Nl-I - HB October octobre

BRAMPTON HERITAGE BOARD mn tea

Quarterly Publication of Community Heritage Ontario Patrimoine communautaire dejOntario --^bull-^sta ^aHHHI

Workmens Circle Colony and Camp Yungvelt Brenda Kriz and Christy Chrus

In the spring of 2012 staff at the Town of Ajax began investigating what appeared to be an abandoned summer

cottage area in the north part of the Town on the banks of Duffins Creek in what was formerly known as Pickering Township The investigations discovered a part of the commu nitys history that had not yet been documented through the Ajax Archives

Through connections made with the Toronto Workmens Cir cle Organization a group devoted to the promotion of social and economic justice Jewish culture and the Yiddish language it was revealed that this area was home to two separate summer vacation destinations Workmens Circle Colony and Camp Yungvelt

Workmens Circle is a Jewish Fraternal order started in the

United States in 1892 as a support organization to aid Jewish immigrants The organization was established in Toronto in 1908 and incorporated in 1917

The Workmens Circle Colony was established in 1926 by a group of Workmens Circle founders and activists A tract of land fifty one acres in size was purchased to set up a summer cottage area for members of the organization and aptly named the Workers Circle Colony This land is north of Pickering Vil lage in the northeast section of what is now Church Street and Rossland Road The colony was located on the west side of Duffins Creek

Camp Yungvelt Sady Hawkins Day 1960 Photo Workmens Circle Peretz School Toronto

Though one had to be a member of the Workmens Circle to get into the colony it was independent of that organization The land was purchased by twenty three families and they each built a cottage They used the cottages themselves most of the time but on occasion rented them to other members for the summer

Workmens Circle Colony and Camp Yungvelt

1

Top Ten Endangered Places 2

What Will Become of Inverarden 3

Refusing to Take the Plunge 4

Athens Township Heritage 6

Reflections on a Heritage Hero The Hon David Crombie

6

Who is Your Heritage Hero

BuildingStories Preserving Heritage Online

A Load of Bricks

October octobre 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

Lieutenant Governor David C 8

Onley Honoured at Midland

From the Desk of Bert Duclos 8

Presidents Message 9

2014 Ontario Heritage Conference 10

2013 Ontario Heritage Conference 10 Memories

CHOPCO Mission Statement 11

CHOPCO Board of Directors 11

Disclaimer 11

CHOnews

Copyright Notice 11

CHOPCO Board Meetings 11

Advertise in CHOnews 11

Rural Roots Workshop a Success 12

wwwcommunityheritageontanoca

PRICES

For Children up to 12 years Por Wcok

Workmens Circlo Members and Pupils S 700 Non-Mombors 1000

For Children from 12 years lo 14 years

Workmens Circlo Members and Pupils 800 Non-Mombors 1100

For Youths from 15 years to 18 years

Workmons Circlo Members and Pupils 1000 Non-Mombors 1300

For Adults

Workmons Circlo Mombors 1300

Non-Mombors 1500

Week-ends

Workmons Circlo Mombors 300

Non-Mombors 400

A minimum of 2 weeks fees io bo paid in advance

Excerpts from 1941 Brochure Photo Workmens Circle Peretz School

Toronto

The Colony 1960

The colony remained in use as

a summer cottage

area well into the

1980s As each

property passed onto the children

and grandchildren of the original owners the cot tages were more

often than not

unused The site of

the Workmens Cir

cle Colony was purchased by a developer in 2001 As of 2013 some

of the original cot tages are on the site but due to

neglect and time are no longer deemed safe

Photo Workmens Circle Peretz School Toronto

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-

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Camp Yungvelt 1927 Photo Workmens Circle Peretz School Toronto

Camp Yungvelt was originally in Richmond Hill It was relo cated to the east bank of Duffins Creek in Pickering Township in 1926 after members of the Workmens Circle purchased a site large enough to accommodate the camp This was the first Jewish summer camp to open in Canada

In 1926 the camp housed two large tents and a lean-to shack that served as a combined kitchen and dining room By 1937 a building housing the kitchen and dining room could accommodate up lo 300 children A recreation hall could seat close to 1000 attending con certs and lectures and used as an indoor play area on rainy days

The living quarters consisted of eight cabins accommodating twenty children in the larger and eight in the smaller cabins The cabins were used only for children from ages six to twelve The older boys and girls were housed in tents which could accommo date up to five each Set in the corner of the site was a cabin with six beds that served as a hospital

Camp Yungvelt was like any other summer camp with activi ties planned throughout the day There were organized sports as well as crafts such as carving weaving sewing and pottery The camp program also focused on cultural and educational compo nents including lessons in reading and speaking Yiddish

As more summer camps opened across Ontario registration at Camp Yungvelt began to decline The camp was closed and sold in 1971 after almost forty five years of continuous operation

Brenda Kriz is the Records Manager and Town Archivist and Christy Chrus is a Senior Planner for the Town of Ajax

Top Ten Endangered Places

Heritage Canada Foundation has

released its Top Ten Endangered Places and Worst Losses Lists for

2013 drawing attention to architectural and heritage sites in Canada either threatened with demolition or already lost as part of its mission to raise awareness of the value that

historic places bring to quality of life local identityand cultural vitality

The Endangered Places List compiled from nominations received as well as from

news items that HCF has been following and reporting on throughout the year includes the following Ontario properties

bull 24 and 28 King St E Gore Park Hamilton key components of historic Gore Park streetscape threatened due to city deal with developer

bull Amherst Island (just west of Kingston) Lake Ontario Loyalist Township proposed site of industrial wind turbine power installation would overwhelm unique cultural and natural heritage landscape

bull POW Camp 30 Clarington last remaining POW camp in Canada losing the battle against time and vandals

bull Kingston Collegiate Vocational Institute Kingston school board recom mending closure of fully enrolled historic downtown neighbourhood school in favour of new construction

