Shirt Tales

and following the wind's whisper to dance in sunlight and shadows until we meet again...

Labels: pensees

# posted by ramblingrose @ 3:11 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Labels: Forsyth, land use, politics

# posted by ramblingrose @ 2:25 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

• in the end, how much of the Forsyth complex was saved? Photos top R counterclockwise: removing the pre-cast concrete panels from Art Deco portion; beams; art deco bottom-lit light fixtures x 5*; stacking the date stone for delivery to Guelph Street warehouse; time capsule into city's archives; and removing the date stone
• at what cost? miscellaneous beams, columns, and capitals @ $7,450 + pre-cast concrete panels @ $65,000 = $72,450 charged to EDIF =========> eventually will update the EDIF tally?
• still to be salvaged? two fireplace inserts in Smyth residence & another time capsule-- perhaps if staff is aware??? we'll see
• there was some disappointment that in spite of calls to the local media re last Friday's removal of the time capsule, that none were present ==> Forsyth is a non-issue as we know how this story ends: a parking lot in one month's time and * the mystery remains: who removed the other bottom-lit light fixtures as they disappeared into thin air in spite of the security fencing around the entire site???
• earlier Council had promised this: "price for salvaging materials, the quantity of bricks the city wanted saved, wood beams and posts etc. came in at $49,450 out of their budget of $50,000. He explained could be less if they didn't want as much of the materials. It was said that they wanted enough bricks to do a 10' x 500' foot wall or 5000 sq. ft. of wall area, essentially 30,000 bricks at 6 per sq. ft." but zero (0) yellow bricks were salvaged! what else can one expect from a politician? promises that spin well in the local media?
• Perhaps City Staff should learn from folks out west? just a quick cybertrip to the City of Burnaby website at this link: http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/admin/Page409.aspx
• The mismanagement of construction waste and surplus construction material costs everybody money. If you are a builder or developer then you must be all too well aware of the fact that you have bought and paid for every piece of material that goes into that dumpster and is hauled to the landfill. The more waste you create on a job site, the more of your money you are throwing away...Even when properly handled, waste costs us money. Transfer stations and landfills are expensive to operate now and their long term impact on the environment may cost us even more in years to come. In addition, many landfills will be reaching their design capacity in the near future.

One wall of the Smythe residence has this quote (barely legible now):

There is scarcely anything in the world

that some man cannot make a little worse,

and sell a little more cheaply.

The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.

>>> prey reads pawn on the Smythe wall & is by John Ruskin The Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1849 ...

Labels: built heritage, Forsyth

# posted by ramblingrose @ 10:53 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• per 1999 designating bylaw: the usual all exterior facades are protected but nothing of the remarkable interiors; however, this designation did cover the glass block walls
• 
  
• photos: above L to R: glass block wall, etched glass windows in Art Deco kitchen, leaded glass windows in Smyth Residence/office building, the pre-cast concrete panels with Centre Block vision attached: "Shaping Tomorrow Together" = more spin*, and bottom top & below: the exposed Art Deco and Smyth office following the "emergency" demolition of January 2006
• per Jan 06 environmental hazards report the usual are listed: bird droppings and DEAD birds; asbestos and lead paint remediation; fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts to be removed; water damaged floor boards; mould growth; linoleum, stucco and lead came in the Smyth Residence
• cost to clean up this mess? Per report filed with Council last night: In order to proceed with the demolition of the remaining Forsyth buildings the City has tendered the abatement of all hazardous materials. This will allow the demolition contractors to bid on a clean site avoiding extras to the contract for hazardous materials found during demolition." Tender awarded to Reitzel Bros. Asbestos Removal LTD., Breslau at their tendered price of $143,915., including G.S.T. who beat out the second bidder's price of $319,769.50.** Report can be found here:
  http://www.city.kitchener.on.ca/Files/Item/item7941_t06-042_-_hazardous_material_abatement_-_forsyth_bldg_.pdf
• oh well, * this morning's Record does not mention this detail in the Forsyth saga's ending but focuses instead on a) the upcoming citizens' forums x 2; b)one Councillor's bid for re-election by lowering 2006 property taxes and with the most interesting sentence in that report: " The fund HAS HELPED PAY FOR the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy...and the Wilfrid Laurier School of Social Work."========> sure hope that some of the citizens start asking about fiscal transparency and accounting in the upcoming forums as we really need to know how much has been paid and what is still to be paid for post 13 Nov 06 election from taxpayer pockets??? c) an editorial that opines " a great deal of local precedence....it should be clear....{they i.e. three Regional Councillors} "have a duty to vote...." and that no conflict of interest re U of W Medical School could possibly exist even as elsewhere another disgruntled taxpayer asserts "old boys club" at work here!!! ** interesting to note 1) that of 5 firms asked to submit a bid, only 2 bothered to submit a tender and 2) of the two firms who did bid, only one is local and the other is based in Mississauga.
• Have your say? call 741-2602 or e-mail the local politicos cityfeedback@city.kitchener.on.ca

