Pease Foundry Company

211 Laird Drive

Developer: Fieldgate
Architects: GBCA Architects, PDA Architects

A representative example of the Art Moderne style applied to small office and warehouse building, the Pease Foundry Company Building was designed by architect Earle Morgan. This small-scale facility would have incorporated offices, a showroom and warehouse. Onlookers in the mid-20th century would have been able to view the company’s products by walking by the structure’s large curved glass windows that wrap around its side.

The Pease Foundry Company Building is linked to development of Leaside’s industrial core. It was among the first companies postwar to establish facilities on Laird Drive, Leaside’s business thoroughfare. The manufacturer of heating and plumbing supplies remained on the site until 1969.

As a result of the loss of industrial and manufacturing activity in Leaside, the building was largely forgotten for several years.

A project to restore and adapt the building was completed in 2010. The heritage property was redeveloped for multiple tenant occupancy. Elements that had become damaged during the vacancy of the building were restored or replaced with matching materials, such as aluminum and steel window frames, brick, and stone masonry.

The North York Community Preservation Panel advocated for the building’s initial inclusion on the Register of Heritage Properties and was consulted throughout the process.  The project received an honourable mention in the built heritage category at the 2011 Heritage Toronto Awards.