Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, No. 1 Too High and Too Dense – the community questions Ashcroft’s plans By David Jeanes he Monastery of which served in 1923 as the Sisters of the the first home of St. George’s T Visitation is partly Catholic Church. hidden behind a high The few remaining wall which surrounds nuns are elderly and have its 5-acre site at 114 sold the property, intending Richmond Road, just west to retire to another of Island Park Drive and convent in Pembroke. reaching south to the They are progressively e Castonguay (1877-1972) Byron Avenue linear park. removing religious It was founded 100 years decorations, including ago by nuns from the statues and crosses from mother house at Annecy their secluded garden. The in France, an order which Monastère de la Vistation Ste. Marie, Ottawa Ouest. The postcard is City of Ottawa gave notice celebrated its 300th monotone black, photo-engraved and was postally used 1919. last year of its intention to anniversary in that same year, 1910. The sisters, who follow the strict seclusion rule of their cloistered, contemplative order, purchased a large stone mansion on VTEQ Richmond Road, which had been the home successively of four prominent Ottawa businessmen, including Senator James Skead, the founder of Postcard Photographer and publisher: Jules-Alexandr Westboro, and entrepreneur George Holland. osoft Corporation, NA The monastery was built to a traditional European monastic plan, incorporating the stone mansion at one corner of a 3-storey U-shaped building, enclosing a courtyard. An imposing Gothic-style chapel with a vaulted ceiling anchored the north-west corner. The original 1864 house, metal-roofed convent building, chapel, and court- Photo: bing.com/maps – Micr yard all survive, little altered on the outside. Few Aerial view from the southwest shows the interior courtyard, the people have seen the interior, except for the chapel, chapel at the top left and the 1864 house at the top right. 1 Too High... also a new access driveway crossing the Byron linear and brought many innovations to Ottawa and park to reach underground parking and service Canada, including the typewriter and Edison’s designate the monastery access to buildings that will fill that part of the site. Kinescope motion pictures. and the sale was made OBHAC also recommended additions to the The city, community, and developer will with this knowledge. recorded history of the site, particularly the role of hopefully all work together in good faith to help The new owner, Ashcroft James Skead, who called it “The Elms” and lived conserve the important attributes of the house and Homes, plans a mixed there in his final years until 1884. Skead founded convent with an appropriate adaptive re-use, while use development with Westboro in the 1870s with the name Skeads Mills meeting the city’s goal of intensification in a way retail along Richmond as part of his extensive industrial activities in that will not overwhelm the surrounding residential Road where city plans Ottawa and along the upper Ottawa River. He also neighbourhood that has enjoyed this little seen and call for intensification as had prominent roles in politics and agriculture. very quiet neighbour throughout the last century. a traditional main street. Other owners of the property were Philip Michael Ashcroft sees the van Koughnet, the first elected member of the David Jeanes is a retired telecommunications engineer with development together Legislative Council of Canada West, businessman long-standing interests in built heritage, local history and with buildings they are James Dyke who probably built the house, first transportation. He is vice-president of Heritage Ottawa and erecting on the north called “Linden House”, George W. Eaton, a lumber- has created numerous heritage walking tours, lectures and articles. He has also contributed to organization and tours side of Richmond Road, man from Buckingham, who with his children isitation for Doors Open Ottawa since its inception. He is Heritage as the eastern gateway intermarried with many prominent families along to the expanding Ottawa's heritage keeper for the area along Richmond Road, the Richmond Road and George Holland, who with where the Sisters of the Visitation convent is located, and he Westboro Village. his brother Andrew published the Senate Hansard has lived in that district since 1974. At several meetings between Ashcroft and the Photo: Soeurs de la V community, some with hundreds of participants, The Monastery of the Sisters of the Visitation is partly hidden behind a high wall which surrounds its 5-acre concept plans showed a site at 114 Richmond Road, just west of Island Park Drive. Save This Date preserved convent build- ing and some green garden space on the east side. The Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee It’s almost time for Charitable Tax Receipts for However, many neighbours are concerned that the (formerly LACAC) considered the staff report on