Labels: Forsyth

# posted by ramblingrose @ 8:50 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• Demolition began 9:00 a. m. Saturday 16 January 06 promptly in spite of bitter north west winds & without the requisite environmental remediation as this was an issue of "public safety." In spite of winter's chill, a goodly number of heritage folks came to witness and be interviewed by the local media.
• First to be chewed up was not-- you guessed it --- the structurally unsafe east wall of the Phase 2 building portion but the most easily accessible from the parking lot from the Smyth residence/office -- the northwest corner of Phase 4 3 storey building.addition of the 1920's -- note 1900 building has rounded window arches whereas the later addition has slight elliptical arches in the decorative brickwork.
• The claw made short work of the facade of the 1920's designated structure until a halt was called at noon.
• per 1999 designation bylaw, the entire building facade was designated; per 05 Fedy structural review that detailed the difficulty of providing sufficient underground parking in any adaptive re-use proposal & hence recommended saving the facade only (cf. the Seagram Lofts in Waterloo-- where the exterior walls were retained and a brand-new structure was set in behind the walls); per Jan 06 hazardous materials abatement required: asbestos removal, lead gaskets & lead paint removal, fluorescent bulbs and ballasts; mould and water-damaged floor boards, and removal of the mysterious 12 barrels of unkown liquid!
• Rambling Rose is left wondering these questions: 1) how many local housewives tear their houses down in order to skip sprinc-cleaning tasks? and 2) which was cheaper: demolition or environmental remediation? and 3) has the tainted buck just been passed to the regional landfill site and how many years before this contamination penetrates the groundwater supply?

# posted by ramblingrose @ 8:15 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

• per 1999 designation bylaw: all exterior elevations & stone foundations, yellow brick walls, windows and window openings, painted signage bands were to have been protected
• per 1 Nov 99 Council Minutes: a) " Mayor Zehr commented that he would not support the designation given the obvious outcome that at the end of the given period of time, the building could be demolished." and b) Motion to designate moved by Councillor Haalboom with recorded vote: 8 in favour (current councillors: Vrabanovic, Lorentz, Weylie) versus 3 contra ( current council: Zehr & Smola)
• per 05 Fedy engineering report: 3 storey timber & brick structure; problems with east wall approx 3" pushed out as result of swollen beams and swollen floor decking ===> this is the wall that portended the building's "imminent collapse" and hence, the order to demolish due to unsafe building condition; it was this wall that was to start the domino effect when it collapsed as all walls were structurally interdependent
• per 05 Lekic/ACO structural report: "The first impression after entering into the building was that the property has not been adequately maintained. Signs of water damage are everywhere. Hardwood floors are damaged to the point that all shall be removed. Wood floor structure looks sound and some minor repairs are necessary, while steel structure needs only cleaning and painting....Based on visual examination the masonry walls look solid, except the east wall and the southwest corner of the Forsyth Building built in 1900. East masonry wall is damaged, out of plumb ~ 3” at the third floor elevation. Some structural correction with anchor rods was done. ..“L. Alan Grinham Architect Inc.” confirms that “The east wall is slowly returning to its original position due to the drying of the wood floor.” Some structural corrections are required to fix southwest corner...The building shall be protected from water penetration immediately; otherwise structural damage could easily reach the point where a demolition is only a solution."
• per 21 Dec 05/16 Jan 06 environmental abatement report: flooded boiler room, water damaged floor boards, fluorescent light tubes and ballasts, asbestos, lead paint & mould removal, lead pipe gaskets; -- bird droppings everywhere!
• per McLaughlin history of Kitchener: " Berlin....was a town of smokestacks which contained more brick factories than any town or city of its size in Canada....The characteristic factory building was a three- or four-storey brick structure with two or three distinct segments."
  

