We are pleased to announce this year's receipients of the Heritage Toronto Awards. The Awards celebrate outstanding contributions by individuals and community organizations, as well as industry professionals and associations, in promoting and conserving Toronto's history and heritage landmarks. Award recipients were announced at a ceremony on Tuesday, October 5th at Koerner Hall, The Royal Conservatory of Music.

This year, nominations were solicited from the public in four categories: the William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship Award; Book; Media; and Community Heritage. Independent juries reviewed the nominations and recommended the award recipients. In each category (except the Community Heritage Award, which is a cash prize) there are two possible levels of award: Award of Excellence (the highest) and Award of Merit.

This year's Special Achivement Award was presented to long-time heritage activist Madeleine McDowell. To read a bio on Madeleine, click here. 

The William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture is held in conjunction with the Awards presentation. The lecture was introduced in 1996 to honour William Kilbourn's legacy and his commitment to Toronto as a viable, liveable city that honours its past and plans for its future. Past speakers include David Crombie, Adrienne Clarkson, Bruce Kuwabara and David Mirvish - inspiring Torontonians in their own right.

Our speaker for this year's Lecture was Peter Oundjian, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) Music Director. Video and photos from the event will be posted soon.

2010 Heritage Toronto Awards Recipients

WILLIAM GREER ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP CATEGORY

This category honours owners who have undertaken projects to restore or adapt buildings or structures that have been in existence for forty years or more. In addition to the quality of craftsmanship, appropriateness of materials, and the use of sound conservation principles, the jury considers how well the project meets current needs while maintaining the integrity of the original design vision.

Award of Excellence

Royal Conservatory TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning

Before After

273 Bloor St. W.
Commissioned by: The Royal Conservatory of Music
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
Consulting Heritage Architect: Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Clifford Restoration Ltd.

The conservation/restoration of McMaster Hall (1881), now Ihnatowycz Hall, and Castle Memorial Hall (1901), now Mazzoleni Hall, was part of a long term expansion project for the Royal Conservatory of Music that has provided additional academic and performance spaces, the Koerner
concert hall and new entrances. Conservation work included cleaning and repairing the exterior brick and stone masonry, replacing missing exterior features such as the spire, as well as refurbishing the interior building fabric and details throughout the original building.

Award of Merit

Allstream Centre

Before After

105 Princes' Blvd., Exhibition Place
Commissioned by: Board of Governors - Exhibition Place
Architect: NORR Limited
Heritage Consultants: Andre Scheinman; E.R.A. Architects Inc., James Bailey Architect
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Vanbots Construction Corp.; Clifford Restoration Ltd.

This project restored and rehabilitated the 1929 Automotive Building on the Exhibition Grounds into a conference centre. The original Art Deco style building envelope and north and south lobbies were restored and new conference rooms and support spaces inserted into the original open exhibit hall. Restoration work included repairing exterior cast stone and masonry, reintroducing multi-pane windows to match the originals, cleaning and repairing terrazzo floors and refurbishing or recreating original light fixtures.

Residence, 82 Lowther Avenue

Before After

Commissioned by: Brandt Family Trust
Architect: Douglas Lawrence
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Heather & Little Ltd.; Clifford Restoration Ltd.

This 1895 Annex house had been used as supportive-housing residence for 30 years. When the Brandt family purchased it, they began restoring it as a single family home. This project involved the restoration of the exterior elevations including masonry repair, the installation of a slate roof, rebuilding two oriel windows, reassembling the front porch and restoring the side porch and other original design details.

Honourable Mention

Bloor Gladstone Branch Library

BeforeAfter

1101 Bloor St. W.
Commissioned by: Toronto Public Library
Architect: RDH Architects Inc.
Heritage Consultant: Shoalts & Zaback Architects Inc.; E.R.A. Architects Inc.
Crafts Person/Contractor: Pre-Eng Contracting Ltd.