This years Worst Losses list of prop erties needlessly destroyed by the wreck ing ball includes one Ontario property the Hamilton Education Centre

For further information contact Car

olyn Quinn Director of Communications at 613 237 1066 ext 229 Cell 613 797 7206 cquinnheritagecanadaorg

CUOnews October octobre 2013

What Will Become of Inverarden Ginette Guy

Inverarden House bobbles in the sea of National Historic

Sites the shallow sea of little funding and uncertain futures Without the clout of a Ridcau Hall or Laurier House and no rev

enue generating potential at present this eastern Ontario property is easily overlooked when assigning priorities

Now secluded closed to the public and hidden from view by overgrown trees it still stands overlooking the St Lawrence River as an example of things built to last Inverarden House was a fam ily home for 149 years with children walking up the path and friends and visitors riding up to this fine example of a Regency cottage It now sits empty

Built in 1816 Inverarden House is part of Upper Canadas his tory where Ontario began It was built for John McDonald of Garth when he retired from the North West Company an impor tant early Canadian fur trading company In 1823 he sold the house to his daughter and her husband John Duncan Campbell It remained in the family until 1965 when sold to a chemical com pany along with the surrounding 150 acres

Inverarden House was given to the federal government in 1970 and Parks Canada did much needed restoration to the prop erty Nine years later the house was leased to the City of Corn wall and sublet to the Stormont Dundas and Glengarry Historical Society which operated a museum until 1999 Eventually a deci sion was made to move the museum to another historical property in the centre of town and Inverarden House was returned to Parks

Canada It is now heated to a minimum with a padlock and chain at the gate holding the No Trespassing sign

So what is to become of Inverarden House There arc many issues in trying to rehabilitate preserve and showcase this proper ty to its true potential In 2007 Parks Canada prepared a five year management plan highlighting the issues at hand water penetra tion moisture control plumbing water supply heating possible vandalism and of course lack of public access The plan never made it past Phase 1 Item 1 Find a suitable tenant and has now been extended another five years back to Phase 1 Item 1

Being a suitable tenant of a National Historic Site is no easy task and comes with its share of responsibilities In 1968 the His toric Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated Inverar den House a classified federal heritage building classified being the highest designation possible This designation in itself carries some limitations as the tenant must consult with the Parks

Canada Agency before under taking any intervention that may affect its heritage charac ter It is expected that a tenant will make some portion of the house accessible to the public even if used as a private resi dence and be responsible for leasehold improvements A ten ant would occupy the site in a manner consistent with the

commemorative integrity and the principles and practices of cultural resource management (Parks Canada Inverarden House NHS Management

Inverarden Interior Plan 2007 p 11)

Inverarden1914

Inverarden 2013

Inverarden Lower Level

In 2007 a Request for Proposal for tenancy was circulated by Parks Canada as it had been successful with this type of promo tion for some National Historic Sites along the Ridcau Canal It did not work for Cornwall even with Inverarden House sitting proudly in a picturesque wooden setting along County Road 2 with views of the St Lawrence River and the waterfront bike

path What is the significance of preservation with no puipose Per

haps it is time to repeal or downgrade the restrictive federal her itage designation preserve the building under the Ontario Her itage Act and widen its prospects In a 2007 article in a local newspaper there is mention of broken windows to be replaced soon Six years later those windows arc still boarded Any building that has stood for 198 years deserves better Perhaps it is time to get creative

Ginette Guy is the Chair of Heritage-Patrimoine Corn wall and a member of the CHOPCO Board of Directors

Octoberoctobre 2013 CHOnews

Nt-H Refusing To Take the Plunge

We are now used to a succession

of Ministers of Tourism Cul

ture and Sport refusing to take an active role in the conservation of provincially significant heritage properties download ing responsibility to municipalities and heritage volunteers Since the Ontario Heritage Act was amended in 2005 the Minister has had the authority to designate provincially significant properties in accordance with the provisions of s 345 Part IV of the Act The current Minister and his three predecessors have never used this power The case of the Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool (the Pool) in Hamilton is another example of this provinces failure to act

Earlier this year a letter to Michael Chan in his capacity as the Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport asked for his support in designating the Pool property under the Ontario Heritage Act as a provincially significant property The City of Hamilton is considering the redevelop ment of this property plus adjoining prop erties so there is an imminent risk of the building being demolished There is little evidence that the City is seriously taking the cultural heritage value of this Pool into consideration or exploring the possibility of redeveloping the adjoining properties while conserving the Pool

The conservation of heritage buildings can be problematic They can be under used andor difficult to adapt to new uses The cost of renovations can be prohibi tive especially if there are significant accessibility issues The location can be an impediment The Pool has none of these challenges The only problem is the lack of support and vision at the federal provincial and municipal levels of gov ernment

Students and funs dicer on sninmers at Jinny Tlxmpson Pool named after tlic Hanilton citizen and Canadian freestyle swimmer and bronze medal winner at the 1928 Ohnpics

Paul R King

Burlington swim group Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool 1940s

