Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage March 2020 Volume 47, No. 1 Mid-century Modern

HERITAGE By Richard Belliveau MAY 30, 2020 ANNUAL FIELD TRIP

www.heritageottawa.org ANNUAL FIELD TRIP – SAVE THE DATE! Brockville, Merrickville, Prescott Saturday, May 30, 2020 Following the success of our last three field trips, we are planning a

spring coach tour to heritage-rich Esponda Mariana Photo: Brockville with stops along the way in Merrickville and Prescott, UNAM (the autonomous university of Mexico) including historical museums. The year 2019 marked the 100th neighbourhood by Andrew King; anniversary of Bauhaus, and in and a short piece by Zeynep Ekim various ways Heritage Ottawa drew covering the Create Heritage attention to this in its education workshop at . and information programs. We mounted a walking tour led by A number of presentations at our Details will be forthcoming Sarah Gelbard to look at Brutalist lecture series this past autumn were on our website and member focused on different aspects of communications. architecture in . We published articles in this mid-century modern architecture in Stay connected! Newsletter – one by Barry Padolsky Ottawa, and from each of them, the lecturers drew attention to interesting Visit our website for more details: on what has become of “the heritageottawa.org/annualfieldtrip promise of Bauhaus“; one on the mid-century structures arising from residential jewel of the Qualicum these architectural movements and 1 Mid-century Modern (contd.)

