15: 3014 Lakeshore Road West, Bronte Harbour

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1 1. Description of Property Municipal Address Name (if applicable) Legal Description Location of Property Ownership Access Current Use Existing Designation General Description Priority Level 15: 3014 Lakeshore Road West, Bronte Harbour 3014 Lakeshore Road West Bronte Harbour PCL 90-1, SEC M11 ; LT 90, PL M11 ; OAKVILLE Located at the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek (Bronte Creek). Public Town of Oakville Site visit completed August 13, 2015 (AB, ES, CU) Harbour and Public Park Listed on the Register of Properties of Cultural Heritage Value of Interest (NOT Designated). Description: Bronte Harbour - this property has potential cultural heritage value for its association with the development of Bronte's fishing and boating industries. Bronte Harbour comprises the historic harbour created in 1856 and its immediate surroundings which developed as a focal point for the historic village of Bronte. The harbour includes an Outer Harbour area and an Inner Harbour area. High Figure 1: Bronte Harbour, viewed from southeast. (CU 2015) 15-1

2 On tar io St. Lake Ontario Bronte Outer Harbour Marina Bronte Rd. Lake Ontario On ta r io St. Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Bronte Harbour (Outer Harbour) Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map Bronte Outer Harbour Marina LEGEND Assessment Boundary Building CHL Study Area Heritage District Heritage Trail Parkland Bronte Rd. Park Trail Road Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Drawing not to scale

3 Lak esh ore Rd. W. Bronte Harbour Lakes hore Rd. W. Bronte Creek Lake Ontario West St. Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 La ke sh or er d. W. Bronte Harbour River Bronte Creek Bronte Harbour ore Rd. W. (Inner Harbour) Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map esh LEGEND Lak Lake Ontario Assessment Boundary Building CHL Study Area Heritage District Wes t Rive r St. Heritage Trail Parkland Park Trail Road Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Drawing not to scale

4 2. Key Recommendations Priority = High Rationale for priority level: High vulnerability for development; All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in current listing; Harbours Master Plan may have an impact on the function, facilities and use of the harbour. Recommendations for future action: Prepare a full evaluation report to confirm and map key heritage attributes of the property; Include the evaluation as part of any Bronte Heritage Conservation District Study; Include the New Credit First Nations in any site visit and mapping exercise conducted as part of the evaluation and HCD study; and Ensure that Bronte Harbour and its heritage value are referenced in Official Plan or secondary plan documents. 3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: Outer Harbour: Lighthouse Restaurant and Banquet and Conference Centre; Washroom Facilities (two, different ages of construction one c ); Bronte Harbour Regional Waterfront Park; Paved pathways and water features (since 2009); Bronte Fisherman s Memorial; Commemorative park furniture; Commemorative gazebo with donors names in paving stones; Breakwaters and piers; Lighthouse; White, metal, cane-shaped, light standards; Gravelled trail system along the water, banked up above natural grade as a dike; Armor stone shoreline retention; and Boat slips and marina facilities. Inner Harbour: Breakwaters and piers along both sides; Park furniture; Pathways; Parking surfaces; Boat slips and marina facilities; A facilities and maintenance building; Buildings associated with marine activities on adjacent properties; Berta Point Park Additional properties to consider in the harbour context: 15-4

