Description of Historic Place

The B.A. Garage is a Municipal Heritage Property located on a corner lot on Main Street in the Town of Ogema. The property features a service station built in 1925.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the B.A. Garage lies in its early service station architecture and design. Technical requirements of automobile service combine with a Spanish design influence to create a service station well suited to its Main Street location. Siting and design elements helped to make the process of selling gas easier and more comfortable. Its angled placement on a corner lot allowed easy drive-through access to the fuel pumps. The elongated, shingled canopy that extends from the roof of the sales building over the fuel island to a pair of piers, helped to shield motorists and attendants from the elements. Features such as the stucco exterior, the shingled roofline and the composition of the front façade of the drive-through with its vertical piers and low wall, demonstrate a Spanish influence that was popular in 1920s service station design. Contrasting texture and colour of the stucco exterior are used to emphasize the simple rectangular patterns on the piers and the broad arch that links the two. The small scale of the sales office, and the low roof are also typical of small neighbourhood service stations of the time, which were meant to blend into the surrounding residential area. The name B.A. Garage reflects the association of this business with the British American Oil Company that provided the oil and gas sold here from 1929 until 1969. The B.A. Garage met the automotive and fuel needs of the people in Ogema and surrounding area for sixty years until it closed in 1985, and is a landmark in the community.

Source:

Town of Ogema Bylaw No. 215.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the B.A. Garage resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those features that illustrate the property’s Spanish influence, such as the stucco exterior, the shingled canopy that extends over the fuel island, the piers that support the canopy, the broad arch and low wall that link the two piers, and the rectangular patterns on the top of the piers and matching sales office pilasters;
-those features that illustrate the technical aspects of early service station architecture and design, such as the angled placement of the station on its corner lot and the visible gas pump;
-those features that reflect the property’s connection with the B.A. Oil Company, including the sign that features the circular red and green B.A. logo.