moments that lovers of built heritage thinking was that the salt air was might not have fully appreciated. the villain causing the rust, but Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit research discovered that during organization dedicated to the Globe & Mail architectural critic, the early stages of its construction, preservation of Ottawa’s built heritage. Alex Bozikovic, spoke of preserving during the transition from the Canada’s legacy of modernism with Franco era in Spain, work was Hunter McGill a special attention on institutional halted for up to a year and during Guest Editor architecture in the capital since that time, uncompleted walls were Jan Soetermans the 1960. Many of these buildings left exposed. Graphic Designer such as the old City Hall on Sussex (now federally owned), Similar background research in Katari Imaging the Carling Building (now mostly Mexico revealed that there were a Printing demolished), Library and Archives series of important maintenance Canada on Wellington street, the issues across the monumental Heritage Ottawa CBC Building on Bronson, and campus of UNAM. Built in 2 Daly Avenue only two years from 1954, the Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2 federal buildings on Confederation Heights, as well as interesting university campus did not have a Tel: 613-230-8841 schools like Laurentian High comprehensive maintenance plan Fax: 613-564-4428 School on Baseline Road (since or program. After the site became Email: [email protected] demolished) can be considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site Web: www.heritageottawa.org fine architecture. His point was in 2007, the authorities undertook that there is an urgency to identify a long-term management plan Board of Directors buildings of that era worthy of to ensure that the buildings in Richard Belliveau preservation that may now have the original main campus area reached their anticipated useful would be adequately protected. François Bregha life, so that action may be taken After the 2017 earthquake, many Peter Coffman to preserve and adapt them. Many maintenance issues were discovered, Julie Dompierre of these buildings are or have been so the struggle continues. Zeynep Ekim community or city landmarks, but Louise Fox little thought was given to their In the course of the discussion, Professor Esponda was asked how Ian Ferguson long-term care. modernist institutional structures that Hilary Grant At the November lecture, Carleton she had studied in Canada were making Linda Hoad professor Mariana Esponda cast out, especially in the harsh Canadian David Jeanes a different eye on revaluating climate that we combat with liberal Anne Maheux modern sites. She used as applications of salt. She remarked Leslie Maitland examples the research her team that many of the institutions, like the Heather McArthur conducted on major modernist University of Guelph, have survived architectural masterpieces such as well because they were intelligently Hunter McGill the mountaintop Fundacion Miro designed, competently built and Robert Moreau in Barcelona and the magnificent suitably managed. Carolyn Quinn campus of the Universidad Martin Rice Nacional Atonoma de México Issues to Confront Gilles Séguin (UNAM) outside Mexico City. in identifying and Katherine Spencer-Ross They undertook a huge project to restore the iconic sculptured walls saving mid-century Heritage Ottawa acknowledges the of Fundacion’s concrete walls whose modernist Buildings financial support of the and the Ontario Ministry of Culture iron rebars were rusting badly and Clearly there will be a number of disintegrating the concrete. Early issues to consider when promoting 2 the conservation and possibly restoration of mid-century modern Places Saved: Five new institutional architecture. designated buildings in 2019 From a heritage point of view, the main questions will be three: what By Cass Sclauzero should be saved, what can be saved, the Heritage Inventory Project. Built and how will they be saved? as a branch of the Traders Bank of Canada in 1910, when Vars was a In looking at the “what should”, prosperous railway village, it became a how do we define the value of branch of the Royal Bank of Canada buildings from a historical in 1912 and served the community point of view, the beauty of until the 1950s. It is now a private the architecture, and the place home. The designation request was a building may occupy as a initiated by the property owner, who community landmark? The big shared with City staff their huge problem will likely not be personal collection of research about agreeing on the criteria, but the building, Vars, the Traders Bank, rather assigning priorities where and the Royal Bank. It is the first Sclauzero Cass Photo: hundreds of such buildings designated building in Vars, and one may be reaching their due dates Former Royal Bank of Canada, Vars of only six designated properties in contemporaneously. The December 10, 2019 meeting of Cumberland ward. the City of Ottawa’s Built Heritage The challenge of the “what can” Sub-Committee (BHSC) featured The Ottawa Tennis and Lawn is complicated by the use of new a trio of good-news heritage items. Bowling Club is a Tudor Revival materials and techniques in The BHSC unanimously voted in building designed by John Albert modernist architecture that may favour of designating the Standard Ewart. Built in 1923, it was modeled have not served well. The beautiful Bread Company Bakery at 951 after English cottages and manor Sir John Carling Building at the Gladstone Avenue, the former homes. It is a good example of a Central Experimental Farm did not Traders Bank at 1824 Farwel Street recreational building of its time survive the cut because of hazardous in Vars, and the Ottawa Tennis and and is associated with the growth of materials used in its original Lawn Bowling Club at 176 Cameron recreational sports in Ottawa. The construction, and the building is Avenue under Part IV of the Ontario designation was approved by Council now mostly gone. Heritage Act. just a day after being presented to The “how” may be the biggest the BHSC, to allow the Club to The designation request for the obstacle of all. The magnificent apply for a grant under the Ministry Standard Bread Company Bakery was adaptation of the old Union Station of Canadian Heritage’s Building submitted in 2010 by the Hintonburg into the temporary Senate of Canada Communities Through Arts and Community Association but put on cost millions of dollars. As was the Heritage Legacy Fund before the hold pending redevelopment plans for case in refocussing the National December 31, 2019 deadline. the property. Subsequent negotiations Arts Centre, and the building of between City staff and the current The Booth Street Complex at 552- the Bank of Canada atrium. It is owner resulted in a plan for the 568 Booth Street and 405 Rochester likely that even the most beautiful designated building to be rehabilitated Street, and the stone building at and possibly beloved old office and retained as part of a new mixed- 1820 St. Joseph Boulevard were also buildings or academic centres from use development adjacent to the future designated earlier in 2019. the mid-century boom will have a Gladstone LRT station. The 3-storey struggle to find usefulness when their building, constructed in 1924, refreshment will cost tens of millions features a four-storey tower and flared Cass Sclauzero is Heritage Register of dollars. mushroom columns on the interior. Project Assistant with the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Richard Belliveau The former Traders Bank branch in Development Department, President, Heritage Ottawa Vars was identified in 2019 through City of Ottawa. 3 Update on the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site By Leslie Maitland