The letter to Minister Chan outlines

the following

This would be an appropriate provincially-significant propertyfor you to designate under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act The Pool was built for the FIRST British Empire Games (the Games) which were held in Hamilton in the summer of 1930 The world - at the least the part of it that pledged allegiance to the King of Eng land - was coming to swim in a pool that the Games program declared to be one of the finest in the Western Hemi sphere The Pool cost S 110000 to build is 75 feet long 25 feet wide the first indoor pool in the City of Hamil ton and was the largest pool in the Dominion The [Flemish bond pat terned] brick building has a skylight (now covered over) which during the day would make the Pool as light as if you were swimming outdoors while at night powerful lights above together with a special underwater lighting sys tem would give it a spectacular effect The viewing area sits 1200 spectators

In 1930 11 countries sent 400 ath letes to take part in 6 sports and 59 events at the Games Bobby Robinson a

CHOnews

major influence within athletics in Canada at the time finally spearheaded the implementation of what had been talked about amongst Commonwealth nations for over thirty years with the City of Hamilton providing $3000000 to help cover travelling costs of the par ticipating nations

Since then the Games have been conducted every four years (except for 1942 and 1946 due to World War II) and the event has seen many changes not least its name From 1930 to 1950 the

Games were known as the British

Empire Games from 1954 until 1966 the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and from 1970 to 1974 they took on the title of British Commonwealth Games Then in 1978 at the Edmonton

Games this unique world class and multi-sports event changed its name to the Commonwealth Games

The City of Hamilton has demolished all of the other structures built for the 1930 Games so the Pool is the only remaining structure

The Pool has not been significantly altered over the years in part because it was built to last No other pool in the City of Hamilton offers better spectator view ing The Pool has been and continues to

October octobre 2013

Nt-H Refusing To Take the Plunge

We are now used to a succession

of Ministers of Tourism Cul

ture and Sport refusing to take an active role in the conservation of provincially significant heritage properties download ing responsibility to municipalities and heritage volunteers Since the Ontario Heritage Act was amended in 2005 the Minister has had the authority to designate provincially significant properties in accordance with the provisions of s 345 Part IV of the Act The current Minister and his three predecessors have never used this power The case of the Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool (the Pool) in Hamilton is another example of this provinces failure to act

Earlier this year a letter to Michael Chan in his capacity as the Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport asked for his support in designating the Pool property under the Ontario Heritage Act as a provincially significant property The City of Hamilton is considering the redevelop ment of this property plus adjoining prop erties so there is an imminent risk of the building being demolished There is little evidence that the City is seriously taking the cultural heritage value of this Pool into consideration or exploring the possibility of redeveloping the adjoining properties while conserving the Pool

The conservation of heritage buildings can be problematic They can be under used andor difficult to adapt to new uses The cost of renovations can be prohibi tive especially if there are significant accessibility issues The location can be an impediment The Pool has none of these challenges The only problem is the lack of support and vision at the federal provincial and municipal levels of gov ernment

Students and funs dicer on sninmers at Jinny Tlxmpson Pool named after tlic Hanilton citizen and Canadian freestyle swimmer and bronze medal winner at the 1928 Ohnpics

Paul R King

Burlington swim group Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool 1940s

The letter to Minister Chan outlines

the following

This would be an appropriate provincially-significant propertyfor you to designate under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act The Pool was built for the FIRST British Empire Games (the Games) which were held in Hamilton in the summer of 1930 The world - at the least the part of it that pledged allegiance to the King of Eng land - was coming to swim in a pool that the Games program declared to be one of the finest in the Western Hemi sphere The Pool cost S 110000 to build is 75 feet long 25 feet wide the first indoor pool in the City of Hamil ton and was the largest pool in the Dominion The [Flemish bond pat terned] brick building has a skylight (now covered over) which during the day would make the Pool as light as if you were swimming outdoors while at night powerful lights above together with a special underwater lighting sys tem would give it a spectacular effect The viewing area sits 1200 spectators

In 1930 11 countries sent 400 ath letes to take part in 6 sports and 59 events at the Games Bobby Robinson a

CHOnews

major influence within athletics in Canada at the time finally spearheaded the implementation of what had been talked about amongst Commonwealth nations for over thirty years with the City of Hamilton providing $3000000 to help cover travelling costs of the par ticipating nations

Since then the Games have been conducted every four years (except for 1942 and 1946 due to World War II) and the event has seen many changes not least its name From 1930 to 1950 the

Games were known as the British

Empire Games from 1954 until 1966 the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and from 1970 to 1974 they took on the title of British Commonwealth Games Then in 1978 at the Edmonton

Games this unique world class and multi-sports event changed its name to the Commonwealth Games

The City of Hamilton has demolished all of the other structures built for the 1930 Games so the Pool is the only remaining structure

The Pool has not been significantly altered over the years in part because it was built to last No other pool in the City of Hamilton offers better spectator view ing The Pool has been and continues to

October octobre 2013

be a beauty and continues to be

used extensively Commonwealth

Games Canada

(CGC) has stated that Canadians

have always had a special relation ship with the

Commonwealth Games in part because Canada was the host of the first Com monwealth Games (Hamilton - 1930)

Some forty years ago the Pool was named after Jimmy Thompson who was one ofthe competitors in the Pool repre senting Canada where he and his freestyle relay team won gold for Cana da in 1930 In 1932 the City ofHamil ton hired Jimmy Thompson as its pool manager but he was more than that It is estimated he taught 60000 children how to swim he looked after the pool like a new car and he made sure it was

scrubbed every day with hard bristle brushes he produced a great number of swimming champions he taught youth to be reliant on self and friendly to all he opened the way for beneficial treat ment and enjoyment for those who were physically and mentally challenged through water therapy he directed youngsters to hundreds of provincial national and international swimming championships in swimming diving and water polo He was known as Mr Swim ming in Hamilton Demolition of the Pool would be an insult to Jimmy Thompsons memory

