Heritage Research Report

Transcription

1 APPENDIX A Heritage Research Report Metro Marine June 2014

2 HERITAGE RESEARCH REPORT STATUS SHEET Street Address: 2508 Lakeshore Road West Roll Number: Short Legal Description: PLAN M11, LOT 91 Heritage Type: Heritage Status: Commercial/Community Park Listed Heritage Property Zoning: Land Use: Research Report Completion Date: Commercial/Community Park May 30, 2014 Heritage Committee Meeting Date: June 24, 2014 Designation Brief Completed by: Susan Schappert Heritage Planner Sources Consulted: Northern Shipbuilding & Repair Co. Ltd, Bronte, Ontario: A Capsule History of the Company Operation Circa by Joe Fossey; Report to LACAC, August 20, 1998 Re: Metro Marine by Robert J. [signature illegible]; Sailing is Big Business for Oakville, Daily Journal Record article dated 1966; from Wendy McCleary Re: Northern Shipbuilding, March 14, 2007; Metro Marine article for the Bronte Historical Society by Barbara Ann McAlpine, undated; Oakville Harbour Marina Building, 2508 Lakeshore Road West by ATA Architect Inc. dated September Chain of Title documents including historic plans, leases and deeds 2

3 STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE OR INTEREST The subject property has been researched and evaluated in order to determine its cultural heritage significance according to Ontario Regulation 9/06. This Regulation, defined in the Ontario Heritage Act, outlines several criteria for determining whether a property is of cultural heritage value or interest. In order for a property to be designated under section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act it must meet one or more of these criteria, which are outlined below. By using these criteria, staff can determine if the property s cultural heritage value or interest merits designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. 1. The property has design value or physical value because it, i. is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method, The subject house is a modified example of a mid-19 th century ship-building shed with a tall 2 storey simple shed form dominated by the large service doors on the north and south elevations. ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit The property displays a degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit that is consistent with the materials of the era in which it was constructed. iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement There are no technical or scientific achievements associated with this property. 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, The subject property is associated with the development of Bronte area shipbuilding and the development of the Bronte Harbour. First as Northern Shipbuilding and then as Metro Marine, the building is intrinsically linked to Bronte s history of ship-building. ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or The house contributes to the understanding of the historic uses of Bronte Harbour as a place of industry. iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. The builder and/or architect is unknown. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, The Metro Marine building is important to the maintenance and support of the historic commercial uses of the Bronte Harbour. ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or The Metro Marine building is physically, functionally, visually and historically linked to the Bronte Harbour. iii. is a landmark. The property is a local landmark, as one of the last remaining historic buildings in the Bronte Harbour. 3

4 Design and Physical Value Records indicate that the building known as Metro Marine was likely built between 1943 and 1944 by the R.C. Huffman Construction Company of Canada for Northern Marine, also known as Northern Shipbuilding and Repair Company. This wood frame structure is one storey in height; however, that storey is 24 feet tall to the top of the walls (not including the height to the peak of the gable roof). The rectangular plan building is clad in asbestos-cement shingles with wood sash and fixed pane windows running along the west and east elevations. The first level of windows has 4 over 4 sash wood windows with wood frame, sill and surround. The second level of windows (which almost function as clerestory windows) are small square 4 pane fixed wood windows with wood frames, sills and surrounds. Each of the gable ends (north and south) of the building has a 20 wide by 24 high door, although the south elevation door has been closed off. The north end retains the original twinleaf swing door, where each leaf is bi-fold. A two storey addition is located on the west elevation of the building. Inside the main building is a catwalk located at the same height as the second floor of the west addition. The addition was likely constructed at the same time or shortly after the main building. A one-storey portable is currently located at the south end of the structure. It is not considered a permanent addition to the building and houses town Harbours staff. Figure 1: Metro Marine, currently leased to Northshore Boatworks Ltd. Photo dated