The Central Experimental Farm reached out to those groups which National Historic Site (CEF), owned After years of wrangling, in had been most engaged in the by Agriculture and Agri-Food December 2016 the decision discussions about the location of Canada (AAFC) was all the news was finally made to dedicate the hospital, with an invitation to a few years ago when the Ottawa the northeast corner of the found a Community Engagement Hospital and the Government of Farm to the new Hospital Group (CEG) to provide outside commentary on the planning for Canada announced that the new campus, a site known as the Civic Campus were to go right on the hospital. HO was invited and top of the agricultural research fields Sir John Carling Building site. accepted, and this group meets facing Carling Avenue. Field Number once a month to discuss hospital 1 has been - and continues to be - planning issues. central to the research capacity of for many 20 years. All three levels Canadian agricultural research, and of government and The Ottawa The CEG consists of neighbouring it is the place where researchers have Hospital agreed on this site. community associations, patient been studying the impact of climate advocacy groups, and heritage and 1 change on agriculture for 30 years. There are still implications for greenspace groups. The City of Heritage Ottawa and its partners in heritage as hospital planning goes Ottawa and the National Capital the Coalition to Protect the Central forward, and so Heritage Ottawa and Commission (NCC) also have Experimental Farm were instrumental others remain vigilant for the welfare representatives on this board. Private in finding a win-win, in which the of the CEF and neighbouring heritage sector facilitators are PACE Public Ottawa Hospital and the Farm properties. A hospital is not a small Affairs & Community Engagement, retained its capacity to do the research thing, and there will be continuing and Middle Ground Research. that all Canadians need if we are to implications for the Farm, for the To date, the CEG has provided ensure our own food security, and the nearby World Heritage input on: the City’s re-zoning of the welfare of our agricultural industry, Site, and for the federally-designated site to “institutional”; preliminary while conserving this nationally historic structures that abut the site of transportation studies; the fate significant heritage site. the new hospital. of the Sir John Carling Annex; We had a measure of success. After Going forward, the 50-acre site at the Request for Proposals for the years of wrangling, in December the northeast corner of the CEF planning studies; TOH CEO 2016 the decision was finally made will remain the property of the Dr. Kitts’ replacement; and most to dedicate the northeast corner Government of Canada, on a long- substantially, the vision statement of the Farm to the new Hospital term lease to the Hospital, and it will Healthy Ottawa, which is the CEG’s campus, a site known as the Sir remain part of the designated place response to the City of Ottawa’s John Carling Building site. This is of the national historic site. Planning Official Plan (OP) review and where a triangle of land where Carling, for the new hospital proceeds apace. the hospital fits into the new OP. Preston and Prince of Wales The hospital is in year two of about https://heritageottawa.org/news/ converge, beside Dow’s Lake. While an eight-year planning process, before -central-experimental-farm- we would have preferred that the spades go in the ground. research-climate-change Hospital not be built anywhere on Going forward, the CEG will the CEF, this was the compromise Community Engagement respond to the planning studies we arrived at. At least the Sir John Group now underway (for transportation, Carling site had never been used for After the Sir John Carling Site infrastructure, environmental agricultural research while it had was identified as a site for the new impact studies, and cultural heritage been identified as a development site hospital, the Ottawa Hospital impact studies). These will probably

4 Photo: TVO TVO Photo: website Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm, established in 1886, is a designated national historic site of Canada. appear in 2020. HO’s role on the Agriculture and Food Museum, Continuing Threats CEG has been focussed on heritage Fletcher Wildlife Garden, and There remains considerable public conservation, looking to mitigate Heritage Ottawa. CEFAC meets misunderstanding of the purpose impacts to the Farm, to the Canal, twice a year. of the CEF both as an agricultural and to the nearby heritage buildings, research institution vital to the former Observatory, the Azimuth CEFAC has been quiescent for many Canada’s food security; and lack of building, and others. years but has recently revived and has useful projects which should appreciation of the CEF as a heritage and recreational facility important Central Experimental contribute to the wise management of the CEF as a cultural and recreational to Ottawa and to the nation. Farm Advisory Council destination. CEFAC is launching Pressures to develop the site – it’s (CEFAC) a visitor survey shortly, the first for “empty”, right? – continue. Issues to watch out for include the impact CEFAC is an advisory body which the CEF. Both the NCC and Parks of transportation in and around the provides commentary to Agriculture Canada have assisted in developing CEF; a proposal to create a botanical and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on this survey, which will be launched garden on a site between Prince of the management of the Farm as a online through the websites of the Wales Drive and the Canal; and national historic site (but not its CEFAC member organisations. It the ongoing concerns for management as a research station). is hoped this visitor survey will help appropriate use. The groups that sit on CEFAC inform public activities and awareness on the Farm, and feed into the work include Agriculture and Agri-Food Heritage Ottawa remains engaged of the Community Engagement Canada, the Friends of the Farm, and vigilant, and we appreciate the Group, discussed above. the Canadian Society of Landscape public support we have received in Architects, 4-H Canada, the National AAFC is looking at updating the our efforts to protect the Central Farmers’ Union, the National management plan for the Farm (now Experimental Farm. Trust, the Canadian Institute of some 20 years old), and CEFAC – Planners, the Federation of Citizen’s Leslie Maitland is a member of the and Heritage Ottawa – will be asked Associations of Ottawa, the Canada Heritage Ottawa Board to provide input.