Why demolish this perfectly good building which is still fully used Such demolition would be a waste of existing City infrastructure and also environ mentally irresponsible

Given your position as the Minister of both Culture and Sport and given the [provincial (if not federal)] heritage sig nificance of this Hamilton property we are requesting that you take steps to have this property designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act

The email response from Minister Chan to this letter states

Thank you for your letter regarding the future of the Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool in Hamilton and request ing provincial heritage designation of

hfl~S about the pools history and Jimmy Thompsons contribution to the develop ment of swimming and fitness programs in the City ofHamilton

The Ontario Heritage Act provides municipalities with a broad range of tools to protect local heritage property The listing of the property on the munici pal heritage register or its designation under the Act would help to ensure that future development respects the commu nitys interest in preserving its heritage I understand that city staff are evaluat ing the heritage value of the facility as part of an overall study looking into development of a new high school and community centre in the area near the pool

As the approval authority and prop erty owner the city is in the best position to make effective decisions about the propertys future use and potential her itage designation I encourage you to work with the municipality to explore suitable options for preserving the pools heritage and to commemorate Mr Thompsons contributions to the commu nity Thank you again for writing to me and for your interest in conserving Ontarios heritage

What is striking about this response is that it completely ignores the provincial significance of this her itage property namely its connection with the

British Empire Games in 1930 The Ministers

letter mentions that City of Hamilton staff is

evaluating the heritage value of the facility Evaluation docs not

provide any protection The reality is that the City has not designated a single property in the last five years Provin cial designation of this swimming pool proper ty is a perfect opportu nity for the Minister of Culture and Sport to start using his powers under the Act

The 2015 Pan Am

part in Hamilton so would this not

be an excellent

opportunity for a ceremony high lighting the provincial desig

^kirnation of this

property Is this not an opportunity for the Ministry to work with the City of Hamilton toward provincial designation of this property If the designation were to be a coordinated and cooperative effort between the province and the City it could be a win-win non controversial ini tiative

Perhaps this Minister is of the view that there are no provincially significant heritage properties More likely is that the Minister feels politically safer doing noth ing rather than diving into the designation pool

Paul R King is immediate past president and a member of the CHOPCO Board of Directors

the property 1 appreciate learning more Games will be held in Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool at Christmas 1940s or 50s

October octobre 2013 CHOnews

Athens Township Heritage

Preserving and promoting the heritage of Athens Town ship is the mandate of the Athens and Area Heritage

Society AAHS is a committee of the municipality and main tains a one room museum and archives in the Town Hall The

group has assembled yearly exhibits with a variety of themes and maintains an archive of information and photographs The museum is open in the summer only

AAHS decided to pursue the creation of interpretive signs to help make the story of the village more available Recently the Thousand Island Community Development Corporation provided a grant that is paying for the research design and installation of heritage interpretive signs Designer and histori an Brian Phillips of Outcraft has been commissioned to create the durable signs and murals The scanned photographs infor mation and timelines become the property of AAHS

The inauguration of the first sign took place on August 8 2013 with a slideshow and reception The theme of this sign is the early history of Athens Future signs will include the histo Athens Heritage Sign

ry of Charleston Lake medicine hockey and various other local topics Area residents are offering donations to help make It is the hope of AAHS to preserve and promote the history more signs available

Reflections on a

Some amazing people go through life selflessly working for the

greater good In doing so they often inspire others to follow a similar path David Crombie is one of those people He is a heritage hero

The next generation of heritage advo cates may not know of David Crombie or that his historic political accomplish ments can inspire even the most cynical among us He served as mayor of Toron to from 1972 to 1978 and held three dif

ferent Federal Cabinet posts from 1978

Who is your Heritage Hero

CHOnews wants you to share

your personal heritage anecdotes

or stories of your inspirational

heritage heroes Submit 500 to

1000 words with photographs or

illustrations (jpg file format high

resolution) and captions to tracyshy

gaydacomm unityheritageonshy

tarioca

of the area for years to come

Heritage Hero The Hon David Crombie Bill Smith

to 1988 He worked through difficult issues for the greater good and did not put political self interest as a priority This is a quality rarely seen in politi cians today

As mayor of Canadas largest city Crombie and his Council faced off

against developers in an effort to control out-of-control development They stopped the Goliath developers in their tracks by imposing a forty five foot height restriction on development This move gave the city a chance to reset before moving forward with new devel opment proposals Architects develop ers and construction companies were not happy and had to reset their designs to fit the parameters set by Council Without this bold move Toronto would

be a far different place facing even more intense development and inner city social problems than exist today

Crombie holds titles and degrees both earned and honorary Among them is as an Officer of the Order of Canada

and a recipient of the Order of Ontario He divides his time serving on a number of boards where he can influence change for the greater good He speaks with enthusiasm about the Waterfront Regen eration Trust and the work done on the

Lake Ontario and St Lawrence Water-

CHOnews

The Hon David Crombie at the 2013

Ontario Heritage Conference recounting his work on many social and environmental

issues

front Trail This project will truly affect the quality of life and the environment for generations to come

The Ontario Heritage Conference 2013 was fortunate to hear the Hon David

Crombie speak at the Friday night dinner His comments were inspiring to the dele gates and lelt many with renewed energy to carry on in the footsteps of this true heritage hero - working for the greater good

Bill Smith is a member of the

CHOPCO Board of Directors

October octobre 2013

Athens Township Heritage

Preserving and promoting the heritage of Athens Town ship is the mandate of the Athens and Area Heritage