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:53 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• Industrial Vernacular with Italianate designe elements: detail of round-headed windows; brick pilasters; decorative brickwork along roofline; original 6/6 windows. Building structure; 3 storey timber & brick;2x6 tongue & groove maple hardwood decking; 1" pine board subflooring water leaking through roof &broken windows; building required a new roof membrane.
• per 23 Dec 05 City press release: "Forsyth brick structure unsafe: City Staff Moves Quickly to Protect Public Safety" after examination by city staff, MTE Consultants Engineers, and local masonry expert & per Record 28 Dec 05 by Meghan Hurley: "factory poses sidewalk threat" :"City officials worry that bricks from the deteriorating Forsyth building will fall on pedestrians....installed two barricades...." and hence, bricks removed by staff cf photo from second right.
• An earlier June 05 engineering report had recommended retaining the entire Phase I factory portion for its built heritage value to the community. Per 29 Nov 05 Record/T Pender: "City votes to spend $30,000 on repairs to stop leaks and install fire alarm system"; however, only $9,000 was spent to stop water damage as building was ruled unsafe.
• Problems with this 105 year-old building? the roof leaked and some windows were broken
• Environmental remediation required if City was to successfully sell this building per 21 Dec 05 inspection/ report filed 16 Jan 06: lead paint & asbestos removal (to be expected); removal of fluorescent light tubes; brid droppings; mould removal;lead pipe gaskets removal; @ cost unknown as this building portion was entirely demolished without pre-demolition remediation as public safety issue.
• Lessons learned: 1) boarded up windows signal neglect and building deterioration; 2) fencing indicates pending demolition; 3) deferral of maintenance requests effectively indicates a denial of the request.
• How long until all memory of this building and its story is erased?

# posted by ramblingrose @ 5:39 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

1. " CIRCA Development’s period of ownership of the property provided an 8 month opportunity from July 2000 through February 2001 to develop a comprehensive understanding of construction methods and building conditions as part of the design process simultaneously underway.. In the following 4 months ending in June 2001, we were able to test our understanding and the resulting design assumptions by actually executing the design of (constructing) a specific unit as a model suite (rather than simply staging a model.
2. " [CIRCA was]able to finance purchase of the property and in the subsequent 12 month period to finance work to: secure the buildings against water penetration on an interim basis; reinstall a roof drainage system; stabilize minor deterioration caused by water penetration in fall/winter of 1999/2000; secure the building against unauthorized entry; clean up the conditions left by an abandoned process of interior demolition; demolish the 1 story portion of the buildings not required for redevelopment; construct a sales area (reception area and gallery); and construct a model suite.
   
   During this period, Circa Development was also able to assemble and fund a development team to assess the construction and condition of the property, evaluate design options culminating in the production of a comprehensive architectural design, obtain site plan approval and prepare a business plan including a market analysis and marketing plan. An inability to extend the partnership with the City of Kitchener precluded the late 2001 – early 2002 pre-sale of 30 of 50 condominium units and the continued capitalization of the development. The City acquired ownership of the property by virtue of its rights as mortgage guarantor. "
   
3. 03 proposal to City's RFP process re Centre Block Redevelopment: adaptive re-use to arts, culture, and heritage. Accordingly, Circa Development* has formed a partnership representing the Waterloo Regional Arts Council, Globe Studios and the Kitchener Downtown Business Association for the purpose of incorporating live/work uses into the business plan, subsequently marketing the units and more generally promoting the live-work concept and the project. Downtown Kitchener offers the most urban setting available in Waterloo Region, including the greatest number and density of entertainment venues and cultural attractions

• 50 loft condominum with related commerical uses
• minimum of one-third of the live/work condominium units purchased for or by cultural producers (visual and performing artists, writers or designers)
• residential loft lifestyle marketed to entrepreneurs, sole practitioner professionals, high tech producers and consultants** with these features: a loft style openness to sleeping, living and dining and kitchen areas; eastern, southern or western exposures, oversized operable windows; 12 foot tongue and groove pine ceilings; custom made clear pine millwork and interior doors; sandblasted posts and beams;
• studio condominium units
• the Duke/Young Urban Park intensely landscaped area featuring an amphitheatre-like stepping of the grade down from Young Street to a hard surfaced space leading to the public entrance
• Smyth residence would be restored to its original brick finish with the addition of a veranda rebuilt according to period photographs (circa 1920).
• for four private and one common rooftop terrace
• included a total of 85 parking spaces. 22 of these were situated in the basement of the building complex and a total of 63 were outdoors
• interesting and architecturally diverse perspective on industrial economic development in Berlin/Kitchener in the period 1900 to 1937"

*experienced residential developer, having completed 27 projects incorporating 1,520 multiple residential units valued at approximately 180 million dollars; two projects entailed the conversion of historic non-residential properties – St. Basil in Brantford and Bread Roses in Kitchener. The latter received an inaugural Mike Wagner Award for heritage preservation from the City of Kitchener. Circa Development is incorporated on a not-for-profit basis in the Province of Ontario. Although its residential development experience is focussed in the publicly assisted not-for-profit and co-op sectors, Circa Development has broadened its scope of development activity to focus on underserved market segments and broadly defined community interests.