Heritage Ottawa’s Heritage Ottawa Members residential density will be very high, perhaps 600 March 18 and recommended that the city designate Annual General apartments, generating heavy traffic and located not just the proposed north half of the site, (the Meeting! Pencil in Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Heritage Ottawa is a registered charity, (registration very close to the convent. Though the city recom- monastery building to Richmond Road), but the at 7:00 pm number 893096776 RR0001). The board will issue mended a 4-storey height, Ashcroft suggests 5 to 11 entire property, including the walled and tree-lined on your area where the nuns cultivated fruit and vegetables calendars because we official tax receipts for donations and for memberships storeys for different parts of the site, with some at the Patron level ($50) and above. increased setbacks and open interior spaces. and took their private recreational walks. Ashcroft are planning an proposes a public pathway through this area but exciting evening at the Grange, a magnificent There is a new receipt format for 2009. Most receipts 180-year-old log building on a gorgeous site just were issued by 28 February 2010. fifteen minutes from downtown Ottawa in Cantley, Heritage Ottawa is required by Canada Revenue Agency Quebec. It was formerly the home of Bob and Mary to deduct any advantage of membership in excess of Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit Directors: John Arnold, Anne Phillips. 10% of the total paid. There are certain exceptions, such organization dedicated to the preservation Richard Belliveau, as our newsletter, annual general meeting and lectures. Heather Thomson, Heritage Planner, Parks of Ottawa’s built heritage. Susan Buggey Ken C. Clavette, The average walking tour discount of $5 per member or Canada, will speak on the topic: Unlocking the Vacant Ken Elder, Ian Ferguson, $10 per family may be deducted. Rideau Canal: Developing a Landscape Strategy for President Brigid (Phillips) Janssen, If you do not require a tax receipt, please let us know, the Rideau Corridor. Veronica Vaillancourt Heritage Ottawa David Jeanes Leslie Maitland, John McLeod, as it reduces our administrative costs and gives us more Editor 2 Daly Avenue Vice-President Heather Perrault, Once we have finalized the details of the flexibility for our expenditures. Carolyn Quinn, Paul Stumes Jan Soetermans Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2 Willam R. Price Annual General Meeting, each member will receive Secretary For information on all registered charities in Canada Graphic Designer Tel: 613-230-8841 a personal invitation in the mail. Information will David Ivison Heritage Ottawa acknowledges under the Income Tax Act, visit the Canada Revenue Tina & Company Fax: 613-564-4428 Treasurer the financial support of the also be posted on www.heritageottawa.com as soon Agency website www.cra.gc.ca/charities Printing Email: [email protected] City of Ottawa and the David B. Flemming as the schedule is set. Please visit www.grange.ca Web: www.heritageottawa.org Ontario Ministry of Culture Past-President for further information regarding the venue. 2 3 that most of the building’s original fabric is intact public to participate in various recreational activities Heritage Ottawa Argues for Preservation and that it could easily be restored to its original such as: skating and boating on the Rideau Canal, configuration for an appropriate adaptive use. cycling, walking, running, in-line skating, cross- of Heritage Buildings at Lansdowne The city and the design consultants should country skiing, formal and informal team sports, consider having Historic Ottawa Development Inc. picnicking and playground activities. It should (HODI) contribute to the preparation of a business provide a venue for the exhibition of public art as Heritage Ottawa’s Past-president, David Flemming, – the graphic in the centre that depicts the silhouette of well as cultural activities relating to the performing made the following presentation to the City of Ottawa’s plan based on sound economic and heritage turrets, domes and the grand sweeping expanse of arts and music. It could become the focal point for Lansdowne Park Design Symposium in mid-February. conservation models for the Horticulture Building the structure affectionately known as the “Cattle some of Ottawa’s successful festivals. Castle”. The building’s 41 m clear span in the same manner that they did in 1994 for the eritage Ottawa is pleased to have an Aberdeen Pavilion. The Aberdeen Pavilion and the Horticulture opportunity to comment on the steel frame is nationally significant and the building represents the last We feel the preservation of these two buildings Building could house a year-round carnival or H proposed development of farmers’ market, in keeping with the Park’s traditional Lansdowne Park and to make surviving 19th century large-scale in situ must be a fundamental component of any exhibition building in Canada.