concrete slab roof.... The roof is in the form ofa hyperbolic paraboloid or saddle type, and architect Frank H. Burcher of Hamilton says it is the only one of its size and nature in Canada." The architect for St. John the Evange list Church is Frank Burcher, M.R.A.I.C. According to the Canadian Catholics Institutions magazine of November- December 1959: Mr. Burcher has been in private practice in Hamilton since 1953. A native of Toronto, he attended high school at De LaSalle College "Oak lands" and Humberside Collegiate. Aerial photo, about 1959. Courtesy of the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of After serving in the R.C.N.V.R. during Toronto. World War II, he entered the School of Architecture, University of Toronto, and provided for a dramatic aesthetic ments: "Noting the modern architecture of graduating in 1951. Mr. Burcher has, in effect. the new church, His Eminence said he addition, designed many Catholic Many people have assumed that the was 'not able to appreciate fully what we churches, schools and institutional design of St. John's was the result of the call modern art. We're going to have, at buildings in the Hamilton and Niagara massive changes to Catholic Church doc least something different.'" areas. trine during the Vatican II era, but this is On August 8, 1958, The Daily Times- incorrect. The church was completed in Gazette (Oshawa) wrote: "There is a The following summarizes the materi 1958. Vatican II was not convened until smaller roof of the same type on a home als used in St. John's: 1959. in Claremont but no other building in Second, Father Austin was a strong Canada of such dimensions has such a • The roof is poured reinforced and visionary leader. In an August 15, roof." That building is the Cleeve Home concrete slab; 4 inches thick at the comer 1958 letter to Cardinal James McGuigan, Home, also built in 1958, as a retreat for buttresses, narrowing to 3 inches in the Archbishop of Toronto, Austin attached a the renowned artist. Pickering designated middle. brief document called "Our Plans." The the property under the Ontario Heritage • All the concrete was poured in a new church, he wrote, "will be a modern Act in 2000 and it was a popular stop on single day, August 11, 1958. contemporary structure, using the latest methods and materials at hand to the best advantage to create a simplified, function al and devotional edifice to the Glory of God." He continued, "This unique design will provide a clear and unobstructed view of the Main Altar for the Church's capaci ty of 600. In addition, there will be no pews any great distance from the Altar; a welcome asset." The seating was subse quently revised to an estimated 730. Third, the cost of the new structure was affordable. The design provided a large worship space for less cost than other similar sized buildings. In 1957, the estimated cost was $200,000. With the financial generosity of parishioners, work progressed quickly. The Daily Times- Gazette (Oshawa) covered the Sunday, May 4, 1958 sod turning event, attended by hundreds, including numerous local politicians and dignitaries. The paper gave Fr. Damian Ali beside one of the south buttresses that support the hypar roof. this account of Cardinal McGuisan's com CHO/;<?H'.s Fall /automne 2014 N 1-3 • The exterior walls are a pink Hills architect, Robert E. DesLauriers, Father Damian Ali, pastor at St. John's coloured, rough brick, with roughhewn received an Award of Merit from the since 2012, is growing in his appreciation natural granite and stained wood. American Institute of Architects for his of the unique church he oversees. "The • The window and door frames are design. open concept is warm and inviting. tubular steel with marbleized glass. St. John's has undergone several Despite the challenges, it's a wonderful, • The interior size of the nave is 80 changes over the years, but the exterior welcoming space." x 80 feet. remains much as it was in 1958. The St. John the Evangelist church in • The interior walls have mahogany interior space, including the sanctuary, Whitby remains one of Canada's best panelling in the nave and sanctuary. has been updated to reflect new church examples of unusual and rare hyperbolic • The ceiling is exposed painted liturgy. The baptismal font was moved paraboloid roofarchitecture. concrete. from the foyer to the left of the altar. • The floors are terrazzo throughout. The original crying room has been John Ecker, KCHS, is vice chair of replaced by expanded bathroom facili Heritage Whitby and a long time The hypar design proved to be more ties. The heating system in the floor parishioner at St. John the Evangelist popular in the United States than Canada, recently failed and a new gas furnace is Roman Catholic Church. Special with several fine examples in the Ameri being installed along with much wel thanks are due to the Town of Whitby can northwest and California. Carlton comed air conditioning. The roof has Archives and the Archives of the Hills Lutheran Church (1961) in Santee, also undergone repairs amid some con Roman Catholic Archdiocese of northeast of San Diego, is very reminis cern that the hypar design may be part Toronto. cent of Whitby's St. John's. The Carlton of the problem. The Honourable Michael Coteau On June 24, 2014, Premier Wynn District School Board and helped bring named the Honourable Michael forward nutritional changes that Coteau as Minister of Tourism, Culture increased awareness around student and Sport, as well as Minister Responsi hunger and resulted in healthy food pro ble for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American grams. In addition, he is a champion of Games. Minister Coteau was first elected the integration of technology in educa to the legislature in 2011 as the MPP for tion. Don Valley East. He was re-elected in Minister Coteau is former CEO and 2014. Executive Director of a national literacy Coteau was appointed Minister of not-for-profit, Alpha Plus. He was also Citizenship and Immigration in February on the Board of the Toronto Foundation 2013. Prior to entering government, he for Student Success and on the Board of served as a school board trustee for the Toronto Lands Corporation. He has almost eight years. As a trustee, he worked as an ESL teacher and curricu worked to make schools more accessible lum director. Minister Coteau and his to community groups that run after wife Lori live in Toronto with their two school programs for children. He also daughters, Maren and Myla. served as the Vice Chair of the Toronto 2014 Mandate Letter: Tourism, Culture and Sport September25, 2014 As we implement a balanced and com ister.