**" This group is attracted to an inner city location because of their lifestyle; they like to be closer to culture and entertainment. In some cases, they are attracted to the inner city because it is where their preferred housing type is located - heritage homes, lofts, or live/work units. In other cases they are attracted to an inner city location because they work Downtown…..As long as the Downtown is the entertainment and arts and culture centre for the region, young professionals will be attracted to live in the inner city. More lofts and live/work units would increase the attraction of the inner city as would the addition of more white-collar and professional employment centres."

Photos courtesy CIRCA of model loft suite constructed in the oldest Phase I 1900 factory portion already demolished.

# posted by ramblingrose @ 5:14 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

• "But I didn't inhale." -- courtesy Wee Willie Bill Clinton
• "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." -- (U. S.) National Rifle Association
• "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit."-- Johnnie Cochran
• " I just want you to know that when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace."-- George W. (Dubya) Bush

Locally we've had our own instances of spin as well:

• "The KPL / Centre Block Project Committee is also asking for Council’s approval to preserve
  the history of the Forsyth Building by ensuring that any future redevelopment on the site
  reuses the salvaged and retained materials from the Forsyth buildings and that the history of
  the former factory is reflected through the design of any new buildings on the site. After considering the overall impact to the prospects of successfully redeveloping the Centre Block property, the committee will be recommending that the two remaining Forsyth buildings are not maintained in situ."-- City of Kitchener 06 Feb press release
• "This process has been undertaken by staff solely as a proactive measure to ensure that as soon as City Council makes a formal decision on the future of the faççade, staff is ready to act quickly in order to protect and preserve the faççade for some future reuse. In recent weeks the City has been accused of not moving quick enough to protect our heritage. This is a case where we are moving proactively to ensure we have everything in order to move quickly and positively to protect a piece of our heritage - the Forsyth faççade."-- staff e-mail re speedy tender process re removal of pre-cast concrete panels to precede demolition of Smyth/Art Deco remnants
• "Council and staff don't simply come up with a plan and then present it to the community for your approval or disapproval. Instead citizens are involved from the very beginning."-- City of Kitchener Mayor Zehr who insists on holding meetings behind closed doors

& thanks to insistence by Concerned Citizen, the following measures were [hopefully]taken to preserve another artifact fo storage in the City's warehouses: "proper, measured, as-built elevation drawings were produced by the City’’s consultant, indicating the pre-removal location of each piece with a corresponding number. I then want a post-tender award addendum issued to G & A, that requires them to catalogue the pieces in a table that records the respective pieces length x height x thickness. "

And now for some definitions:

• art: "The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium."
• artifact: "An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest. "
• artifice: "a clever strategy usually intended to deceive or defraud."
• spin? quite simply is a lie

Locally, we are confusing cultural built heritage with

• art (cf. the industrial artifacts used as sculptures throughout the city)
• artifacts (cf the salvage operations of a fragment of what once a large building complex suitable for conversion into residential housing, a regional museum, or even storage for the city's ever-growing collection of artifacts!

# posted by ramblingrose @ 3:10 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Photos L to R:

1. Visual graphic illustrating Centre Block real estate up for grabs attached to Forsyth Art Deco factory portion-- soon to be demolished to make room for parking garage;
2. what the public got for its money on another city block also demolished in its entirety-- YOUR! market;
3. what the private sector got out of the deal to build us a "OUR" Kitchener Market ( Rambling Rose who lives an easy 10 minute drive has only gone to shop there twice since it opened);
4. map of another block partially demolished-- starting at Queen St and moving east: the American Block (privately-owned), parking lot, a 1960's one-storey bank; the Oxlea office tower, the Cenotaph green, and the Canada Citizenship and Immigration building (owned by federal government), Vogelsang Green and more parking;
5. last photo? Canadian Block on north side of King Street looking towards Frederick Street.
   
   Berlin then, Kitchner now, and what will King Street look like 30 years from now?