This project, one of several initiatives by the Toronto Public Library to upgrade its facilities, involved the extension of the existing 1913 Renaissance Revival style library building with a contemporary glass pavilion on the west side. The original library entrance door with its architectural detailing was maintained, but lowered due to the insertion of a new central hall, and the symmetry of the Bloor Street elevation has been preserved. Two original fireplaces, uncovered during the work,were retained in upper floor seating areas.

Other Nominees

Confederation Life Insurance Building

Before After

20 Richmond St. E.
Commissioned by: OPB Realty Inc.
Architect/Engineer: Halsall Associates Ltd.
Crafts Person/Contractor: The Restorers Group Inc.

This 1890s Romanesque style building, part of a larger commercial complex, is a significant landmark on a prominent corner of Yonge Street. This project comprised the rehabilitation of the exterior of the building through the conservation process of analysing the masonry and adopting a maintenance approach to repair and replacement of the deteriorated masonry and flashings. As well, repainting the original wood windows was undertaken.

Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Queen's Park)

Before After

111 Wellesley St. W.
Commissioned by: Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Architect: Ventin Group of Architects
Crafts Persons/Contractors: D.J. McRae Contracting Ltd.; TG Conservation Services Inc.; Traditional Cut Stone; Jenkins Stoneworks

This project involved restoration work on the north wing of the Legislative Assembly building, the third phase of a larger ongoing project to conserve the heritage fabric of this important building. It involved masonry conservation of the exterior elevations, repairing original stone where possible and the selective replacement of some of the 1904 stone with new stone.

The Toy Factory Lofts

Before

43 Hanna Ave.
Commissioned by: The Toy Factory of Hanna Developments Inc.
Architect: Quadrangle Architects Ltd.
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Joblonsky Ast & Partners

This project comprised the adaptive reuse of the late 19th and early 20th century industrial buildings, which once housed the Irwin Toy Company, into residential and some commercial space. Conservation work included repairs to existing brick masonry walls, the reuse of materials and the retention of the original scale of the complex.

BOOK CATEGORY

This category recognizes excellent non-fiction books published in 2009 that explore Toronto's archaeological, built, cultural, or natural heritage and history.

Award of Excellence

A Progressive Traditionalist: John M. Lyle, Architect

Author: Glenn McArthur
Publisher: Coach House Books

Author Glenn McArthur explores the legacy of John Lyle, an important Toronto architect in the first half of the twentieth century. The book documents his training, his early career in New York, and his work in Toronto and across Canada. As well, it highlights his many architectural accomplishments which ranged from Beaux-Arts classicism to Modern Classicist banks and traditional residences. Lyle was not only an influential architect, but a tireless advocate for the profession and for the creation of a unique Canadian architecture.

Award of Merit

Art Deco Architecture in Toronto: A Guide to the City's Buildings from the Roaring Twenties and the Depression

Author: Tim Morawetz
Publisher: Glue Inc.

Tim Morawetz's self-published book showcases and describes more than 70 of Toronto's Art Deco buildings, mostly constructed between 1925 and 1940. From office buildings to movie houses, the book includes descriptive photos, maps, and biographies of Canadian architects whose works are featured.

 

Death or Canada: The Irish Famine Migration to Toronto, 1847

Author: Mark G. McGowan
Publisher: Novalis Publishing Inc.

In 1847, over 38,000 migrants - most of them Irish famine refugees and many of them ill with "ship's fever" - descended on the City of Toronto, population 20,000. Death or Canada explores the background of the Irish potato famine, and chronicles Toronto's reaction to the "great calamity" as well as the stories of the migrants and current commemorations of the famine in Ireland and Canada.

 

University of Toronto: The Campus Guide: An Architectural Tour

Author: Larry Wayne Richards
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

Canada's largest university is home to some of Toronto's most prominent architecture, from the 1856 University College to the 2005 Terence Donnelly Centre and beyond. The Guide captures the university's three campuses and buildings in colour photographs and detailed maps, following its architectural history from the nineteenth century to the present.

