Original Heritage Home

>???????? ????? ????????re in Bowmanville’s historic downtown gutted four stores and eight apartments on April 29, 2008.

The day-long fire destroyed a century-building in the historic downtown core, but Saturday’s Maplefest street festival will go on.

“Maplefest is a very important event. People come from the other side of Toronto and as far east as Kingston. It means a lot to the community,” said Clarington Mayor Jim Abernethy.

Fire department officials believe the blaze started in either the basement or the main floor of the building.

The building, which housed the area’s first telephone company, was built in 1867, in the style of early Canadiana.

Bowmanville is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

With the advent of the internet, people have been withdrawing from community activities more and more. On top of that, public spaces are disappearing, as most facilities and clubs are becoming private centres with access for “members only”. According to Dale Jarvis of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, “The internet is so passive,” and an increasing number of young people are growing out of touch with their heritage each day.

Communities nationwide are responding to this growing issue. In particular, the fourth annual St. John’s Storytelling Festival, which ran from November 7-11, is a perfect example. Dale Jarvis pointed out that, “There is a growing interest in storytelling. It offers something much more human and interactive than the internet or computers. I think many people are missing this sort of thing in their lives. I think it’s something people need.”

Considering the incredible turnout at this year’s Festival, it couldn’t be more obvious that storytelling is becoming more popular. “People of all ages came out,” Dale said. “We have specific shows for specific agegroups. Most of the ones that run during the day are for a younger crowd, with free family programming that is always really popular. In the evening, though, we have concerts and late-night storytelling for the more adult crowd. We try to keep a variety of different types of events”. Although the program changes every year, Dale said that they try their best to keep the ones that are most successful. “It’s important to have a mix of different options for people,” he said, “so that the entire event appeals to as many people as possible”.

Although the Storytelling Festival takes place in St. John’s and mostly focuses on Newfoundland and Labrador each year, performers from as far away as Europe traveled to Canadian soil to take part. “We sort of had a Northern focus,” Dale told me. “It was the first time we had a theme of for the festival. We had one storyteller, Davey Cooper, come from the Shetland Islands in Scotland, as well as The Telling Theatre, a group of two guys from Copenhagen, Denmark”. When I asked if there were many performers from around Canada, Dale replied enthusiastically, “Oh, yeah! A storyteller from Toronto came, one from Vancouver came, and we also had Inuit drummers perform!” Of course, the bulk of performers were East-coast natives, and the mostly-local audience not only got to see an amazing Canadian show, but also got the privilege of seeing other cultures perform.

The main highlight of the event was the fabulous group from Denmark, The Telling Theatre, who performed a family-friendly version of Beowulf. Some new additions to the festival included the participation of many local schools. “We started this new school outreach program that takes storytellers into schools, which I was a part of. It was great,” Dale noted. “We also had Remembrance Day storytelling and workshops for the children who were there, something that is so important”.

For all of you who didn’t get the chance to make your way out to Newfoundland and Labrador for the St. John’s Storytelling Festival this year, you’re in luck. “It’s Definitely running next year”. Dale went on to say, “We have already started to plan for the event. The focus or theme hasn’t been decided yet, but we’ll definitely have an incredible mix of performances next year!”

If you’re interested in taking part in next year’s festival as either a performer or audience member, be sure to check out the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Council website, http://www.nlfolk.com.

Storytelling is more than just an art form. It’s a tradition, and a way of continuing the legacies of our families’ heritage while connecting us to our past. Celebrating both the art and tradition of storytelling, the St. John’s Storytelling Festival brings performers from across the country together to share their stories with the community. Festival organizers invite you to enjoy numerous concerts, ballads, recitations, stage performances (including Beowulf), Inuit drumming, late-night stories, Viking tales, the $200 Tall Tale Competition, and much more! Many events are free, and the festival is perfect for children, and the children in all of us.

Be a part of the fourth Annual St. John’s Storytelling Festival! The event runs from November 7-11. For more information on all scheduled events, visit http://www.nlfolk.com or call 1-709-437-2630.

It was love at first sight. Edgar John Jarvis fell in love with Rosedale’s natural beauty, and dreamed of turning the region into Toronto’s most impressive neighbourhood. He built many homes and mansions, bridges, roads, and planted beautiful trees to bring as many people to Rosedale as possible. His first Rosedale home, known as Glen Hurst, still stands at 2 Elm Avenue as a part of Branksome Hall.