• Currently available on the city's website is a hotlink to request citizen input into the Centre Block redevelopment process which can be accessed here: http://www.city.kitchener.on.ca/centre_block.html There's lots of links here to background information. Perhaps the most important link deals with the City's proposal to private developers who are to respond to its RFP (Request for Proposal) under what is called a P3 model-- the acronym for public-private partnership. Essentially boils down to "we will give you the taxpayer- owned 2.5 acres on Centre Block + some cash if you, the private developer, will build us a new central library + parking garage to allow you to build a maximum density residential development on the remainder of the site. The last time the City floated this proposal in 2003, there were no takers. Since then, the Centre Block Project Committee adopted the library as the lure on the hook. However, as costs for building this library started escalating, taxpayers started resisting this particular process-- so much so that this Council now wants some citizen input. But remember, Council intends to redevelop this prime piece of real estate -- with or without a library! If there is no library, what do we get for lands purchased for $9,700,000 and charged to the Economic Development Investment (Fantasy) Fund? Another parking garage? in one of the three worst air quality areas in all of Ontario?
• One recent example of this Council's downtown redevelopment projects using the P3 model is "Your Kitchener Market" (public share) for which an entire city block was razed & still bleeding taxpayer monies in the improvements required. Most of the block will be occupied by Le March condo residences (the private portion).
• Various Centre Block Committee members have talked about "creative innovative financing options." The next phrase that will crop up to replace P3 will likely be AFP (alternative financing proposals). For example, "AFP uses private sector resources and expertise to provide on-time, on-budget project delivery with long-term consideration of building life-cycle costs." cf. North Bay project at this link: http://www.nbgh.on.ca/downloads/reportspring06.pdf
• Ontario's Ministry of Public Infrastructure endorses AFP's: " AFP does not mean privatization. AFP uses private sector resources and expertise to provide on-time,on-budget project delivery with long-term consideration of building life-cycle costs...AFP models are selected for given projects on the basis of an assessment against the principles articulated in the Ontario government's Building a Better Tomorrow framework for planning, financing and procuring public infrastructure. Any role for the private sector in AFP models is governed by those same principles. Some of the benefits of AFP include:
  · Accelerated investments in infrastructure
  · Transferred risk of cost overruns and missed deadlines (to the partner)
  · Enhanced expertise, skills and dependability
  · Earlier construction start on more projects
  · More effective project management and monitoring
  · Transparency and fairness in processes
  · On-time, on-budget project delivery" and provincial government backgrounder info here:
  http://www.pir.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/cma_4_42522_1.html
• What ever happened to public control over public resources? How likely is it that a private developer will assume public risk without factoring some risk and return on investment? even propose lease-back payments? cf. the Old City Hall that was torn down and then City of Kitchener leased its offices in that red building opposite Market Square? and became the tenant in an Oxlea building? How much will this cost taxpayers in the end?
• Will any of the above questions be answered as you complete the online survey? It is important to insist that only a publicly- controlled process for redevelopment of publicly-owned lands will be the best and most cost-effective process to redevelop the Centre Block and even to build a central library--be it on Centre Block or elsewhere. It is important that this process becomes transparent and accountable to the folks who will be paying for it! http://www.city.kitchener.on.ca/pdf/centre_block/question_flow_chart.pdf

Glen Murray, Mayor, City of Winnipeg, speaking on Political Will: "It particularly disturbed me because in the dialogue that I was hearing yesterday, people were talking about city government like it was someone else’s property. And people were asking, "Well, how do we change things? How do we deal with government?" as if it’s some monster you have to battle. It’s simple, the answer is three words: Take It Over. If a gay man can be elected to office in Winnipeg in 1989 and become mayor in what was arguably a more socially conservative community just north of Canada’s Bible belt, I think you can have radical change in ......" Why not visit Glen Murray's Winnipeg? here: www.winnipeg.ca/newdeal.

Full text of speech here: http://www.artsnb.ca/eng/pdf/Murray_CreativeSpaces_oct03.PDF

# posted by ramblingrose @ 3:51 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

the web of life

& the medicine wheel

Seven generations after the leader of the Six Nations Chief Joseph Brant welcomed the Pennsylvania Mennonites and other European settlers to share the Grand River watershed with his people, WLU Faculty of Social Work welcomes his descendants to a unique graduate program based on the aboriginal holistic healing approach to the former St. Jerome's building --cf. 1912 line drawing above. This new master of social work degree in an aboriginal field of study is the only program of its kind in a mainstream university in North and South America. Even the restored building has been designed to extend the hand that heals as it includes a circular room to remind us all of the part we play in Creation.

The building's restoration was begun in March 2005 and will be finished by August 2006. According to WLU spokesperson R. Dupuis," This has been a very complex project. The heritage aspect of it obviously drove the costs up right from the very start. " Well, one might will imagine that a 99 year old building could use some retrofitting in order to bring it into the interconnected, digital 21st century. Structurally there were steel frames to be reinforce and wooden beams to be replaced. As well, the building acquired new heating, plumbing, and sprinkler systems; new wiring, wheelchair access, elevators, etc. The designated exterior also required some spring-cleaning: repairs to the cornice, new windows, masonry and brick repairs. Cost of all this? approximately $11,500,000 of which $6,500,000 are to be contributed by Kitchener taxpayers = $5,000,000 less $1,500,000 donated by the Lyle S. Hallman foundation (building is now named the Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work) = balance of $3,500,000 to be raised through local fund-raising efforts.