Society AAHS is a committee of the municipality and main tains a one room museum and archives in the Town Hall The

group has assembled yearly exhibits with a variety of themes and maintains an archive of information and photographs The museum is open in the summer only

AAHS decided to pursue the creation of interpretive signs to help make the story of the village more available Recently the Thousand Island Community Development Corporation provided a grant that is paying for the research design and installation of heritage interpretive signs Designer and histori an Brian Phillips of Outcraft has been commissioned to create the durable signs and murals The scanned photographs infor mation and timelines become the property of AAHS

The inauguration of the first sign took place on August 8 2013 with a slideshow and reception The theme of this sign is the early history of Athens Future signs will include the histo Athens Heritage Sign

ry of Charleston Lake medicine hockey and various other local topics Area residents are offering donations to help make It is the hope of AAHS to preserve and promote the history more signs available

Reflections on a

Some amazing people go through life selflessly working for the

greater good In doing so they often inspire others to follow a similar path David Crombie is one of those people He is a heritage hero

The next generation of heritage advo cates may not know of David Crombie or that his historic political accomplish ments can inspire even the most cynical among us He served as mayor of Toron to from 1972 to 1978 and held three dif

ferent Federal Cabinet posts from 1978

Who is your Heritage Hero

CHOnews wants you to share

your personal heritage anecdotes

or stories of your inspirational

heritage heroes Submit 500 to

1000 words with photographs or

illustrations (jpg file format high

resolution) and captions to tracyshy

gaydacomm unityheritageonshy

tarioca

of the area for years to come

Heritage Hero The Hon David Crombie Bill Smith

to 1988 He worked through difficult issues for the greater good and did not put political self interest as a priority This is a quality rarely seen in politi cians today

As mayor of Canadas largest city Crombie and his Council faced off

against developers in an effort to control out-of-control development They stopped the Goliath developers in their tracks by imposing a forty five foot height restriction on development This move gave the city a chance to reset before moving forward with new devel opment proposals Architects develop ers and construction companies were not happy and had to reset their designs to fit the parameters set by Council Without this bold move Toronto would

be a far different place facing even more intense development and inner city social problems than exist today

Crombie holds titles and degrees both earned and honorary Among them is as an Officer of the Order of Canada

and a recipient of the Order of Ontario He divides his time serving on a number of boards where he can influence change for the greater good He speaks with enthusiasm about the Waterfront Regen eration Trust and the work done on the

Lake Ontario and St Lawrence Water-

CHOnews

The Hon David Crombie at the 2013

Ontario Heritage Conference recounting his work on many social and environmental

issues

front Trail This project will truly affect the quality of life and the environment for generations to come

The Ontario Heritage Conference 2013 was fortunate to hear the Hon David

Crombie speak at the Friday night dinner His comments were inspiring to the dele gates and lelt many with renewed energy to carry on in the footsteps of this true heritage hero - working for the greater good

Bill Smith is a member of the

CHOPCO Board of Directors

October octobre 2013

Nl-7 Building Stories Preserving Heritage Online

Melissa Davies

Building Stories is a new and exciting website that is making a name for

itself in the heritage world It allows people from across the country lo participate in identifyingthe significant and valued cultur al heritage sites in their community Build ing Stories is the result of a partnership between the Heritage Resources Centre (IIRC) and the Computer Systems group both at the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Community Mapping (COMAP) a non profit organization

This website engages the public in a way that has never been done before to highlight the importance of heritage in communities across Canada It has the ability to make thousands of original documents images and historical records available in a search

able online database There are currently listed more than 1300 properties located throughout every province and territory in Canada and in the United States

The HRC is delivering workshops to many of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) branches on how to use Building Stories Through these workshops Building Stories is being expanded through heritage professionals volunteers and ordi nary interested citizens who can then use the website to promote their local built heritage

ACO branch members are encouraged to invite members of Municipal Heritage Com mittees and historical societies to strengthen heritage collaboration in communities

In the summer of 20131 had the oppor tunity to work with Building Stories as a Community Outreach Assistant at the HRC This position was sponsored by Community Heritage Ontario through the Summer Expe rience Program of the Government of Ontario I assisted HRC with the organiza tion promotion and delivery of the work shops These workshops are an effective way to spread the word about Building Sto ries and to showcase the potential it has for volunteer organizations I also added proper ties to the database and used social media to

promote the website and upcoming work shops I participated in a technical meeting about the design of the website the mobile app and the upcoming tablet app

In June I presented at the CHO Board of Directors meeting where I described the database my role in the project and the benefits of Buildings Stories to Municipal Heritage Committees These benefits include the promotion of local heritage tourism and the ability to host a municipal heritage register If an MHC uploads the municipal register to the website all of the

A Load of Bricks

data would be in

one collective

place where the public can com ment on the build Building ings contribute stories

additional infor

mation and add properties It can also be used as a tool to identify areas as Heritage Conservation Districts and recognize every property in the area

Building Stories encourages local her itage tourism Before going to a community visitors can determine where they would like to visit and what properties they want to see based on the website entries They may even decide to visit one town over another

because there are more properties of interest It is an extremely versatile website that can be used for many projects and by many organizations

If you are interested in more information about Building Stories or in adding a proper ty visit wwwbuildingstonesco and register as a member for free Information is also

posted on the Heritage Resources Centre website wwwuwaterloocaheritageshyresources-centre Both can be found on

