New Use, New Life: Rehabilitation of Toronto’s Historic Places
As cities continue to grow, many conservationists are turning to
the rehabilitation of our historic places to reduce urban sprawl
and promote environmentally responsible development.
Rehabilitation, the sensitive adaptation of a historic place for a
continuing or compatible contemporary use, can better guarantee the
long-term existence of a historic place and limits deterioration
caused by human activity and the environment.
However, new uses must be carefully chosen to ensure the
continued protection of a place's heritage values, including the
aesthetic, historic, scientific, social and/or spiritual importance
of the place for past, present and future generations. Heritage
value is embodied in character-defining elements which must be
retained in order for a place to keep its heritage value. A
historic place's heritage value and character-defining elements are
identified in a statement of values, referred to as a Statement of
Significance, and made available to the public through the Canadian
Register of Historic Places. When character-defining elements are
properly protected, rehabilitation can conserve heritage value and
bring new life to a historic place. Three successful rehabilitation
projects in Toronto make apparent the advantages of this approach.
The John Street Roundhouse National Historic Site
of Canada is the best surviving example of a roundhouse in Canada.
It was designed by Chief Engineer J.M.R Fairbairn of the Canadian
Pacific Railway's Engineering Department and was built by
Anglin-Norcross Ltd. of Montreal between 1929 and 1931. Comprising
of 32 stalls, the Roundhouse facilitated the inspection, servicing,
cleaning and repair of steam passenger locomotives. While it
continued to operate for the Canadian Pacific Railway and
subsequently VIA Rail Canada, the utility of the Roundhouse
declined with the introduction of diesel engines. The Canadian
Pacific Railway donated the Roundhouse to the City of Toronto in
1986.
Subsequently, the turntable was removed and bays one through 11
were disassembled. To ensure the conservation of the building, the
roundhouse was repurposed into a brewery, museum and retail outlet.
Bays one through 11 were rebuilt from 1994 to 1997 and, in 1999,
were leased by the Steam Whistle Brewery as a downtown tourist
venue. Three bays in the middle of the building were reserved for
the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre and now serve as a museum
dedicated to the history of rail in Canada. The area east of
the building is a municipally owned park featuring a miniature
railway for children. In 2009, a Leon's Furniture store opened in
the remaining bays of the station. Partnerships with the private
sector allowed for the creation of an educational public space and
the renewed use of a previously dilapidated building.
The Wesley Building at 299 Queen Street West was
constructed in 1913 by the Toronto architectural firm of Burke,
Horwood and White to house the administrative offices, presses and
book rooms of the Methodist Book and Publishing Company. The
majority of the building's character-defining elements relate to
its distinctive Neo-Gothic style including its striking
white-glazed terracotta cladding and exterior decorative detailing.
The Methodist Church was absorbed by the United Church of Canada
and the Wesley building served as its national headquarters until
1959.
Allen Waters acquired the property in 1985 with plans of turning
it into the headquarters of CHUM Limited, a media company.
Quadrangle Architects were then faced with the challenge of
balancing stringent mechanical, electrical and acoustic
requirements with conserving the building's character defining
elements and heritage value. The solution was to meticulously
restore the facade while updating the ground floor with sliding
glass partitions and retrofitting the interior to accommodate
broadcasting, office and public areas. CTV Television Network
acquired CHUM Limited in 2007 and now CTV's entertainment news
program "eTalk" is produced in the building. The ability of this
building to successfully accommodate the needs of its new owner
speaks to the sustainability of heritage places. Since the
rehabilitation, thanks in part to national television exposure, the
appreciation of the Wesley Building as a downtown landmark has only
increased.
The Gooderham and Worts Distillery National
Historic Site of Canada is a large complex of 30 brick and stone
industrial buildings constructed between 1859 and 1927. The complex
was built to produce, package, store, develop and market spirits
for the Gooderham and Worts firm; by 1877 the Gooderham and Worts
distillery had become the largest distillery in the world. The
site, comprising 13 acres of land on the eastern edge of downtown
Toronto, was designated a National Historic Site in 1988.
In late 2001 Cityscape Development Corp. and Wallace Studios
purchased the property and began a major rehabilitation of the
district. They employed hundreds of craftsmen specializing in
nineteenth century timber, stone and brick-work in order to
preserve as much original material as possible. Older fabric was
blended with new materials and green technologies to maintain the
character of the property while making it viable for new uses. The
new district opened in 2003 as a picturesque, pedestrian-only
village, housing over a hundred tenants. This trendy district now
hosts theatres, galleries, boutiques, restaurants, artist studios
and workshops. The oldest remaining building on site, the Stone
Distillery, constructed between 1859 and 1860, has new life housing
galleries, shops, a restaurant and an event space. There is an
active community life at this place which includes outdoor
exhibitions, markets, fairs and special events year-round.
The redevelopment of this district created not only an attractive
new neighbourhood but also a vibrant community while continually
respecting the site's heritage value, that is, as a place which
speaks to the evolution of Canada's distilling
industry.
Rehabilitation brings together the architecture of yesteryear
with the needs of today. The use of these buildings in everyday
life also raises awareness of the importance of historic places in
defining our urban landscape. Through rehabilitation, our historic
places serve not only to celebrate our past but to carry us into
the future.