For those in the Christian tradition who celebrate Easter this day, Rambling Rose provides two meditations:

the first comes from the prophet Micah

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

The second has been taken from a speech by Chief Seattle in response to the American government's offer to purchase his people's lands:

If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother. We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's graves behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care. His father's grave, and his children's birthright, are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.

The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand. There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of
leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect's wings....

But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.... Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.

Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see.

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover, our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

Speech of Chief Seattle (1790-1866) delivered at Seattle, Washington in the fall of 1854 in response to
address of Hon. Isaac Stevens, commissioner of Indian affairs for Washington Territory…translation by Dr. H.A.Smith… (http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/seattle.htm

&

"St. Jerome's rebirth," by Barbara Aggerholm, The Record 10 April 06 http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1144619556567&call_pageid=1024322645917

& perhaps on another day, the teachings of the medicine wheel which shows how we are all brothers in each of the four quadrants??? We have our beginning here and our work to do: to heal this land and to heal our broken relationships with each other. Meegwetch (thank you!) to my gentle readers!

# posted by ramblingrose @ 4:43 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Photos Sandamara Images L to R: detail of pilasters and cornice lines, two-storey columns, and window arches that are characteristic of the Italian Rensaissance per Angelino Cianfrone, Architect for the restoration of the St. Jerome's 1907 building Kitchener. Record photo of the prankster-painted deconsecrated controversial cross.

This particular building was designated in 1993 under Part IV OHA for its heritage value to this community. "St. Jerome's is more than just a designated heritage property. It is a landmark building within the Region of Waterloo. Landmark buildings ...are fixed points in a changing world. They are sources of visual and historic reference."

More from the architect's report:

"The heritage value of a building is defined by the form and detailing of materials and by the historical and cultural uses and associations. The heritage designation of St. Jerome's is base on its architectural and historic significance. .. Its historic significance is related in part to its association with Catholic education in Waterloo County and beyond. "

What are character definining elements? ..."the materials, forms, location, spatial configurations, uses and cultural associations or meaning that contribute to the heritage value of a historic place."

Was the cross on the peak of the pediment such a character-defining element? Likely as even WLU argued for its removal on grounds that the University is non-denominational and that leaving the cross would continue an inappropriate socio-cultural association given its current use --the Lyle S. Hallman School of Social Work.

Was the cross the one remaining feature on the property "symbolic of the belief and faith that was a large part of the property's history?" Was the cross original to this building? For starters, the Catholic church had already deconsecrated the cross and had moved Catholic education elsewhere. The building had stood empty since 1990 and that its removal had been part of the deal between WLU and City of Kitchener who contributed $6,500,000 to locate the School of Social Work in that building.

Turns out this particular cross was not the one originally installed on the building and had undergone some changes -- including a 1960's style paint job. Apparently in 1964, six faithful Catholic students crawled out a fourth-floor window, incehd along the roofline, maksed out the stripes, and painted the green-and-gold striping on the cross to proclaim St. Jerome's school colours to the local citizenry. Did the Fathers of Resurrection ever find out who pulled off the prank? According to one who lived to tell the tale, "the perpetrators got away unscathed" -- Christian Aagard's column in The Record 11 Apr 05

Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history, built heritage

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:03 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

the Catholic presence

In weaving the multi-hued cloth that constitutes the Region of Waterloo, one needs always go back to the beginning of the European presence in this watershed. In 1800, the first non-aboriginal settlers began arriving in the Grand River watershed following Six Nation's Chief Joseph Brant's decision to sell off the northern reaches. First to arrive were Joseph Schoerg and his father-in-law Samuel Betzner to settle the Historic Ridge; by 1807, Joseph Schneider, Abraham Weber, and Bishop Benjamin Eby had arrived to take up lots where now downtown Kitchener is located. After the initial twenty years' of settlement by Pennsylvania Mennonites, other German Catholic pioneers arrived directly from Alsace, Baden, and Wuertemberg. By 1827, this group of pioneers settled in St. Agatha and New Germany (now Maryhill).