For these reasons, Heritage Toronto’s Plaques and Marker’s Program recognized Edgar John Jarvis as one of Rosedale’s early founders. The ceremony took place on Friday, November 2nd at Branksome Hall. Patricia Malcomson of the Heritage Toronto Board was joined by Kyle Rae, Toronto City Councillor for Toronto-Centre Rosedale; Sarah Craig, the Head of Branksome Hall’s Junior School; David Townley of the South Rosedale Ratepayers’ Association; and Robert Jarvis, representing the Jarvis Family.

Heritage Toronto is a volunteer- run charitable group that works with the city and its people to encourage a greater appreciation for Toronto’s rich heritage. Through donations and partnerships with local groups, Heritage Toronto is able to offer free programs and services. Some of the many programs available are Doors Open Toronto, neighbourhood walking tours, the annual Heritage Toronto Awards, and many others. Their awards program, The Heritage Toronto Plaques and Markers Program, supports and encourages community involvement in the celebration of Toronto’s rich past.

On Wednesday, October 24th Heritage Toronto presented two plaques commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the former House of Providence. Joining Robert Lachance, Heritage Toronto Board Member will be Lorenzo Berardinetti, Minister of Provincial Parliament, Scarborough Southwest; Pam McConnell, Toronto City Councillor for Toronto Centre-Rosedale; Lloyd Cooper, Chair, Board of Directors, Providence Healthcare; Josie Walsh, Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive, Providence Healthcare; Margaret A. Morneau, Chair, Board of Directors, Providence Healthcare Foundation; and Sister Margaret Myatt, Congregational Leader, Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto.

“Heritage Toronto is proud to celebrate the House of Providence’s rich legacy of care,” said Robert Lachance speaking on behalf of Heritage Toronto. “When the House of Providence opened in 1857, few resources were set aside to care for the most desperate in Toronto. The House of Providence offered food and shelter to many needy individuals of the time, regardless of their religious background. That gesture of kindness and generosity was of immense importance to this city, and we are glad to remember it today.”

Providence Healthcare, the descendant of the original House of Providence, sponsored the plaque project, thanks in great part to the generosity of two donors who expressed their interest in this initiative through the Providence Healthcare Foundation. “This year is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the House of Providence, and of our present day Providence Healthcare,” said Mary Beth Montcalm, President and CEO of Providence Healthcare. “Providence Healthcare strives today to be true to the great principles on which the House of Providence was founded: care, compassion, and innovation. We are very happy today to remember the great legacy of care which the former House of Providence has passed on to us today.”

For over 100 years, the House of Providence stood on Power Street, just south of the location of St. Paul’s Basilica. Once one of the city’s largest centres of charity, it was founded by Toronto’s Roman Catholic Bishop, Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel, to serve the poor and sick of all religions, including many Irish immigrants. Charbonnel’s vision for the House of Providence was to benefit the “necessitous, immigrants, young and old, invalid and destitute.”

Toronto architect William Hay designed the original building, which was partially based on French architecture of the sixteenth century and influenced by the steep-roofed forms of the Second Empire. The building was first occupied in 1857 and was operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. The Sisters had first come to Toronto in 1851 from Philadelphia, following an invitation from Charbonnel to run an overcrowded orphanage on Nelson Street (now lower Jarvis Street). In addition to providing shelter and care, the Sisters also offered “outdoor relief” – daily meals distributed to those waiting outside its doors – for over 75 years until the 1950s.

The House of Providence was often filled to capacity, and eventually quadrupled in size. In 1869, prior to any additions, the hospice catered to 360 residents. Some of these residents stayed for a few days, while others stayed for a few years. On its 100th anniversary, it was estimated that more than 27,900 individuals had been residents of the institution since its inception.

In 1962, the House of Providence was demolished to make way for the Richmond Street exit from the Don Valley Parkway. In what was coined the ‘Caravan of Kindness’, over 500 residents were relocated in a single day to a new site, Providence Villa and Hospital, at Warden Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East. One hundred and fifty years later, the work of the House of Providence carries on in the organization now known as Providence Healthcare, a health care facility specializing in rehabilitation and complex continuing care; long-term care; and community outreach.

The Heritage Toronto plaques commemorate the House of Providence in both English and French. In recognition of the role of Bishop Charbonnel – a native of France – in the founding of the House of Providence, and its location in a historically French neighbourhood of Toronto’s Old Town, the Societé d’histoire de Toronto made a generous donation to supply a French plaque.