Twitter Bldg_Stories and HRCHershyitage

The followingJune 202013 letter to the Editor ofCHOnews is Thenew building at 58 CourthouseSquare did use a historically from restoration architect John Rutledge It comments on the appropriate yellow-coloured brick although the pilasters have been

work being done in Goderich following the tornado in 2011 that dam done in a historically inappropriate light-coloured brown brick In aged buildings within the downtown Heritage Conservation District the late 1800s and early 1900s all ofthe brickworkand all ofthe

In the last half ofthe 1800s and thefirst decades ofthe 1900 brickdetails on each ofthe building around GoderichsSquare were only two kinds ofbrick wereavailable for construction ofbuildings laid using only one colour per building None of the buildings in in Southwestern Ontario White brick locally made from the natu Goderichs Heritage Conservation Districts were originally built rally-occurring yellow-colouredclays ofour area Although various using multi-colouredpolychromatic brickwork Therefore using two shades ofyellow these yellow-coloured bricks were historically colours ofbrick on one building is historically inappropriate referred to as white bricks The rough-texturedyellow-coloured Heritage Conservation Districts were and are set up to con bricks were laid in place with a grey-coloured lime-based mortar serve preserve and maintain the original architectural character of Red brick was brought into the area by trainfrom other places an area The Goderich Heritage Committee appears to be reluctant where red clay naturally occurred These red bricks were graded for to learn about quantify and appropriately conserve the character-uniformity of colour Sorting put the same reds together and the defining elements of the historic Georgian Italianate and Second same terra cotta reds together These smooth red-coloured bricks Empire styles which make up the original architectural context of were laid in place with a red-coloured lime-based mortar that the Heritage Conservation Districts around the Square and along matched the colouration of the brick giving an even more solidly West Street in Goderich By allowing something as fundamental as coloured appearance Each building was built using one of these brick colour and brick texture to be done differently in a Heritage two brick colours These two brick types two brick colours and Conservation District it appears that the Goderich Heritage Com howtheywerelaid are referred to as character-defining elements mittee is endorsing a change in the original historic character ofthe

The new building at 170 Courthouse Square was built using a CommercialBlock building around Goderichs Square mottled brown-coloured brick The new building at 138 Courthouse Would someone tell me how this type ofadministration ofa Her Square was built using a mottledreddish-brown coloured brick It is itage Conservation District is historically appropriate and how this puzzling why in a Heritage Conservation District the historic red type of administration is allowed to continue Yours truly John or white brick colours were not used Rutledge Architect BArch DAT OAA

October octobre 2013 CHOnews

Lieutenant Governor David C Onley Honoured at Midland Bill Smith

In 2007 David Onley took office as Ontarios 28th lieu tenant governor For the past six years there has been a

debate over where David Onley was born Research indicates he was born in Midland Ontario but this fact is hotly contested by a heritage group from the Greater Toronto Area The debate was put to rest when the Hon David C Onley came to Midland in 2013 on his birthday June 12 to participate in the dedication of the new David Onley Park on Midlands beautiful waterfront

This past summer was one of the busiest the Midland Heritage Committee has experienced Three years of planning to host the 2013 Ontario Heritage Conference came to fruition June 6 to 9 That major undertaking was followed three days later with the arrival of Lieutenant Governor Onley to celebrate his birthday with the dedication of the park in his name

The idea for the park naming came as a brainwave to MHC Chair Sue McKenzic in June 2012 A letter was sent in November

outlining the idea and seeking Midland Councils endorsement Midland Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Peter suggested the

The Honourable David C Onley posing proudly with Midland Her itage Committee Chair Sue McKenic in front of Midlands newest

park Sue McKenzic was the driving force behind the park project that came only three days after the area played host to the 2013 Ontario

Heritage Conference Photo Credit Douglas Glynn

Midland Secondary School students surround the Hon David and Mrs Onley after the dedication ceremony The students baked and decorated birthday cupcakes for the celebration of David Onleys birthday under the supervision of teacher Janet Carter Photo Credit Douglas Glynn

park location at the foot of King Street near the waterfront and adjacentto a childrenspark with accessible playground equipment

Workon the park dedication and details of the ceremony began in earnest in January 2013 The sign design had to be approved by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and protocols were worked out Midland Legion Branch 80 became involved A band and piper were assembled What is a birthday celebration without cake Sue McKen zic came through with the idea of cupcakes She approached the high school to have the students participate by baking and decorating the cupcakesThis was an amazing way to involve youth in the ceremony and raiseawareness of heritage among thestudentpopulation

Everything came together on June 12 2013 Even the weather cooperated with warm sunshine and blue skies The success of the day and the park are a tribute to the council and staff of the Town of Midland and the Midland Heritage Committee who worked together to raise awareness and enhance pride in our community

In a letter of appreciation Lieutenant Governor Onley wrote in July It was a great honour to receive such recogni tion from my hometown It just goes to show that the Greater Toronto Area is not always the centre of the universe Midland is sometimes a little above Toronto

Bill Smith is a member of the CHOPCO Board of Directors

From the Desk of Bert Duclos

What or more appropriately where comes to mind when

you think of Canadas marine heritage It is the Atlantic Provinces and the Pacific

coast of British Columbia What about

the province of Ontario Waterways were the superhighways of

our past They were the link to the interior in what became Ontario Canada and North America for First Nations courcurs des bois explorers voyageurs the fur trade and colonization Water is the most impor tant feature influencing early settlement and land use Lakes rivers interconnected wet lands portages and canals were used as trade routes harbours and docking for watercraft They were also battle sites

