Newsletter
In our SUMMER 2009 issue you'll find…
-> MHPP update – Lacombe Survey Project
-> Summertime Rehabilitation Projects
-> 2009 Genealogical Scholarship Recipient Announced
-> Examining the Impact of Heritage Preservation in Commercial Districts
MHPP update – Lacombe Survey Project
Over a dozen people, including Town officials and volunteers, participated in the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program (MHPP) municipal heritage survey orientation session held in the Town of Lacombe on Wednesday, August 19. MHPP signed a cost-sharing agreement with Lacombe in the late spring of 2009 for the completion of a Municipal Heritage Survey project which will result in a comprehensive list of properties built prior to 1969 and is a crucial first step towards the long term management of the town's built heritage.
Anyone who has driven into Lacombe is immediately struck by its historic downtown with such notable buildings as the Flat Iron Building, an early twentieth century three-storey triangular-shaped brick and sandstone construction built in the Edwardian Classical Revival style. The downtown area features a cluster of historic buildings including five properties already designated as Provincial Historic Resources and five Registered Historic Resources. However, as in many Alberta communities, Lacombe's heritage extends beyond those noted commercial buildings.
It is for this reason that Lacombe is undertaking a municipal heritage survey. The survey is a community-based project that gathers information about potential historic resources - buildings, structures, landscapes, and places – that contribute to local heritage. Already over 400 buildings have been identified for inclusion in Lacombe's survey.
Although Lacombe has contracted heritage planner Donald Luxton and Associates to facilitate the survey process, it will also rely considerably on volunteers. Orientation workshops provide a framework for volunteers and the committee to ensure that they understand the intent and process of the survey and are a standard element of MHPP’s work with municipalities.
The project is expected to be completed by March 2010 and will provide the town with a baseline for the scope of its overall heritage program. For more information on MHPP's suite of municipal heritage programs, check their website.
Summertime Rehabilitation Projects
The summer months are a busy time in Alberta for heritage projects as contractors take advantage of the season to complete restoration and conservation projects before the onset of winter. To ensure that these projects meet the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada the Heritage Conservation Advisers (HCAs) of Heritage Conservation Advisory Services work closely with owners and contractors on projects. Here is brief summary of just some of the many heritage projects underway throughout the province and some photos of the work in progress.
The reconstruction of the collapsed wing of the Central Park School in Grande Prairie looks like to be one of the largest projects underway in the province. Led by Teeple Architecture, designers of the city’s new Montrose Cultural Centre, along with noted heritage architect Lorne Simpson, the multi-million dollar project will provide a state-of-the-art facility for the Grande Prairie Art Gallery and ensure the future of one of the city's designated heritage structures. With the feasibility study currently before City Council, construction may be able to begin this fall according to HCA Gary Chen.
On a smaller scale, rehabilitation of the Reverend Forbes Homestead's loft in Grande Prairie is also proceeding following the completion of a feasibility study by Robert Buckle's Heritage Collaborative.
Construction and restoration of the Connaught Armoury in Edmonton has been underway since spring in preparation for its new tenant, the Youth Emergency Shelter Society of Edmonton. The rejuvinated armoury will provide space for the Society's extensive outreach programs for at-risk youth and young adults as well as housing much of the organization's administration. Tom Ward, Manager of Heritage Conservation Advisory Services, has been working with the organization and contractors to oversee the restoration of the building's windows. The renewed building will be having its opening ceremonies on September 24, 2009.
Also in Edmonton, the Bard Residence is having its carriage house underpinned while St. Anthony's Seraphic College is undergoing some masonary work and having its front doors refinished.
Senior HCA Rino Basso reports that the replacement of the Markerville Lutheran Church's foundation, a delicate and involved project that required lifting and moving the 104 year old church, has been completed. Efforts are now being concentrated on the exterior including painting, rebuilding the chimney and and installation of sandstone veneer on the foundation to be completed before the end of November. This is the third historic site rehabilitation project coordinated by the Stephan G. Stephansson Historical Society and completed with considerable community support including donations of labour and materials.
After a prolonged search a qualified mason has been secured to oversee the stone work proposed for the Haultain School in Calgary. This project is now in the active planning stages with the stone carving proposed for this fall and winter and installation in spring 2010.
There are several active projects in southern Alberta including sites in Brooks, Cardston, and Coleman reports HCA Fraser Shaw.
The re-roofing of the Duke of Sutherland Residence in Brooks has developed into a restoration of the building's entire upper story. The residence, like many historic sites, had seen many renovations over the years. As the re-roofing progressed, the owner saw an opportunity to return the building to its original design. Through the use of historic photos, HCA Fraser Shaw and the contractor were able to develop designs for the work which now includes the re-instatement of the cedar roof, restoration of the original dormers as well as replacement of the cedar siding and shingling on the roof and restored dormers.
The Cardston Courthouse and the Alberta Provincial Police Barracks in Coleman are also at the initial stages of their conservation projects. The courthouse is installing a de-watering system (a moisture membrane) to stop the deterioration of the sandstone and is currently seeking a source for replacement sandstone.
The creation of a proper foundation for the Alberta Provincial Police Barracks conservation project – essentially the construction of a proper concrete foundation that will allow for long-term conservation of the wood-framed building – is proving trickier than initially considered. The building has been moved and is on temporary supports. The complications have arisen from several aspects of the project, including a rather confined work area and the poor soil quality. Heritage Conservation Advisory Services is currently working with the contractor as well as soil and structural engineers to find a viable solution for the foundation which may mean either the construction of a partial foundation or having the building placed on concrete piles. The second phase of the project, a complete restoration of the exterior and rehabilitation of the interior, will be completed once the foundation issues are resolved.
2009 Genealogical Scholarship Recipient Announced
Congratulations to Ms Margaret Aldridge of Richmond Hill, Ontario for being selected as the recipient of the 2009 Brian W. Hutchison Genealogical Scholarship. The Scholarship is awarded annually to a Canadian resident studying in the field of genealogy and family history.
Ms. Aldridge was selected on the basis of her submission "Shirley Ethel Bacon Willoughby Weir Maguire of Banda 1902 - 1988 and the Vital Statistic Records of Ontario" and a four generation genealogical report entitled "Descendants of Joseph Weir (1789 - 1871): Ireland and Canada." The essay describes Ms Aldridge's experiences in trying to document the life of her grandmother using the Vital Statistics Records of Ontario and the confusion caused the grandmother's very long name.
More information on the Scholarship can be found at the Alberta Family Histories Society website.
Examining the Impact of Heritage Preservation in Commercial Districts
MHPP has engaged the services of renowned economic analyst Dr. Chuck Chakrapani to study the economic impact of heritage preservation using data gathered from the City of Lethbridge's participation in the Alberta Main Street Program.
Dr Chuck Chakrapani is Research Mentor/Industry Liaison Advisor at Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Commercial Activity and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Blackstone Group in Chicago.
The study examines the economic impact within Lethbridge's historic commercial district as a result of its participation in the Alberta Main Street Program from 1999 – 2006. Dr Chakrapani will be working with Matthew Francis, Lethbridge Main Street coordinator Ted Stinson and city officials through an examination of statistical information including tax base, number of businesses in the downtown area for each year, number of new licenses as well as survey data collected from both residents and businesses.
The study is scheduled to be completed by 31 March 2010 and will provide an impartial analysis of the Alberta Main Street Program's contributions to the revitalization of historic commercial districts.
If you have questions, comments or something that you would like to see included in a future issue of RETROactive, please contact:
Richard Horne, Communications Coordinator
Historic Places Stewardship
Alberta Culture and Community Spirit
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