5 Figure 2: Interior, Metro Marine. Photo dated Historical and Associative Value Figure 3: Window detail, Metro Marine. Photo dated The Bronte Harbour Company was granted two portions of land in the Bronte Harbour in 1843 and the second in 1862, as illustrated on Plan 44. At that point in time, the area where the Metro Marine building currently stands was marshland and was officially under the jurisdiction of the federal government as part of a navigable waterway. There is some degree of confusion regarding the chain of title for the land, which is currently identified as Plan M-11, Lot 91. Lot 91 appears to be the area that was formerly shown as marshland on Plan 44 and was filled in over the early 20 th century as improvements were made to the Bronte Harbour. The Bronte Harbour Company failed in 1898 and portions of their property were reclaimed by the federal government in an indenture between the Township of Trafalgar and the Crown in Other portions were parceled off and sold, changing owners over the years. Legal uncertainty over the ownership of Lot 91 appears to have resulted in the Town of Oakville s application to purchase the property from the Crown in 1972 in order to recognize and legalize the existence of the lot and its ownership. Regardless of the ownership, it appears that Lot 91, once filled in from its original marsh, was utilized by a number of persons/corporations that owned surrounding lots in the Bronte Harbour. These may have been leases in place, or simply confusion over the ownership of the land. 5

6 Figure 4: Plan 44, Red circle indicates approximate future location of Metro Marine building. Figure 5: Aerial view, Red circle surrounds Metro Marine In 1933, the R.C. Huffman Construction Company of Canada was using the land for their dredging business, using the marshy shoreline as mooring for their barges, dredges and tugs. Figure 6: Postcard of Bronte Harbour showing marshland, date unknown. However, on-going shoreline improvements began to fill in the harbour and remove the marshland. The building known as Metro Marine was constructed around and early photos show that the marsh has been removed. 6

7 Whether the building was constructed by the R.C. Huffman Company or the next owner of the property, Northern Marine, is unknown at this time. What does seem to be clear is that in the first few years, the building was used to help construct and repair boats that were connected with the war effort, possibly for use by the Coast Guard. By 1945, Northern Marine, also known as Northern Ship Building and Repair Company, had taken up residence in the building. The company was owned by Jack McCleary, and although the company had a Toronto address, the Toronto site was apparently used for sales, while all of the ship building and repair was done at the Bronte site. Northern Marine is reported to have constructed 29 boats at the Bronte facility between 1945 and Most of the crafts were all-welded steel tugboat style vessels for various purposes from logging to fishing and tanking. Figure 7: Undated photo of Metro Marine, likely circa Figure 8: Metro Marine, 2008 Figure 9: Undated photo of Metro Marine, likely circa Figure 10: Metro Marine, 2013 A two storey building was constructed just to the west of the ship building/marina facility, purportedly to provide living quarters for employees of the company. This building no longer exists and its demolition date is unknown. Other portions of the marina building were leased out to various tenants over the years, including a short lease to Jelinek Cork from

8 In 1955, Henry Greb purchased a water lot on the south side of Triller Street (Lakeshore Road) and Trafalgar Street (Ontario Street), and assumed ownership or lease of the Northern Marine buildings. Greb, who was known for his business Greb Shoes in Kitchener, Ontario, was involved in a number of activities in the Bronte Harbour, including an ownership interest in Northern Marine and assisting the start-up of the Bronte Harbour Yacht Club. Figure 11: Plan M-11, Registered Approximate location of Metro Marine circled in red. The Greb family founded the Metro Marine business, using the marina building and surrounding harbour to provide a full service marina including haul-out and storage. Henry s daughter, Barb, ran the business until The shipbuilding facility was used by the Bruckman family to building repair wooden or fiberglass boats until July While the Metro Marine business is now gone, the building that housed it for over 50 years is still locally known as Metro Marine. The building is now owned by the Town of Oakville and a temporary facility for Harbours staff has been located at the south end of the building. As of 2014, ship building facility is currently leased to Northshore Boatworks and Dock 16 marine chandlery still operates in the offices on the west wing of the building. 8

9 Figure 12: Undated photo of Metro Marine, looking west across Bronte Harbour Contextual Value While the topography of the land surrounding the Metro Marine building has changed over the decades, its presence in the Bronte Harbour helps to maintain a connection to the historic uses of the shoreline. Its north/south orientation towards the lake and proximity to the lake are significant as the building required access to both land and water for shipbuilding activities. Currently surrounded by asphalt to provide parking/storage for both cars and boats, with the shoreline located to the south, the Metro Marine building is an important reminder of the development of the Bronte Harbour as a ship building industry that transitioned to more recreational uses over the 20 th century. A number of properties in the Bronte Harbour area are listed on the Oakville Heritage Register. This includes the Bronte Bluffs park and other Town-owned portions of the harbour. 9