Aboriginal transportation fishing and settlement go back many centuries Evi dence of explorers courcurs des bois voyageurs and the fur trade arc often found in the Ottawa Mattawa and French rivers and the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods waters along the Minnesota-Ontario border Several examples of Euro Canadian water transportation activities during and following the colonization era are unique to Ontario and area These include the mid 18th century bateaux of the upper St Lawrence River area the York Boats of the Hudsons Bay Compa ny Mackinaw Boats developed for 17th century fur trade and used throughout the 19th century for small trade and fishing in

CHOjlthgts

lakes Huron and Superior ships of the War of 1812 Great Lakes centreboard schooners and passenger and packet steamers such as the RMS Segwun and the SS Waome in the Muskoka area

October octobre 2013 8

Ontarios marine heritage goes beyond watercraft It includes shipyards dry docks marine railways piers wharves log cribs canals and locks Waterways contain items that were lost thrown overboard or sunk

onto the water bed and may include the remains of campsites settlements and fish weirs Ontarios marine archaeological sites are unique time capsules often better pre served than land sites because they are pro tected by cold fresh water

Marine heritage resources can easily be degraded or destroyed Natural causes such as biodeterioration and zebra mussels are

evident Recreational diving can result in looting or damage through poor diving practices Damage can be caused by com mercial salvage operations the anchors and prop wash of recreational boaters anchor ing by commercial shipping entanglement in fishing nets and development activities such as dredging waterfront redevelop ment and breakwater construction

The Ontario Heritage Act (OHA) con tains provisions to conserve archaeological resources both land based and marine

OHA Regulation 17004 provides defini tions for the terms archaeological fieldwork archaeological site artifact and marine archaeological site Part VI section 48 ofthe OHA states that all archaeological fieldwork requires an archaeological licence issued by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport

This year we welcomed summer with the knowledge that spring

was extra special Not only was this for those tilling the land and working with Mother Nature to produce the many fruits grains and vegetables that would end up on ours and the worlds dinner tables but

also for those of us who treasure our

lands historic heritage bounty The Ontario Heritage Conference

2013 held in Midland was a true showcase

of what rich history and craftsmanship and hence heritage we have outside of the Big Smoke The organizers of the con ference from the local heritage commit tee the municipal provincial and federal politicians support provincial heritage organizations retailers and volunteers all deserve huge gratitude from the province and the people attending The whole event was a learning experience and a mini holi day away from the pressures of daily liv ing and working Seeing the happy faces of the locals and experiencing the wann-

October octobre 2013

Nl-^ and prohibits alteration or removal of objects from any archaeological site without a licence The OHA provides for lines up to a million dollars for violations of s 48

While all marine archaeological fieldshywork requires a licence recreational diving is not restricted for most sites The OHA

does provide for marine sites to be pre scribed by regulation thus prohibiting any diving activity within a specified distance unless issued a site specific archaeological licence Based on their significance and sen sitivity two sites are currently prescribed under Regulation 1106 the site of the ship wrecks USS Hamilton and Scourge at a depth of 90 metres in Lake Ontario and the site of the shipwreck SS Edmund Fitzgerald at a depth of 160 metres in Lake Superior Other sites can be added to the Regulation if this serves the best interest of the resource

As defined by the Beds of Navigable Waters Act unless there is a resenation or

exception in a Crown Patent the beds ofmost navigable lakes and rivers are Crown owned and usually under the administration and con trol of the Ministry of Natural Resources This applies to private property that is bisect ed by a watercourse deemed to be navigable The bed of a non navigable waterway on pri vate land a land locked lake or pond for example is not necessarilyCrown land

Some harbours and canal systems are under the control of the federal government

Presidents Message Roscoe M Petkovic

ness of the welcome gave us a sense of dare I say envy

Attendance at the Ontario Heritage Conference was once again fabulous If there is a signal that conferences are vital to the promotion of the value of heritage and our history and an expression of who we are as a people then this was that signal

Human endeavour is never without his

toric endurance human effort results in eco

nomic impacts that shape our future because of our past With this in mind Community Heritage Ontario invited the major heritage organizations and representatives of the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport to a luncheon meeting on the last day of the Midland conference The objective was to shape a council for the common planning of future conferences Our plan is to improve the efficacy of the annual conference and in so doing give the province through its municipalities clearer and economically vital opportunities to utilize the value of our land This Ontario Heritage Conference

CHOnews

While the shores of Hudson and James

Bays are within Ontario their waters are under exclusive federal jurisdiction Provin cial and federal Crown land and waterways under the jurisdiction of the federal govern ment are not subject to the OHA A proper ty that is owned by the Crown in right of Ontario or by a prescribed public body (as defined by Regulation) or that is occupied by a prescribed public body is subject to Part IIIl of the OHA Standards and Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial Heritage Properties

Municipalities have a role in protecting Ontarios rich marine heritage whether the site is subject to municipal cultural heritage conservation as provided by the OHA or is under the jurisdiction of the provincial or federal Crown Municipal heritage commit tees can facilitate collaboration between

planning stall property owners community organizations and the public to ensure that marine archaeological planning activities and conservation are within the context of

the OHA and related legislation

Bert Duclos is the Heritage Out reach Consultant with the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport Culture Services Unit responsible for providing advice to MHCs He can be reached at

4163147154 fax 4162121802 bert duclos(p)ontaho ca

Council has met since the conference and all

indications are that our collective resources

will make the job of local organizing com mittees easier and produce conferences of greater significance to municipalities and the people ofOntario

The next Ontario Heritage Conference will be in beautiful Cornwall from May 23 to 25 2014 For conference informa tion visit communityheritageontarioca