By Natalie Binder

All Hallow’s Eve. It’s known as the night when the spirits of the dead come to life. And while some would prefer to turn off the porch lights and go to sleep, avoiding trick-or-treaters at all costs, others take full advantage of this holiday by indulging in the spooky and mysterious. To celebrate this ghoulish occasion, we thought we’d take the time to highlight a few heritage homes from across the nation that are claimed to be inhabited by spirits of the past.

Built in 1862 by professional architects Wright and Sanders, Point Ellice House in Victoria, BC is a landmark heritage home. The O’Reilly family bought the estate in 1867, and the house remained in their family for more than 100 years before it was sold to the government in 1974. Point Ellice is home to the largest Victoriana collection in Canada, and is also a favourite amongst the locals for afternoon tea.
John and Inez O’Reilly were the last private owners of the house, and as Inez reports, it was when the house was undergoing extensive repairs that she learned it was haunted. The story, as told to John Adams, a Victoria-based author and historian who is well known for the city’s popular Ghostly Walks tours, is that Inez was home alone when a family came to tour the house. She asked them to wait inside as she finished painting the outside trim, but unfortunately Inez forgot all about the family. To her surprise the tourists later emerged from the house, stating that the “nice young lady in the blue dress” had given them a tour.
Startled, Inez asked them to bring her to this lady. After searching the home, it was clear that she wasn’t there. What did remain, however, was a blue dress lying on the bed in Kathleen O’Reilly’s room. It was the dress that Inez had taken out of John’s late Aunt Kathleen’s closet. It appeared that Kathleen had found the dress and made her way back into the land of the living!

The supernatural can take many forms, and while no one has ever claimed to see a ghost in the Galbraith House in New Westminster, BC, the B.C. Society of Paranormal Investigation and Research into the Supernatural (B.C. Spirits) has reason to believe that this home is overrun with paranormal activity.
Angela Kerslake has operated her business from the Galbraith House, built in 1894, for the past two years, and though she doesn’t reside there, she is convinced that the house is haunted. Two separate investigations conducted by the B.C. Spirits measured a significant drop in temperature, which is usually indicative of paranormal activity, and recorded the sound of someone knocking in an empty room. A receptionist working for Angela claims that she heard a ball rolling down the stairs when there was no one in the house, and the tenant living in the basement experienced quite a shocker when her TV turned off on its own.
Though Angela is of the belief that spirits are residing in the house, she has never felt nervous about the fact that they co-exist. The investigations conducted by B.C. Spirits conclude that, “The spirits that are there are generally benign and pretty friendly,” and that any increased activity was most likely a result of their agitation during the second examination.

Lunenburg, NS is perhaps one of the most beautiful historical cities in the province. The Ashlea House Bed & Breakfast is a Victorian heritage home that was built in 1886. Currently the B&B, which is praised for its original exterior Victorian gingerbread trim, is enjoyed by visitors from all over the globe. The grandeur of this house makes it hard to believe that in the mid-1900s it was nicknamed “the haunted house of Lunenburg” and “the house of ill repute.” The heritage home was given this reputation, not because of any paranormal activity, but rather as a result of falling into disrepair. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the house underwent renovations to become what it is today.

Fulford Place, a magnificent three-story Edwardian mansion found in Brockville, ON, was completed in 1900 and owned by Senator George Taylor Fulford. Within the 20 000 square-foot home one can admire an array of Fulford’s personal belongings collected on his world travels, such as paintings, tapestries, and ceramics. The mansion is believed by many to be haunted by the ghost of Fulford’s wife, Mary, who was a follower of spiritualism. But does Mary truly haunt the halls? That’s what volunteers with the Friends of Fulford Place Association are urging you to believe. Every season visitors are guided on a ghost tour beginning in the mansion and stopping at various haunted areas throughout the grounds, where they hear the retelling of the site’s eerie past.

The next time you find yourself wandering through a heritage home and hear a creak in the floorboard or a whistle from the windowpane, pause to consider just what you might be dealing with. Whether you believe in spirits roaming houses, or just chalk it up to hocus-pocus, remember that it is the history, living or dead, that makes a heritage home so unique.

The North Shore Heritage Preservation Society has published its first listing of Top 10 Endangered Heritage Sites. The compilation highlights some of the most significant heritage resources in North and West Vancouver that are threatened by development, economics or other factors.  

The project is modeled closely on the efforts of Heritage Vancouver, which has published its Top 10 list for seven years, successfully drawing attention to threatened heritage buildings, districts and neighbourhoods.