 

 

Other Nominees

The Beach: An Illustrated History from the Lake to Kingston Road

Authors: Glenn Cochrane & Jean Cochrane
Publisher: ECW Press

Long-time residents Glenn and Jean Cochrane highlight the Beach's history, people, and events - from nineteenth-century tent dwellers to the present-day Jazz Festival. Filled with archival photographs, the book is a conversational historical tour of this unique Toronto
neighbourhood.

The Humber River: The Carrying Place

Author/Publisher: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

In 1999, the federal government designated the Humber River as a Canadian Heritage River. The Humber River celebrates the 10th anniversary of the designation, and the contribution that the river and its 'Carrying Place Trail' have made to the development of Toronto, and beyond, through exploration, settlement and commerce. Through essays, a timeline, and lavish photographs, the book illustrates the long history of the river and its human heritage, as well as exploring the health of the river and its ecosystems.

The Plate: 150 Years of Royal Tradition from Don Juan to Eye of the Leopard

Authors: Louis E. Cauz & Beverley A. Smith
Publisher: ECW Press

The Plate explores the history of the Queen's Plate, Canada's oldest horse race, through words, charts, and archival photographs. From its beginnings as a rather raucous sport to iconic champion horse Northern Dancer and Royal visits, the 150-year old stakes race is profiled in colourful detail.

 

Toronto's Visual Legacy: Official City Photography from 1856 to the Present

Authors: Steve MacKinnon, Karen Teeple, Michele Dale,
Publisher: James Lorimer & Company Ltd.

Toronto's Visual Legacy reproduces a selection of photographs from the City of Toronto Archives collections, and provides a portrait of 150 years of urban development, municipal initiatives, and historic civic events. Featuring the mid-nineteenth-century photography of Armstrong Beere & Hime, F.W. Micklethwaite, and others, the book illuminates some of Toronto's prominent public works buildings as well as projects that addressed urban issues such as public health and waste management.

The York Club: A Centennial History

Author: Mary Byers
Publisher: The York Club

In 1909, Wilmot Deloui Matthews convinced a group of Toronto businessmen to purchase "Waveny", the George Gooderham house at Bloor and St. George Streets for a new private men's club. Illustrated with archival and contemporary photographs, memorabilia, and art, the book chronicles the history of Gooderham and his house, and its transformation into the home of the York Club. Author Mary Byers includes stories of prominent members who have contributed to both the club and the city over the last hundred years.

York University: The Way Must Be Tried

Author: Michiel Horn
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

This illustrated book documents the development of Toronto's York University, which opened in 1960 with 76 students to serve a growing need for expanded adult education. Michiel Horn uses archival research and interviews to illuminate the challenges and successes of Canada's now third-largest university.

 

 

MEDIA CATEGORY

This category salutes projects such as films, videos, websites, and newspaper and magazine articles that educate the public about aspects of Toronto's archaeological, built, cultural and/or natural heritage and history.

Award of Excellence

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800 - 1950

Website
http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/
Author/Director: Robert G. Hill
Designers/Producers: Verity Griscti; Joshua Hull

This free online dictionary documents the careers and work of over 300 architects active in Toronto from 1800 to 1950 and nearly 1700 architects across Canada, as well as providing information about foreign architects who contributed to our built heritage. Based on original research, much of it unpublished, the site provides essential information about virtually every Canadian building of importance whose architect can be identified.

Hangman's Graveyard

Documentary
Director: Mick Grogan
Producer: Daniel Thomson
Distributor: Ballinran Productions

Hangman's Graveyard follows a team of archaeologists and forensic investigators as they unearth an old graveyard behind the infamous Old Don Jail in Toronto. Digging beneath a parking lot reveals the remains of 15 men who were hung at the jail, and the documentary follows the
team as they attempt to learn more about the men who were condemned.