1 Community Association, Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association, Dalhousie Community Association, Dow’s Lake Residents Association, Glebe Annex Community Association, Liveable Bayswater, Ottawa-Carleton Standard Condominium Corporation 837, Council on Aging of Ottawa, Ottawa Disability Coalition, TOH Patient and Family Advisory Council, Central Experimental Farm Advisory Council, Friends of the Farm, the Greenspace Alliance, Heritage Ottawa. 5 L’Observatoire fédéral, le Greenwich du Canada Par Robert Moreau

son genre au Canada à l’époque. À partir des années 1930, l’observatoire devient la source du signal horaire diffusé quotidiennement sur les ondes de Radio Canada.

L’Observatoire fédéral continue à opérer à titre d’important centre de recherche jusqu’à 1970. À ce moment, il cesse ses fonctions et ses responsabilités sont confiées au Conseil national de recherches. L’édifice passe alors au travers d’une longue période d’incertitude. Finalement, le bâtiment connaît une seconde vie et sert, jusqu’à présent, d’espaces de bureaux pour le ministère des Ressources naturelles.

En 1992, le gouvernement canadien désigne l’observatoire à titre Wilder, Wikimedia Wikimedia Commons Wilder, « d’édifice classé » du patrimoine fédéral en raison de son importance Photo: Photo: historique et de sa valeur L’Observatoire fédérale en 2007 architecturale. L’observatoire demeure aujourd’hui largement Au tournant du 20e siècle, L’édifice est construit de 1902 à 1904 reconnu comme un chef-d’œuvre le Canada se dote d’un observatoire et ouvre ses portes en avril 1905. de l’architecture fédérale. national afin de faciliter le travail Ewart donne un éclat particulier Récemment, la décision de construire de la cartographie au pays. au bâtiment. De style néo-roman, le nouvel Hôpital d’Ottawa sur Modelé sur l’Observatoire royal de sa conception marie des éléments un lieu de la Ferme expérimentale Greenwich, l’Observatoire fédéral d’établissements de haut savoir adjacent à l’observatoire a soulevé la d’Ottawa joue un rôle important avec ceux de bâtiments classiques. controverse. Notamment, la Société dans le progrès de la recherche Le produit final est une imposante royale d’astronomie du Canada, qui scientifique au Canada. structure symétrique de deux veut transformer l’observatoire en étages en pierres comportant une un musée scientifique, a fait appel Initialement, l’emplacement tour centrale octogonale de quatre à la protection de l’édifice et de envisagé pour l’observatoire est étages, qui est surmontée d’un dôme son emplacement. En réponse, les la Colline du Parlement. Mais ce escamotable en cuivre. choix ne fait pas le consensus et responsables du projet ont affirmé l’édifice est finalement érigé sur La fonction principale de qu’ils prendraient au sérieux l’impact les terres de la Ferme expérimentale l’observatoire est de marquer la possible du nouvel hôpital sur les centrale, loin de la fumée et des longitude primaire du Canada et sites historiques adjacents dans lumières d’Ottawa. L’architecte de calculer et de transmettre l’heure leur planification. Les adhérents de en chef David Ewart, la future exacte à partir d’observations Patrimoine Ottawa devront continuer superstar de l’architecture astronomiques. Pour ce faire, il à suivre de près ce dossier. fédérale, réalise les plans comporte une lunette astronomique Robert Moreau est membre du conseil du bâtiment. de 35 centimètres, la plus grande de d’adminstration de Patrimoine Ottawa

6 Clemow-Monkland Driveway and Linden Terrace Heritage Conservation District

City Council recently approved the Built Heritage Sub-Committee’s motion supporting the creation of the Clemow-Monkland Driveway and Linden Terrace Heritage Conservation District (HCD) under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Located in , the district includes properties