Like Heritage Vancouver, they emphasize built heritage in their efforts. They did not limit their project to specific buildings, but included districts and categories where appropriate. They also emphasized post-war architecture in West Vancouver, one of the area’s most important resources, rather than just the older buildings commonly regarded as “heritage.”

Click http://www.northshoreheritage.org/top10 for the site.

The Top 10 are:

1. North Vancouver Schools

2. Binning House, 2968 Mathers Avenue, West Vancouver

3. Lower Lonsdale

4. Hollyburn Ski Lodge

5. British Properties Company Cottage, 742 Keith Road, West Vancouver

6. Post-and-Beam Homes

8. West Vancouver Municipal Buildings

9. Gleneagles Clubhouse, Gleneagles Golf Course, West Vancouver

10. Silk Purse Gallery, 1570 Argyle Avenue, West Vancouver

The North Shore Heritage Preservation Society was set up in 2005 to promote the restoration and preservation of heritage and character buildings in North and West Vancouver, by raising community awareness. If you would like more information please contact:

Peter Miller

President

http://www.northshoreheritage.org/top10

It must be fall. The Thornhill Festival once again banded together a community, celebrated some heritage, and marked the real beginning of autumn.

Not many things in Ontario have the power to close Yonge Street, at least for peaceful purposes. Although for the past couple of years the barricades were only up for a couple of hours, The Thornhill Festival Parade, complete with its Revolutionary Soldiers, marched freely, devoid of traffic, right down Yonge Street.

For those two hours, the thousands lining the street let time drift back a hundred or so odd years. Bystanders, at least those with a wandering eye, had the chance to take a good look, and maybe for the first time, see the buildings that stood for the past 150 years – The McNeil Block or the former Gallanough Hardware Store, faded into a commuter background, stood out once again. Sure, hundreds of thousands drive past each week, but The Festival stops time, even if only for an eye blink.

On hand in The Village, were several revelers in period costume, harking back to The Festival’s original mandate – celebrating the unique heritage of Thornhill.

Celebrating heritage is something we as citizens seem to do too little of. Hence the origins of Heritage Home Magazine and www.HeritageHome.ca Using a high-tech ultra-modern medium to discuss all things past at first seems oxymoronic. But just because we live in old houses, doesn’t mean we don’t accept the present. It’s just that there are those of us who love houses with depth, with history, soul perhaps.

Moving in to Thornhill less than a decade ago, I’m just a newcomer to the Village and to Heritage. But that’s the beauty. Once enraptured, one is immediately embraced. There is no waiting period, no initiation rites. Either you’re in, or you’re not. And those who understand this, are those for whom our website exists.

They say that sometimes you pick the home, and sometimes the home picks you. Well for my wife and I, the house picked us. That story will be told later.

You don’t need a heritage home to love them, honor them and respect them. Sure it helps. But it’s not mandatory. This website and the soon to be launched print version, celebrate Heritage and more. We are going to help you discover, learn, and keep informed. In addition, we’re going to be writing about ways to engage you. Whether it’s sympathetic restoration tips, or news on impending legislation, turn here first. If we don’t know, post the news and pass on the link.

Our goal is to become a central repository of information about all things heritage. One of our key points is to address the needs of heritage home owners. After all, without them and their dedication to preserve the past, we are nothing more than urban dwellers of planned subdivisions and high-rise condominiums.

My name is Darryl Simmons, and I am the publisher.  I am also a heritage home owner. I wanted to take a couple of minutes and introduce myself and invite you in. Please browse the site to learn more about us, and take the time to tell us more about you. After all, our premise is that a heritage home is not just one that is designated by a third party. A heritage home, is first and foremost a home, your home.

Choosing this lifestyle is not for the weak or feint of heart. But it’s a road, that once chosen, only heads to the future. We only look to the past, so we know what way to go.

Happy reading and please keep in touch.

As for the Thornhill Festival, we’ll be running a whole bunch of photos and a wrap-up.

Hey,

Our news section is on a bit of a summer vacation — content will resume soon. In the mean time, I suggest you spend any time you would have spent with our news on the beach.

If you’d like to get the next article as soon as it’s posted you can subscribe with Google, Yahoo or another reader by selecting it on the menu on the side of the page (under the header “Subscribe to HeritageHome.ca”). Or you can subscribe via email by clicking “Subscribe by email” at the top of this article.

I expect tans. Take care,

-joe rayment.