Heritage Ottawa NEWSLETTER Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage Fall 2003 Volume 30, No. 3 President’s Report by David B. Flemming Buildings at Risk The demolition of the Caplan building has entered its second month and the last portions of the Rideau Street facade are coming down slowly so as not to rain bricks upon pedestrians on the street below. With the demolition of the Caplan building, Ottawa has lost one of the best examples of its 19th century commercial architecture. The next preservation battle will be the one to save the former Registry Office on Nicholas Street. Built in 1873, it is a designated heritage building owned by Viking-Rideau Corporation who have recently said that the building has no part in their proposed expansion This interesting mural for more than a decade, graced the west wall of the Bowles Lunch of Rideau Centre and the Congress Building on Sparks Street facing the site once occupied by the Citizen Building and the place Centre. A few years ago, Viking-Rideau where D’Arcy Mc Gee was assassinated. The vacant lot was latterly used by individual offered to move the building to another orators to deliver their messages to passers-by, and so acquired the name Speakers’ Corner location and it is hoped that if we after that part of Hyde Park, London,U.K., which has for a much longer period served a cannot change their minds about similar purpose, though on a grander scale. preserving it on-site, they will still agree Heritage Ottawa supported the mixed-use development of this site, with the facade to a move. We met with City officials retention of the Hardy Arcade, the former Bowles Lunch and the facades of the the earlier this year to express our wish to Sparks Street buildings to the west of the vacant site, up to O’Connor Street. preserve the building and a letter was sent to the Mayor and Councillors urging them to make preservation our elected representatives have been It was feared that development proposals of the building in situ a condition silent on this matter. Another example for the city-owned site bounded by of any municipal funding for an of the lack of political will by our Laurier, Elgin and Gloucester would expansion of the Rideau Centre or elected representatives to defend recommend moving the building, Congress Centre Ottawa’s built heritage. Meanwhile, however it now seems that city officials It is now more than nine months work on the site continued without are following their new Arts and since the loss of the two buildings interruption and a “Now Open” Heritage Plan which calls for a on the Laurier-Nicholas-Waller site sign has appeared on the new Laurier preservation rider to be put on the and the public has yet to be told what Tower. sale of any city-owned property with a specific action will be taken against the On a happier note, the City of heritage designation. developer, Groupe Lépine. Except for a Ottawa recently renewed the lease few expressions of outrage from two or on Grant House, 150 Elgin Street, to three councillors nearly ten months ago, the owners of Friday’s Roast Beef House. Continued on page 2 1 Obituary by Carolyn Quinn ne of the founding members and first President of Heritage O Ottawa, R. A. J. Phillips, known as Bob to his friends, died July 9, 2003, at his home in Cantley, Quebec, surrounded by his family. On the same day, his final column appeared in The Ottawa Citizen. Bob Phillips’ commitment to Heritage Ottawa goes back at least to 1967 when he and his wife Mary Anne were members of a small committee tasked with beautifying the capital for the centennial celebrations to be held that year. By the year-end, the committee had increased its membership and regrouped The Nicholas Street Gaol under the title, A Capital for Canadians and its heritage committee assembled of Bob’s last built heritage conservation monthly in the Phillips’ living room. dream. It was to see the Eddy Digester Under Bob’s chairmanship, the Tower across from Parliament Hill committee was instrumental in saving restored and reused as a micro-museum for posterity, the Billings House, the of our industrial history. He saw it as a Nicholas Street Jail, the Armstrong magnificent observation tower, that House and the East Block of the would give visitors a wonderful and Parliament Buildings. The last was to be unequalled view of Parliament Hill, the gutted and its interior modernised and mighty Ottawa River and the beautiful reconfigured into offices. Bob Phillips’ Gatineau Hills. It remains a worthy Union Station team organised tours of the East Block project and one hopes that his succes- alerting the public to the value of the Pavilion a sketch of which is the motif sors in the field of heritage preservation east Block’s historic fabric. in the Heritage Ottawa logo. can bring it to fruition. Among other local area landmarks Bob Phillips also played an Although I met