The Transformation of All Saints to Allsaints
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Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage September 2016 Volume 43, No. 3 Heritage News Now Still a community hub – Heritage Ottawa Joins the Heritage Matters the transformation of Task Force All Saints to allsaints By Caroline Ross Heritage Church For Sale Luckily for Sandy Hill, the story of the sale of All Saints has a happy In August 2014, more than a century ending: the church was purchased after its first service, by a community group All Saints Anglican steered by Leanne Photo: Danielle Jones Jones Danielle Photo: Church in Moussa, a The recent request to partially Sandy Hill neighbourhood demolish Somerset House closed its force who in (352 Somerset Street West) due to doors, and 2012 had also its ongoing neglect – despite the City’s put its championed Ross Caroline enhanced property standards for building up heritage-designated buildings – has the purchase resulted in the Mayor’s creation of for sale. The of the Carriage a Heritage Matters Task Force. congregation House a block away All photos: All moved to other from All Saints to The Task Force met for the first time The Chapel, formerly the home of Bettye on August 24. In addition to the Mayor Anglican parishes in house the church’s Hyde Co-operative Nursery School and chairs of the Planning Committee Ottawa, including former tenant, the and Built Heritage Sub-Committee, St. Margaret’s in Bettye Hyde Nursery School. the task force includes the senior Vanier and St. Alban’s in Sandy Hill, (see Heritage Ottawa Newsletter, heritage planner, the Chief Building and the neighbourhood braced Official, the Chief By-law Officer, vol 41, no. 2) Moussa reached out staff from the Planning Department itself for the residential development to private and community investors, and representatives from Heritage that was sure to follow. Sandy and on December 18, 2015 the Ottawa and the Council of Heritage Hill, one of Ottawa’s oldest Organizations in Ottawa. Anglican Diocese sold All Saints to neighbourhoods, has been plagued All Saints Development Inc. for a Identifying the gaps in the city’s by “spot” rezoning and has lost reported $1.52 million. By the time enforcement of property standards a number of historic buildings the sale was finalized, All Saints had related to designated buildings’ to unsympathetic residential been on the market for over a year. heritage attributes and finding redevelopment or demolition; solutions to prevent a repeat of Luckily for Sandy Hill and what Somerset House is a priority for the community members feared that remains of its heritage character, the Task Force. And Heritage Ottawa is All Saints would meet the same fate Anglican Diocese wanted to sell to pleased to be playing an active role in and Sandy Hill would lose another this important undertaking. a buyer who would ensure public community hub and landmark. space would remain available for 1 Still a community hub cont’d. some of the existing community uses. Moussa’s plan for the building Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit organization dedicated to the aligns with the Diocese’s vision preservation of Ottawa’s built heritage. nicely, and includes the creation of mixed-use spaces that will respond Linda Hoad to community needs. So far, a café Editor has opened, fitness classes are offered, Jan Soetermans and office space has been made Graphic Designer available for different organizations, Katari Imaging complementing the organizations The Lower Hall, potential future home Printing that occupy other historic buildings of a restaurant and wine bar. along Laurier Avenue East. Tenants Heritage Ottawa 2 Daly Avenue that used space in All Saints before it is a historic building in a historic Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2 the sale have been able to continue neighbourhood. All Saints was doing so, and allsaints eventually Tel: 613-230-8841 designated as a heritage building Fax: 613-564-4428 hopes to establish itself as a multi- under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Email: [email protected] faith worship space and destination Act in 1998 due to both its cultural Web: www.heritageottawa.org for community-oriented events. and architectural significance. Part of the heritage streetscape on Laurier David Jeanes All Saints Heritage President Avenue East, the church is located Leslie Maitland Located in the heart of Sandy Hill across the street from Laurier House, Past-President on the southeast corner at Laurier home to two former Prime Ministers, Avenue East and Chapel Street, All Sir Wilfred Laurier and William Lyon (vacant) Saints is a gothic-revival Anglican Mackenzie King. In 1937, it was the Vice-President Operations church designed by Ottawa-based, site of a third former Prime Minister’s Linda Hoad British-born architect Alfred M. state funeral, that of Sir Robert Vice-President Programs Calderon. Construction began in