5 Cenotaph at 2500 Lakeshore Road West: Listed on Heritage Register. Reason for Listing: Bronte Cenotaph - this property has potential cultural heritage value for its association with the contribution of Bronte's soldiers. Harbour Shed, c.1943, 2508 Lakeshore Road West: Designated under Part IV of the OHA (By-law ) for its architectural, historical, and contextual value. 4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features: Outer Harbour: Siberian Elm, native & invasive perennials between armor stone and manicured park turf; Park appears well-used for recreation; Littleleaf Linden, Silver Maple, Norway Maple, Oak, Sweetgum, Spruce, Austrian Pine, Horse Chestnut, Ash, Callery Pear, Sugar Maple, Red Maple; Planted berm (Amur Maple, Spruce, Juniper); Exposed aggregate surfacing of path along harbour; Dense plantings separating the marina from the rest of the park; Building complex with some semi-formal planting around it; and Large, flat open space, possibly for events. Inner Harbour: Cenotaph (2500 Lakeshore Road West) - formal new plantings, layered on old Cedars, Spruce, Crabapple; Streetscape connection between Bronte Harbour and Bluffs: o newly renovated/constructed; o some historic buildings (designated and non-designated) including Yolanda's Spuntino Casa ; o tidy planter boxes, hanging baskets and formal beds; o Spruce row along Bronte Harbour Yacht Club building (circa 1960's); o scrub along Lakeshore Road bridge embankment (Russian Olive, Siberian Elm, perennials, Rose, Buckthorn, Ash, Red Cedar, Apple); Grove of Manitoba Maples at West River St and Lakeshore (Berta Point Park); Natural drainage ravine goes into culvert under West River Rd and into harbour; Designed plantings around the parking lot (Smoke Bush, Bush Honeysuckle, Spirea, Daylily, Honey Locust); Wild growth on small island in inlet near West River Rd.; Overlooks Bronte Beach; Designed plantings (Hosta, Daylily, Sedum) at bottom of bank along entry drive; Throughout the park - Cedar, Variegated Dogwood, Burning Bush, Willow, Blue Spruce, Honey Locust, London Plane Tree, White Pine, Tulip Tree, Norway Maple, Tamarack; Layering of older and newer plantings; and A grove of very large, old Willows to the north of the main building. 15-5

6 5. Design (Typology) X all that apply X X Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape Designed Landscape Organically Evolved Landscape Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Associative Cultural Landscape Description clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man. results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed in its present form in response to its natural environment in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past. retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress. justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent. 6. Historical and Thematic Associations Prior to European settlement, the area around Twelve Mile Creek (Bronte Creek) was inhabited by the Anishinaabe. The New Purchase, in 1805, declared the area a fishing and hunting reserve. An 1806 Wilmot survey map shows the land around the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek, particularly at its mouth, reserved for the Anishinaabe, with corn fields in the plains and established trails along both sides of the creek (Figure 4). Following the War of 1812, the rate of settlement dramatically increased as lots were granted to United Empire Loyalists and other American and European settlers. Two of Bronte s earliest settlers were Philip Sovereign and John Belyea, who settled around the Twelve Mile Creek in 1814; Sovereign on a lot purchased on the west side of the creek and Belyea on land leased from the Mississauga on the east side of the creek. The reserve land comprising part of the Mississauga Tract, at the mouths of the Twelve Mile and Sixteen Mile creeks, was ceded to the British Government in Lots were sold at auction in 1826 and the village site was surveyed by Deputy Provincial Surveyor William Hawkins in The Hawkins survey was bounded by: present-day Rebecca Street, to the north; East Street, to the east; West Street, to the west; and Lake Ontario, to the south. The village of Bronte was named for British naval hero Lord Nelson, who had received the Duchy of Bronte from King Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily in Bronte Harbour was completed in 1856, and developed as a shipping depot; first for lumber and wheat, as land was cleared and cultivated, and later for the successful fruit-growing industry, after the price of wheat had dropped. A ship-building industry developed in Bronte to support the marine industry and shipping trade and take advantage of ample lumber supplies. The 1877 map of Bronte shows harbour infrastructure along the east side of the creek; the west side appears as marsh (Figure 5). 1 1 Walker & Miles, Bronte in Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton, Ont. (Toronto: Walker & Miles, 1877) at p. 22 in the Second Reprint Edition, Cumming Atlas Reprints, Stratford,

7 The advent of the railway led to a decline in the harbour s importance as a shipping centre. Harbour activities shifted towards other commercial marine activities, such as stone-hooking and fishing. In the 1940s the fish population began to decline and a devastating storm in 1944 essentially sealed the fate of Bronte s fishing industry. As the harbour s importance as a commercial and industrial centre waned, Bronte Village was becoming a popular summer recreation destination. However, unlike the nearby Town of Oakville, cottage-building specifically for this purpose was less common and many of Bronte s working class families rented out their own homes to vacationing families. 2 Figure 4: Location of Bronte Harbour shown on 1806 survey map. (Wilmot, 1806) 2 Town of Oakville, Bronte: A Heritage Resources Review and Strategy, Report prepared by Heritage Planning, September 2011:

