2 Comments October 3, 2014 at 11:00 am

cityscape

Ten of Toronto’s Unique Heritage Achievements

From Young People's Theatre to a historical atlas of Toronto—projects that preserve and promote the city’s rich history.

By Heritage Toronto

SHOW CAPTION

BACK TO ARTICLE

333083 Young People's Theatre—Award of Merit, 1979 This award went to the Young People’s Theatre (YPT) and Zeidler Partnership Architects for the conversion of a former TTC building into a theatre production space. Built in the late 1800s, the building first served as a stable for the horses that pulled the Toronto Street Railway Company’s streetcars, then as a generating plant once the company switched to electric power. The building sat largely unused as a warehouse throughout most of the 20th century until it was purchased for restoration and reuse by the Young People’s Theatre. The YPT continues to play an integral part in Toronto’s theatre community today. Photo by Marcus Mitanis. Young People's Theatre. photo credit Marcus Mitanis - Young People's Theatre https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/photo-credit-Marcus-Mitanis-Young-Peoples-Theatre-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/photo-credit-Marcus-Mitanis-Young-Peoples-Theatre.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/photo-credit-Marcus-Mitanis-Young-Peoples-Theatre.jpg 1000 669 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/photo-credit-marcus-mitanis-young-peoples-theatre/ photo-credit-marcus-mitanis-young-peoples-theatre 0 0: Young People’s Theatre.

333084 Dr. J. Norman Emerson—Award of Merit, 1985 Dr. J. Norman Emerson received this award posthumously in recognition of his four decades as an archaeologist in Ontario. Throughout that time, he served as the Supervisor of Archaeological Studies in the University of Toronto’s Department of Anthropology, and he founded the Ontario Archaeologist Society in 1951. He was known for bringing students into the field for practical learning, and notably for encouraging female students to pursue archaeology alongside their male counterparts. This award specifically recognized his dedication to the excavation of Iroquoian settlement sites, such as the Jackes Site, in the Toronto area. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Archaeological Association Website. Dr. J. Norman Emerson OPTION 1 - photo courtesy of the Canadian Archaeological Association Website https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Dr.-J.-Norman-Emerson-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-the-Canadian-Archaeological-Association-Website-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Dr.-J.-Norman-Emerson-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-the-Canadian-Archaeological-Association-Website.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Dr.-J.-Norman-Emerson-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-the-Canadian-Archaeological-Association-Website.jpg 250 478 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/dr-j-norman-emerson-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-the-canadian-archaeological-association-website/ dr-j-norman-emerson-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-the-canadian-archaeological-association-website 0 0

333091 Arthur Lismer mural at Humberside C.I. —Award of Merit (Heritage Preservation), 1992 In the seven years leading up to Humberside Collegiate’s 100th anniversary, the school’s Centennial Committee organized a massive collaborative effort to restore and reinstate a five-panel mural painted for the school by Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer in 1927. The mural, thought to be one of the largest in the country, depicts themes in Canada’s history and its development as a nation. Due to renovations in the late 1960s, the mural’s panels were taken down and dispersed to art galleries across the province. With the cooperation of the National Gallery and the McMichael Gallery, as well as through the art restoration work of specialists and students at Queen’s University, the Centennial Committee was able to reinstate the full mural in the school’s auditorium, now called Lismer Hall, in time for the centennial celebrations. Photo courtesy of Humberside Collegiate Institute. rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute.jpg 901 339 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute/ rsz_lismer_mural_-_photo_courtesy_of_humberside_collegiate_institute 0 0

333092 The Estates of Old Toronto—Award of Merit (Publications), 1998 Liz Lundell’s history of Toronto’s founding families chronicles the estates on which they built their homes, and connects us to the present as she identifies the family names and places that live on today. She tells the stories of long-since demolished manors such as Simcoe’s Castle Frank, Richard Lippincott Denison’s Dover Court, and A. E. Ames’ Glen Stewart, along with those that still stand, like Spadina House, Oaklands, Bayview and the Grange. Image courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. Estates of Old Toronto OPTION 1 - The Grange circa 1907 City of Toronto Archives https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Estates-of-Old-Toronto-OPTION-1-The-Grange-circa-1907-City-of-Toronto-Archives-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Estates-of-Old-Toronto-OPTION-1-The-Grange-circa-1907-City-of-Toronto-Archives.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Estates-of-Old-Toronto-OPTION-1-The-Grange-circa-1907-City-of-Toronto-Archives.jpg 1000 767 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/estates-of-old-toronto-option-1-the-grange-circa-1907-city-of-toronto-archives/ estates-of-old-toronto-option-1-the-grange-circa-1907-city-of-toronto-archives 0 0