him only once in that Bob Phillips played a considerable important role in formulating the person, I had the pleasure of working part in saving, are the former Union policies and principles that have guided with Bob Phillips when he wrote a Station, slated for demolition to create heritage conservation, not just in wonderful article reminiscing about the a parking lot, the Fraser School House, Ottawa, but at the provincial and founding of the Heritage Canada the Byward Market and the Aberdeen federal levels as well. He worked on the Foundation 30 years ago previously creation of the Ontario Heritage Act, (See Heritage, Spring, 2003). He was the Mayorial Committee on Heritage in engaging and amusing while revealing Heritage Ottawa 1972; and the founding of the Heritage a sharp memory for certain unquotable Canada Foundation, of which he recollections. NEWSLETTER became the first Executive Director. As per the Phillips family’s wishes, In the year 2000, Heritage Ottawa, Heritage Ottawa made a donation in Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit in response to a request by the City of support of Les amis du parc Mary Anne organization dedicated to advocating Ottawa for nominees for a Civic Phillips located in Cantley on land the preservation, restoration, and Officiation Award, recommended donated by the Phillips family in her adaptive re-use of the National R. A. J. Phillips. We were happy and honour some 10 years ago. Capital’s built and natural heritage. proud to learn that Bob was the We will miss Bob’s inspiring Editor: James D. Georgiles recipient of the award. speeches and his deep enthusiasm for Graphic Designer: Jan Soetermans Former LACAC chair and causes such as those of Heritage Ottawa Printing: Tina & Company long-time friend of Bob Phillips’ We are indebted to him for Mark Brandt, recently shared the story showing us the way. 2 Canadian Architect and Builder, 1888-1908 (Part 2) by Elizabeth Krug n 1888 the periodical, Canadian • additions to Hams (Harris?) and by-laws of the Institute. The election of Architect and Builder, appeared Campbell factory, cost $5,000; officers resulted as follows: President, I and was published until 1908. • nine brick cottages, total cost Thos. Fuller; Vice-President, K. It reported on important architectural $ 26,000; Amoldii; Secretary A.M. Calderon, activities in major Canadian cities, and • interior improvements to Treasurer, J.R Bowes; Executive included illustrations and advertisement St. Patrick’s church, cost $3,500; Council: H.H. Horsey, D. Ewart, K. for the trade. Possibly inspired by the • Rideau Skating and Curling rink, Amoldi, R. Surtees, J.R. Bowes, A.F. British The Builder, it showed extensive cost $10,600; Alexander and AM. Calderon.25 American-Canadian influences in • (Theodore St., later Laurier St.) May 1889: architectural practice, design, education St, Bridget’s church, $75,000; . Ottawa: The principal work let out by and competition. The influence of the • R C church Gate(?)ville, cost the different architects since last report American architect Henry Hobson $3,000; ( St. Thomas Aquinas, is: J. R BOWES, architect, Richardson (d. 1886), and of his Billings Bridge, rebuilt ) • residence for O. R. Smith, $4,500; neo-Romanesque style, in buildings of • church at Vinton, $14,000. • improvements to By Ward market the late nineteenth century, is shown in (St. Elisabeth of Hungary, burned building $3,500; many of the excellent illustrations and down 189624. • fittings for a new police station. articles. March 1889: • store for R. Sholdis $4,500; From its inception, Canadian Ottawa: On the evening of January • store for R. Steckel, $3,000; Architect and Builder had as its purpose 15th, the architects of Ottawa held a • warehouse for J. Martin, $4,200; to be “a journal of public works” and a meeting for the consideration and • Buckingham public school.26 medium of communication between adoption of the constitution and by- “architects and municipal or other June 1889: laws of the proposed Ottawa Institute of Ottawa: The City Council proposes corporations”21. It was strongly committed Architects. Eighteen architects signed to the advancement of the profession, erecting a new fire station in Dalhousie the roll binding themselves to adhere ward Architect BOWES has called for and to the formation of an Ontario faithfiully to the constitution and Association of Architects, as well as to tenders for the same.27 the Ottawa Institute of Architects, documenting the benefits and progress of each.22 November 1888: Ottawa: A committee, consisting of the two city Engineers and the Chief of the Fire Department, along with architects Hodgson, BOWES, and Alexander, was appointed by the city council to draft a bylaw for the guidance of a building inspector to be appointed.23 December 1888: Ottawa: The following is a report of the building operations for 1888: Architect James R.