8 Figure 5: Bronte Harbour shown on Bronte inset in Walker & Miles' 1877 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton, Ont. (Pope, 1877) 7. Contextual Associations Bronte Harbour is historically, physically, and functionally linked to its surroundings. it is important in defining the evolution of the village of Bronte, as an area occupied by the Anishinaabe, a shipping depot, commercial shipbuilding centre, port for commercial marine activities (fishing and stone-hooking), vacation destination, and waterfront community. Bronte Harbour and its immediate surroundings maintain a character which is distinctly that of Bronte Village. The harbour is a landmark, a gathering place, and a focus for civic pride. 8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06) O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 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, ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, Criteria Met (Y/N) Y N N Justification Bronte Harbour, in particular the inner harbour, is representative of various layers of harbour construction from the mid-19 th through early-21 st centuries. Not shown. Not shown. 15-8

9 O.Reg.9/06 Criteria i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, Criteria Met (Y/N) Y N N Y Justification Bronte Harbour is directly associated with the evolution of Bronte. The area at the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek is associated with the pre-settlement use of the area by the Anishinaabe (Mississaugas of the New Credit) up until their relocation to Port Credit following the ceding of the Mississauga Tract reserve lands in The area then evolved as a shipping depot for lumber, grain, and later fruit, from nearby areas of Trafalgar Township. By 1856, construction of the Bronte Harbour was completed. Following the construction of the railway and a decline in the importance of the harbour for shipping, it became a centre for commercial marine activities and shipbuilding. As these activities declined in between the First and Second World War, Bronte developed as a popular cottage destination, around its waterfront. Despite amalgamation with Oakville (as part of Trafalgar Township), the area around Bronte Harbour maintains a character which is distinctly that of Bronte Village. Not assessed Designer/builder/architect unknown Bronte Harbour is important in defining the evolution of the village of Bronte, as a shipping depot, commercial shipbuilding centre, port for commercial marine activities (fishing and stone-hooking), 15-9

10 O.Reg.9/06 Criteria ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or iii. is a landmark. Criteria Met (Y/N) Y Y Justification vacation destination, and waterfront community. Bronte Harbour is functionally, visually, physically and historically linked to its surroundings. Bronte Harbour is a landmark, gathering place, and centre of civic pride. 9. Photographic Documentation Figure 6: Outer Harbour. (CU 2015) 15-10

11 Figure 7: View of inner harbour, Metro Marine Building (c.1943), Bronte Beach, from outer harbour. (CU 2015) Figure 8: Facilities and maintenance buildings along Bronte Bluffs. (CU 2015) 15-11

12 Figure 9: View of Harbour from Lakeshore Road bridge. (CU 2015) 10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value: Bronte Harbour has the potential for cultural heritage value and interest related to its architectural, historical and contextual significance as a natural heritage area and a focal point for the evolution of the historic village of Bronte in the 19 th and early 20 th century. The harbour played a significant role in the development of Bronte as a shipping depot for lumber, grains, and, later, fruit. The ship-building industry and the recreational boating industry have both been centred here. Actions: It is recommended that a full evaluation of Bronte Harbour be conducted in the context of any heritage conservation study undertaken for the area that includes Bronte Harbour, Bronte Bluffs and Bronte Cemetery. The evaluation would compile property-specific historical information and map contributing components. It is recommended that New Credit First Nations be invited to participate in the site visit and mapping exercise at the site may prove to have significance to their community. The Town should also ensure that Bronte Harbour and its heritage value is referenced in Official Plan or secondary plan documents, to ensure that general direction is provided for any developments in the harbour area. Full evaluation of the heritage value of the harbour should be completed following completion of the Town s Harbours Master Plan, which may have an impact on the function, facilities and use of the harbour. A high priority level is recommended for the following reasons: High vulnerability for development; All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in current listing; Harbours Master Plan may have an impact on the function, facilities and use of the harbour

13 11. Sources Town of Oakville, By-law : A by-law to designate the Bronte Marina Building, formerly Metro Marine, at 2508 Lakeshore Road West as a property of historical, architectural and contextual significance , Bronte: A Heritage Resources Review and Strategy, Report prepared by Heritage Planning, September Walker & Miles, Bronte, in Illustrated historical atlas of the county of Halton, Ont. Toronto: Walker & Miles, Wilmot, Samuel L., Trafalgar Plan of the Second Township In the Tract of Land Lately Purchased From the Mississauga Indians, Accessed September, 2015 at