333095 The 519: In Days Gone By— Honourable Mention (Publication), 2000 The history of the 519 Church Street Community Centre was commemorated in this short book, put together by Ronny Yaron and the Centre’s Seniors Program. Written in conjunction with Richard Delorme and Ian Warner, it tells the story of the fledgling centre founded in 1975, at a time when the LGBTQ community in Toronto was only beginning to emerge into the public sphere. While the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood was already home to a significant population of gay men, the 519 Community Centre provided an institutional home for LGBTQ advocacy groups, as well as the opportunity through recreational and social programs to develop a community identity. Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vikpahwa/12006326533/ " target="_blank">Vik Pahwa</a>. 519 Community Centre OPTION 1 - photo courtesy of Vik Pahwa waiting on confirmation https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/519-Community-Centre-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-Vik-Pahwa-waiting-on-confirmation-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/519-Community-Centre-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-Vik-Pahwa-waiting-on-confirmation.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/519-Community-Centre-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-Vik-Pahwa-waiting-on-confirmation.jpg 1000 637 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/519-community-centre-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-vik-pahwa-waiting-on-confirmation/ 519-community-centre-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-vik-pahwa-waiting-on-confirmation 0 0

333101 [murmur]—Award of Merit (Media), 2005 [murmur], an archival audio project with an innovative approach to public history, was first launched in Kensington Market in 2003 by Shawn Micallef, James Roussel, and Gabe Sawhney. They conceived of a collection of ground-level stories tied to locations throughout the city, each marked with a sign and a phone number; by calling the number, it’s possible to hear someone’s personal story about that place as though they were there to tell it. In this way, the team behind [murmur] continues to archive and share local memories, hoping to affect Torontonians’ perceptions of and relationships with the spaces around them. Photo courtesy of <a href="http://murmurtoronto.ca" target="_blank">murmurtoronto.ca</a>. [murmur] The Annex Map OPTION 1 - photo courtesy of murmurtoronto.ca https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/murmur-The-Annex-Map-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-murmurtoronto.ca_-100x100.png https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/murmur-The-Annex-Map-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-murmurtoronto.ca_.png https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/murmur-The-Annex-Map-OPTION-1-photo-courtesy-of-murmurtoronto.ca_.png 590 385 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/murmur-the-annex-map-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-murmurtoronto-ca/ murmur-the-annex-map-option-1-photo-courtesy-of-murmurtoronto-ca 0 0

333105 Canadian National Ballet School—Award of Excellence (Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship), 2006 This masterful heritage restoration and adaptive reuse project was planned and executed by architects at KPMB and GBCA over the course of a decade, resulting in a grand new home for the Canadian National Ballet School on Jarvis Street. The project involved the smooth integration of two heritage buildings into the modern facility built around them. The central piece, a buff-brick Georgian home called Northfield, was built for Sir Oliver Mowat in 1856. It was later used by Havergal College in the early 1900s, the RCAF during WWII, and then as Toronto’s CBC headquarters until 2000. Photo courtesy of TOBuilt. Canadian National Ballet School - photo courtesy of TOBuilt https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Canadian-National-Ballet-School-photo-courtesy-of-TOBuilt-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Canadian-National-Ballet-School-photo-courtesy-of-TOBuilt.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Canadian-National-Ballet-School-photo-courtesy-of-TOBuilt.jpg 1000 721 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/canadian-national-ballet-school-photo-courtesy-of-tobuilt/ canadian-national-ballet-school-photo-courtesy-of-tobuilt 0 0