When Father Eugene Funcken arrived from Rome in St. Agatha in 1857, he determined the necessity for an institution of learning to train laymen in the faith and to for the priesthood in the language spoken by the various settlers. He was soon joined in this work by a Mr. Fennessey who had come to learn German from Father Eugene; in return he taught Father Eugene English. As well, he had started teaching a group of boys in the village. Seven years later, Father Eugene's brother, Father Louis Funcken came out from Rome to St. Agatha to be the founder of St. Jerome's College for the Fathers of the Resurrection in Canada. Initially he conducted classes in German in a vacant house in St. Agatha but eventually transferred the college to Berlin, the county town conveniently situated on the Grand Trunk Railway. In 1866, St. Jerome's opened in Berlin with 40 resident students from Ontario and some from the United States. By 1905, the college had grown to 150 boarding students and 30 days students and necessitated the building of the administration building fronting on Duke Street as well as a spacious gymnasium on College Street.

Photos Sandamara Images L to R clockwise: Maryhill Roadside shrine erected by new immigrant to give thanks for his safe passage across the Atlantic; St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church; statue of Father Louis Funcken with Berlin industrialist Reinhold Lang -- sculpted by Italian sculptor Faphael Zaccagini, who also sculpted the Queen Victoria statue with lion in Victoria Park; St. Agatha RC church(1899); St. Agatha Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother and cemetery; Maryhill RC Church(1877-78).

Note: the St. Agatha Church was considered the "Mother Church" for Roman Catholics living in Waterloo Township.Both the Maryhill and St. Agatha church steeples are topped with beautiful wrought iron crosses manufactured locally. Other examples of local wrought iron work are to be found in the cemeteries in St. Agatha, Maryhill, and St. Clements. There are a total of three roadside shrines located near Maryhill for the adventurous to discover!

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:02 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

as time goes by

...theme song of the classic film Casablanca (1942) but first recorded by Rudy Vallee cf photo showing him holding THE saxophone that was later purchased by U. S. president Bill Clinton & on the far right, a framed order for silkana shirts from the Forsyth family archives....

The letter is dated 21 June 1938 and addressed to "My dear John....I could use one dozen silkana 96-15-5 Prince Erick shirts. I do believe the sleeves could be about a half-inch shorter as I find I have to turn the cuffs back a bit. As soon as someone comes down to New York, please send them down and mail me a bill...Looking forward to seeing you and kindest regards to the family. Cordially, Rudy " and do note the rather unique signature fashioned out of a piece of wire!

Rambling Rose finds this attention to detail ---shirts custom-made one-half inch shorter and delivered in person to the customer's address in New York -- all that during the Great Depression! --says a lot about "Dear John" -- more formally J. D. C. Forsyth, president and founder of the John Forsyth Co. JDC appears to never have lost sight of two values: 1) the importance of a quality product; and 2) the importance of his customer as a person with special needs and requirements.

Some links now to Rudy Vallee

• The first to record "As Time Goes By":
  It's still the same old story A fight for love and glory A case of do or die. The world will always welcome lovers As time goes by.
  http://www.reelclassics.com/Movies/Casablanca/astimegoesby-lyrics.htm
• also first to record The Power of Love:
  You've got to give a little, take a little And let your poor heart break a little You've got to laugh a little, cry a little Until the clouds roll by a little ....
  You've got to win a little, lose a little Yes, and always have the blues a little ...
  That's the story of, That's the glory of love ....
  http://www.romantic-lyrics.com/lg4.shtml
• more of as time goes by?
  This day and age we're living in Gives cause for apprehension With speed and new invention And things like fourth dimension...And no matter what the progress Or what may yet be proved The simple facts of life are such They cannot be removed.You must remember this A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply As time goes by... sound clips available here:
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000DAT5/103-0842106-6917431?n=5174
• Rudy Vallee biography and website:
  "The Fleischmann Hour," nationally known as the Rudy Vallee Hour--the first-ever radio talk show--debuted in 1928 with 200 million listeners. It was a live variety revue and Rudy's guests were a mixture of the famous and the unknown. He was the first to invite black musicians to be on his show, and in appreciation, artists such as Louis Armstrong and Josephine Baker invited Rudy to their clubs in Harlem.During his first nine months in New York, he became a legend. At 28 he wrote his autobiography, Vagabond Dreams Come True. He saved the life of the sheet music industry during the Great Depression*, when sales of everything but Rudy's music virtually stopped. He starred in the film, "The Vagabond Lover," the first of 33 he would make.
  http://www.rudyvallee.com/bio.html
• * cf also JDC Forsyth who kept finding work for his textile workers locally& was so successful that the Art Deco addition currently awaiting demolition was constructed in 1937! Can we afford to lose this heritage building and this local success story?
  