Nl-lO

Come and join us at NAV Centre Cornwall

Overlooking the St Lawrence River

Bridging THamp Tost Crossing Into TAamp Tutor

2014 Ontario Heritage Conference bullArchitecturalA program with engaging topics a local heritage to discover Conservancy

bullOntario

MAY 23 ~ 25 2014

From May 23 to 25 2014 Cornwall will host the 2014 edition of the Ontario Heritage Conference Our main venue will be

the NAV Centre overlooking the St Lawrence River With a compet itive room rate of $89 single and $109 double occupancy everything will be under one roof The NAV Centre is on seventy acres of park land and includes free parking a gym pool and spa Reservations are now open at httpsrcswebpasskeycomReswebdomode=welshycome_ei_newampeventID=10621928

For this conference you can actually leave your car at home We will take care of all needed transportation CHO has obtained a 10 discount from VIA Rail forall rates(exceptescapeclass fares) for trains to and from Cornwall The VIA convention code is 12649 using httpsreserviaviarailca You have to log in to your profile or create one prior to booking On the Passenger information screen select Conven

Hosted by rfKjSfeXHeritage-Patrimoine Cornwall ltfi^

heritagecornwallyahooca

wwwontarioheritageconferenceca

tion fare from the DiscountType dropdown menu and enter the dis count code for the conference in the Discountcode field Transporta tion willbe arranged toand from thetrainstation and NAV Centre

For those arriving early on Thursday May 22 you will be able to sign up for Cornwall and the Counties Road Rally

Keynote speakers at the conference will include Dr Avi Fried man speaking on the Future of Communities and Dr Carol Payne on The Role of Photographs in Community Heritage Tours to the Lost Villages and the brownficlds Cotton Mills will complete this multidisciplinary program To view the draft pro gram and get more information on accommodations and trans portation please visit ontarioheritageconfercnccca

We look forward to welcoming you Ginette Guy Chair Her itage-Patrimoine Cornwall

CHOnews Octoberoctobre 2013 10

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CHOPCO Board of Directors 2013-2014

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of Finance COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Paul R KingPresident Communications

St Marys 5192840700 Tracy Gayda

Roscoe Petkovic paulkingcommunityheritageontarioca Conference

Halton Hills 9058774586 DIRECTORS

Tracy Gayda and Bill Smithroscoepetkoviccommunityheritage Tracy Gayda

ontarioca Policy Toledo 6132752117

Paul R Kingtracygaydacommunityheritageontarioca Vice-Presidents Education

Bob Martindale Paul WilloughbyAjax 9056838703 Wayne Morgan

bobmartindalecommunityheritage Sutton West 9057333433 CORPORATE SECRETARY

ontarioca TREASURERwaynemorganvcommunityheritage

Ginette Guyontarioca Nominating Bylaws and Cornwall 6133635312 Membership

ginetteguycommunityheritageontarioca Bill Smith Rick Schofield

Midland 7055265285 Paul Willoughby 24 Conlins Road Brampton 9054574508 Scarborough ON M1C 1C3billsmith24communityheritage

paulwilloughbycommunityheritage 4162822710 ontarioca

ontarioca schofieldcommunityheritageontarioca

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CHOPCO Board of Directors meetings are open to any MHC member 4162822710

schofieldcommumtyheritairaquoeontarioca Please contact the Corporate Secretary to confirm each date before attending Scheduled meetings will be held at 6282 Kingston Road Scarborough

October octobre 2013 CHOnews 11

Rural Roots Workshop a Success Dr John Carter

The South Bruce Peninsula

Municipal Heritage Committee sponsored a successful free workshop on September 14 2013 at the Wiarton Arena This half day event called Rural Roots featured speakers who addressed various topics and themes about our rural past

Award winning author and internation ally recognized culinary historian Dorothy Duncan presented Farm Fare and Rural Recipes She investigated fascinating aspects of rural Ontario cuisine and pro vided tasty samples of food for the partici pants

South Bruce Peninsula author Mabel

Williamsons Barn Stories A Social His

tory of Farm Life explained about living on a family farm in Grey County during the 1940s to 1960s Mabels contribution

based on family diaries highlighted the important aspects of social history in rela tion to Ontarios rural heritage

Will Samis and Dave Ratz members

of the Sowerby Heritage Centre Commit tee presented Born Again Barn They described how the Municipality of Huron Shores (in the Algoma District) preserved and restored the twelve sided Cordukes

bam They explained how it is now used as a community resource and has become a significant tourist attraction for many travelling along Highway No 17

Historian and Ontario barn expert Dr John C Carter gave an illustrated

presentation entitled Barns Our Disap pearing Heritage Dr Carter looked at threats to 19th century rural architec ture explained how these buildings were constructed discussed the different types of Ontario barns and concluded by considering the future of these build ings not only through continued use for farming but through innovative adap tive re-use

Barn related artifacts from Jim Barshy

foots extensive collection were on exhib

it Wayne Landen and Jim Barfoot explained the ins and outs of timber fram ing and barn raising using many of the artifacts on display Audrey Underwood past president of the Bruce County Histor ical Society provided an update on progress being made in the Societys efforts to document and record all barns

throughout the county BCHS publications chair and SBP MHC member Bill Stewart

offered a well stocked booth of local his

tory publications Participants from Grey and Bruce

counties enjoyed a full morning of speak ers and activities Many contacts were made and ideas shared on how to record protect and preserve local rural architec ture and its related social history A good day was had by all

Dr John Carter is a member South

Bruce Peninsula Municipal Heritage Committee

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lto k

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Photos Credit Glen Scott

CHOnews October octobre 2013 12