333106 Historical Atlas of Toronto—Award of Excellence (Publications), 2009 Derek Hayes’ historical atlas, a comprehensive collection of maps drawn over the course of 200+ years, is a feat in the documentation of Toronto’s development as a city. With this impressively researched compilation, Hayes demonstrates the growth of the city through railway extensions, expressway plans and the CNE, among other forces. The primary-source maps and Hayes’ commentaries additionally serve to reflect the contemporary values and attitudes of Torontonians along the way, whether toward the area’s existing Aboriginal population, American invasion, or ongoing urban expansion. Photo courtesy of the Toronto Architectural Conservancy. Historical Atlas of Toronto - photo courtesy of the Toronto Architectural Conservancy https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Historical-Atlas-of-Toronto-photo-courtesy-of-the-Toronto-Architectural-Conservancy-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Historical-Atlas-of-Toronto-photo-courtesy-of-the-Toronto-Architectural-Conservancy.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Historical-Atlas-of-Toronto-photo-courtesy-of-the-Toronto-Architectural-Conservancy.jpg 627 384 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/historical-atlas-of-toronto-photo-courtesy-of-the-toronto-architectural-conservancy/ historical-atlas-of-toronto-photo-courtesy-of-the-toronto-architectural-conservancy 0 0

333107 Madeleine McDowell— Special Achievement Award, 2010 Humber River advocate Madeleine McDowell received this Special Achievement Award in recognition of her exceptional commitment to the defence of Toronto’s heritage. Raised with a deep appreciation for the history of her west Toronto neighbourhood along the banks of the Humber, she fought for 15 years and finally won the river’s inclusion in the Canadian Heritage River Systems program in 1999. She was instrumental in protecting Lambton House, a historic inn, from demolition in 1988, obtaining a stop-work order with a team of local citizens after demolition of the designated heritage building had already started. Alongside her activist work in not only heritage but also environmental protection, women’s rights, and social justice, McDowell is committed to sharing her knowledge; she leads heritage walking tours every year, and she is active in several west-end community heritage organizations. She continues to be a force in the defence and conservation of Toronto’s natural, cultural, and architectural heritage. Photo by Shawne McKeown, City News. Madeleine McDowell at the Humber River - photo by Shawne McKeown, City News https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Madeleine-McDowell-at-the-Humber-River-photo-by-Shawne-McKeown-City-News-100x100.jpeg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Madeleine-McDowell-at-the-Humber-River-photo-by-Shawne-McKeown-City-News.jpeg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Madeleine-McDowell-at-the-Humber-River-photo-by-Shawne-McKeown-City-News.jpeg 600 400 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/madeleine-mcdowell-at-the-humber-river-photo-by-shawne-mckeown-city-news/ madeleine-mcdowell-at-the-humber-river-photo-by-shawne-mckeown-city-news 0 0

333108 The Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto— Community Heritage Award (Toronto & East York Community Council Area), 2011 The Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto was founded in 2001 by Mel Starkman, a self-identified survivor of Ontario’s psychiatric system. The organization aims to preserve the histories of psychiatric patients in Toronto, a demographic whose stories are often underrepresented or trivialized in mainstream historical narratives. The Archives, which have been collected and maintained by psychiatric survivors, are intended to help build a critical perspective on imposed psychiatric practices and to continue to emphasize the agency of those who undergo treatment for mental health illnesses. Screenshot from the The Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto <a href="http://www.psychiatricsurvivorarchives.com/index.html" target="_blank">website</a>. Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 10.02.23 AM https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014-10-03-at-10.02.23-AM-100x100.png https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014-10-03-at-10.02.23-AM.png https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014-10-03-at-10.02.23-AM.png 791 162 [] https://torontoist.com/2014/10/ten-of-torontos-unique-heritage-achievements-2/slide/screen-shot-2014-10-03-at-10-02-23-am/ screen-shot-2014-10-03-at-10-02-23-am 0 0

Torontoist is pleased to be the media sponsor for the 40th annual Heritage Toronto Awards and William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture. In celebration of the 40th annual Heritage Toronto Awards coming up on October 21, we’re highlighting 40 of Toronto’s unique achievements in heritage.

The last four decades of the Heritage Toronto Awards have seen a host of impressive books, short publications, media projects, individuals, community organizations, and architectural endeavours that have made significant efforts to recognize, preserve, and promote the city’s rich history.

From now until October 17, each Friday we’ll feature 10 past Heritage Toronto Awards winners in celebration of the event’s 40th anniversary.

Comments

Social Media