adjacent to Clemow Avenue (between Ottawa Heritage Bank and Bronson), Monkland

Avenue and Linden Terrace (between Photo: O’Connor and Rideau Canal), as well Clemow Avenue streetscape. as Patterson Creek and its associated park, pavilion and bridges. The cultural heritage value of the Improvement Commission’s (OIC) new district is tied to its evolution 1903 driveway plan designed by The decision wraps up a process as a highly intact example of an Canadian landscape architect begun in 2004 when Council early 20th century streetcar suburb, Frederick Todd as part of its recommended a multi-phased beginning with Clemow Avenue “beautification” plan. heritage conservation study of the in 1906, Monkland Avenue in area. Phase I of the study resulted 1910 and Linden Terrace in 1911. The area is notable for its sense in the designation in 2011 of the The developments are associated of “civic grandeur at a residential Clemow Estate East HCD (between with a number of key individuals scale” evident in its wide streets, Bank and O’Connor). It also revealed and trends in Ottawa’s suburban mature canopy trees, and distinctive the historical and physical association development history, people like lamp standards in the 1916 OIC of the named streets with the city’s Henrietta Clemow, William Powell, design. The house designs reflect an driveway network. The Glebe Henry Monk and George Patterson, eclectic mix of architectural styles, Community Association was eager for whom Patterson Creek is named. including Arts and Crafts, Edwardian to add them to Phase II of the study, The district is also one of the only Classicism, Queen Anne and Tudor and city staff agreed. residential extensions of the Ottawa Revival and Prairie style that share deep set-backs and open green front yards. High quality workmanship can be seen in such decorative details as stained or leaded glass windows, elaborate entryways, ornamental brick and stone work, and wood detailing.

Heritage Ottawa submitted written support for this initiative to city staff and encourages the next phase of the study which will focus on the heritage character of a section of Bank Street, the traditional main street in the Glebe.

The designation includes the Danielle Jones Danielle Clemow-Monkland Driveway and Linden Terrace Heritage Conservation Photo: Photo: District Plan, January, 2020. Home on Clemow Avenue. (See Ottawa.ca/clemow2). 7 city is important for many reasons. Re-use, not demolition Not only does it provide housing in areas where there are existing transit By Toon Dreessen networks, community supports Last fall the City of Ottawa, and essentials (like grocery like many other cities, declared stores, parks and public spaces), a #ClimateEmergency. building in our core also We’ve also declared a incentivizes adaptive reuse #HousingEmergency. of our existing buildings. We need to restore, conserve, Renovating, or adding to adapt and renovate our existing existing abandoned buildings buildings, including abandoned can help revitalize Xactly Design Gacic, Miro and derelict ones, to provide a community. In this, we more housing. It can take need to look to the owners of Photo: years to get a project through Former Our Lady’s School, Cumberland these buildings. planning approval and construction, and Murray, Ottawa When owners can hang on to derelict so any action we take on either front buildings, letting them negatively must be measured, careful and, at the How can we, as a society, impact our communities, we allow same time, driven by a sense help incentivize reuse? them to hold our cultural memories of urgency. Some older buildings contain hostage, while their buildings decay The most sustainable building is the dangerous materials like lead paint to the point where they can no longer one that already exists: or asbestos, or they were not built to be salvaged. At best, we preserve • the concrete used to build it is meet modern building codes for fire a façade, at worst we’re forced to already manufactured; ratings or seismic activity. Removing accept demolition of what remains. • the steel extracted from the earth contaminants and upgrading the We lose on both counts. We need is already processed; and, building can be both expensive and to take more aggressive action and • the trees are already harvested. disruptive. We need to take collective bring these owners to the table, action to support renovation of encourage action on their part or Crushing the building and buildings including: expropriate their buildings for a fair throwing it the landfill, even • Faster planning approvals for price if they aren’t willing. Where if we recycle what we can, only to changes of use, waivers on parking that is the outcome, we the citizens, replace it with more of the same, requirements and rezoning that become the owners and developers has a huge environmental footprint. result in lengthy carrying costs for and can incentivize change. As a city, Worse, we tear down something owners where the building is part we can invest smartly, planning a that is part of our community, of our heritage fabric; long-term investment to pay off and representing the cultural values • Provide grant programs for fund innovative, creative, changes of the community both in its hazardous material removal that build new homes, create places original design and construction, and disposal that defer the cost for businesses to thrive and establish and the community that has over several years, not unlike a community anchors. grown around it. brownfield grant for remediation of contaminated soil; and, Our built heritage matters. Underlying this discussion is • Energy efficiency grants or loans Investing in renovation, deep a failure to realize that heritage to support building envelope energy retrofits, conservation of conservation is all about restoration, repair and upgrades heritage elements and adapting our sustainability. And this isn’t just to conserve the building and reduce older buildings to new uses creates for those buildings that we think energy demand; that pays for itself places for people. It rehabilitates of as “heritage.” The overall cultural in reduced operating costs that can communities and provides an context of buildings that form the be used to fund other projects or important anchor for communities. collective backdrop to our cities repay deep energy retrofit loans. is as important as the ones that we honor with a plaque or designate as Building quality housing at affordable Toon Dreessen is President of Architects “official heritage.” rental rates within the core of the DCA. The views expressed are his own.

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