Borden, who was also a member Anne Maheux April 1899, was completed the of the All Saints congregation. Treasurer following year, and the church was All Saints was the site of a royal Louise Fox formally consecrated in early 1914. wedding in 1924, when Lois Booth, Secretary However, the heritage value of All granddaughter of Ottawa lumber (vacant) Saints lies in more than the fact that baron J.R. Booth, married Prince Legal Consultant Danielle Jones Website Directors: Jay Baltz, Doug Beaton, Richard Belliveau, Linda Dicaire, Ken Elder, Stephanie Elliott, Ian Ferguson, Glen Gower, Danielle Jones, Robert Martin, Heather McArthur, Hunter McGill, Carolyn Quinn, Martin Rice, Nicole Sammut, Katherine Spencer-Ross. Heritage Ottawa acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Ministry of Culture Office space soon to be occupied by Know History. 2 Prime Ministers’ Row, the building extension dating from the 1930s that holds Bate Hall and the Guild Room will be redeveloped according to need. Only the original section of the building, including the main Church, the Chapel, and the Lower Hall, are protected by the heritage designation. Any development on the property would support the maintenance of the designated assets, both architecturally and financially. The long-term plan is eventually to build out to Laurier, over the current playground and garden, but not for at least another three years. The allsaints team has already begun holding community consultations to contribute to the site’s development plan. The Guild Room café is a space to draw in community members and encourage networking and community development. Allsaints has also designated space for an art gallery, to feature installations from local artists on a monthly rotation; studio space is also available to rent, and already hosts a few artists. The long-term goal for the Lower Hall and the Chapel, directly underneath the main Church space, is to open a restaurant and wine bar, but in the meantime the spaces are available for event rentals. Stone masons have been busy restoring the space’s stone and brickwork that was hidden behind drywall until now. The apse and the altar. Sandy Hill’s heritage Erik von Rosenberg of Denmark, only engage Sandy Hill residents, character under pressure and it also played a part in Canada’s but would also draw in visitors from suffrage movement under the outside the neighbourhood and city, The centrally-located neighbourhood leadership of Laura Borden. Because and would make Sandy Hill, and of Sandy Hill has five Heritage of its connections to Prime Ministers allsaints, a destination. Conservation Districts HCDs), past, All Saints is considered part of all of which were designated in Prime Ministers’ Row. (see article The Future of allsaints 1982. However, the community on page 8 ) The new All Saints With 27,000 square feet available, association, Action Sandy Hill, has (now known as allsaints) owners including 200 feet facing Laurier had to oppose the City and the support the Prime Ministers’ Row Avenue East, allsaints has the University of Ottawa on a number project, and there is potential for an opportunity to enliven this part of of developments in recent years, interpretive centre to be built on the Sandy Hill’s main thoroughfare. and continues to be concerned that property. Such a project would not Along with the potential of Sandy Hill is losing its heritage 3 character to oversized and often building in Sandy Hill being unsympathetic conversions. When rezoned and redeveloped into a All Saints appeared on the market in residential complex points to a the summer of 2014, a controversial larger problem with city planning residential development affecting the policy response to development heritage streetscape at Laurier and in heritage neighbourhoods. The Friel, a corner with historic buildings failure to ease development pressures but ultimately unprotected by an in Sandy Hill is due in part to the HCD designation, had just been Built Heritage Sub-Committee’s approved. The decision added to limited mandate and the allowance the more than 3000 new apartment of “spot” rezonings throughout and condo units being developed in the neighbourhood. Though it is Sandy Hill at the time, many of them certainly impossible to save every by conversion of the neighbourhood’s heritage building in Sandy Hill, single family homes to multi-unit community groups and individuals, residential buildings to accommodate inspired by the successful purchase the growing number of University of and conversion of the Carriage Ottawa students looking for housing House, took it upon themselves close to campus. Since All Saints to advocate against the loss of this is a designated heritage building, significant heritage church property any construction or development and, under the leadership of would be limited. However, with Leanne Moussa, formed the group a listing price of $1.7 million, the Stained glass window at the back Save the Saints, to do just that.