Honourable Mention

Violent August: The 1918 Anti-Greek Riots in Toronto

Documentary
Author/Director/Producer/Distributor: John Burry, Burgeoning Communications Inc.

Violent August documents how a seemingly insignificant incident in 1918 - when a drunken WWI veteran was thrown out of a Toronto Greek-owned restaurant - sparked one of the largest riots in our history between Torontonians, veterans and the city's Greek community. The
documentary uses archival films, photography and newspaper accounts, along with expert commentary and personal anecdotes, to revisit the event, and understand the reasons for its occurrence.

Other Nominees

Death or Canada

Documentary
Director: Ruan Magan
Producer: Craig Thompson
Distributor: Ballinran Productions

Death or Canada is a docudrama that tells the story of the Irish potato famine and its impact on Toronto in the summer of 1847. Using new archaeological evidence, the film dramatises the arrival of over 38,000 Irish refugees - many of them sick - on the small city of 20,000 through the story of one family.

Historicist

Series of Online History Columns
www.torontoist.com
Authors: Jamie Bradburn, Kevin Plummer
Publisher: www.torontoist.com

"Historicist" is Torontoist.com's weekly feature-length history column, published online every Saturday. Jamie Bradburn and Kevin Plummer each research and write illustrated articles on Toronto's history on topics ranging from the impact of the Great Depression to the building of SkyDome.

 

COMMUNITY HERITAGE AWARD

This award is open to one volunteer community-based organization in each of the four Community Council areas as defined by Toronto City Council. The organization must be currently active, and have either initiated and/or completed a significant activity that promotes, protects and/or preserves cultural and/or natural heritage in its specific Community Council area. This is a cash award and no organization is eligible to receive it more than once every five years.

Recipients

St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood Business Improvement Association (BIA)

Toronto & East York Community Council

The St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA is a non-profit entity made up of businesses and property owners in Old Town, an area that stretches east from Yonge St. and south of King St. In 2009, the BIA, in partnership with a number of city and other organizations, coordinated a night lighting project to highlight the built heritage of the oldest district of Toronto. Permanent, energy efficient LED lights were installed on a number of buildings such as St. Lawrence Hall and the Flatiron Building. The BIA hopes to expand the lighting project to include more of the neighbourhood's iconic heritage buildings.

Leaside Property Owners' Association

North York Community Council Area

The Leaside Property Owners' Association (LPOA) was formed in the 1940s, when the Town of Leaside was undergoing a major period of development. The LPOA takes an active role in reviewing development proposals and other issues such as heritage planning and preservation which may affect the residents of the neighbourhood. Most recently, the Association spearheaded efforts - along with the Kelvingrove-Glen Leven Tenants Association and the City of Toronto - to preserve the Talbot Apartments, an architecturally and historically significant group of garden apartments on Bayview Avenue that were threatened with demolition in 2007. By the spring of 2010, the 1930s Georgian Revival style buildings had been designated and appeals to the OMB had been dismissed.

Markland Homes Association

Etobicoke York Community Council Area

Markland Wood is an Etobicoke suburb that was established in 1960 on rolling, treed land purchased from the Silverthorne family who had farmed the property since the early 1800s. This year, the Markland Homes Association highlighted the neighbourhood's 50th anniversary by researching and posting a history of the area on the Association's website. Current work includes efforts to ensure that the wood lot in Millwood Park, part of the original Silverthorne forest, is catalogued and maintained.

Other Nominees

Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter

Toronto & East York Community Council

The Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter is an organization
of Chinese Canadians in Toronto that promotes equity, social justice,
inclusive civic participation and respect for diversity through public
education and community development. In 2009, the CCNCTO undertook a
project which brought together newcomer and 'oldcomer' Chinese seniors
to explore Toronto's past through workshops and field trips. The essays
they created were published in a bilingual book called My Chinatown.

The 2010 Heritage Toronto Members' Choice Award was awarded to the Leaside Property Owners' Association.