# posted by ramblingrose @ 5:49 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

From various e-mails and news reports, Rambling Rose offers up the following considerations:

• "The city-owned building at 48 Ontario St., built by Bell Telephone Co. in 1914, will be given to the successful developer without conditions...
• Making the remaining land and buildings part of the deal will catch the attention of the development industry, said Craig Robson, a real estate lawyer on the project committee."It really boils down to 'Give us this, and we will give you that,' " he said. "We have to focus on the fact they would end up in an ownership position with the rest of the properties -- that's their business opportunity."
• "This is going to be a tough nut," Pottkamper said. "It is going to impact the "revenues of the city."
• Source: " Successful builder of main library may get Kitchener sites for free" by TERRY PENDER(Feb 3, 2006)

Other considerations?

• environmental issues - certain fluids contaminating the ground waters likely coming from the drycleaners directly beside at top of the hill and flowing downwards ?===> possibly contaminating the land under the Canadian Block as well? whose responsibility to decontaminate these lands? is someone trying to pass the buck here? Rambling Rose has yet to locate the Phase 3 environmental report used to prepare the retention, remediation, reuse options re the Forsyth bulding report presented to Council.
• A local community activist and urban promoter shared this dream via e-mail: "This 14,000 sq ft building could house simultaneously a traveller's hostel; a small business office center; a bicycle rentals business; a community performing space. I prepared a business plan back in 2004 for a traveller's hostel and determined a need and potential for success."===> Rambling Rose concludes that in the end, it's all about money and the cost to remediate would be difficult for such an enterprise to recoup from its revenues. As well, this Council has need to generate assessment revenues on a large scale to justify its $9.7 +++++ purchase of Centre Block properties.

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:49 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are in the air that people breathe. Asbestos fibres lodge in the lungs, causing scarring that can ultimately lead to severely impaired lung function (asbestosis) and cancers of the lungs or lung cavity. However, frequent or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres may still bring health risks. This can happen with the release of fibres into the air when asbestos-containing products break down, either through deterioration as they age or when they are cut. People can put themselves at risk —— often without realizing it —— if they do not take proper precautions when repairs or renovations disturb asbestos -containing materials. ====> does this include building alterations such as demolition? = a rhetorical question as it must be obvious the answer has to be "ys"
• One of the main problems with asbestos came from sprayed or "friable" (easily broken up) amphibole asbestos used in buildings until the 1970s. People working in construction, maintenance or in the renovation of older buildings should be particularly careful when handling this asbestos.
• During renovations and repairs to older buildings, construction workers, tradespeople and other building maintenance workers may be exposed to very high concentrations of asbestos fibres. Construction and maintenance workers should avoid creating asbestos dust from scraping, brushing, rubbing or cutting damaged insulation. Insulation damage should be reported to the appropriate authority, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Manager. If you work in this area, determine whether asbestos is present before beginning work and take appropriate precautionary measures. Public and commercial building owners should keep an inventory of asbestos-containing materials to inform users, authorities and contractors.
• Health Canada has encouraged provincial occupational health authorities to adopt stringent workplace exposure limits for asbestos. The sale of pure asbestos and certain high risk consumer products that are composed of or contain asbestos fibres is strictly regulated under the Hazardous Products Act. In addition, the emissions of asbestos into the environment from mining and milling operations are subject to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
• Federal references here:
  http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/yohoyohe/inaiqu/inaiqu_001.cfm
  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/asbestos-amiante_e.html
• Provincial legislation and workplace requirements here:
  http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/900837_e.htmOccupational Health and Safety Act R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 837 Amended to O. Reg. 279/05 DESIGNATED SUBSTANCE —— ASBESTOS
  ontario regulation 278/05 made under the occupational health and safety act Made: June 8, 2005Filed: June 10, 2005Printed in The Ontario Gazette: June 25, 2005
• Full list of toxic substances here:
  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/contaminants/risk-risque/toxsub/psl1_substances-toxic_lsip1_e.html
• Previous post re infringements of legislation that addressed this issue? use search function top left corner this blog to locate this post: "Forsyth demolition environmental concerns"
• Rambling Rose reiterates the all-too-obvious irony here: justification of this hasty demolition was the risk to public safety and then proceeded to risk worker and public safety???? unbelievable!!!!

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:30 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

issues of public safety?

Rather ironical all of this. The hasty demolition of the Forsyth factory was ordered to address issues of public safety i.e. the imminent collapse of the building. Those concerns were so pressing that none of the normal pre-demolition re hazardous materials were undertaken & hence the photo above of first day demolition progress with light fixtures and ballasts not removed.

The unseen hazard? PCB's & from Health Canada the following notes:

1. There is a risk of workplace exposure for people who replace or service old electrical equipment, and for those who transport PCBs to storage and destruction facilities or handle PCBs at these sites. Workers involved in these activities should wear protective clothing and follow prescribed decontamination procedures when they complete their work.
2. Canadians could also be exposed to PCBs through accidental releases, including uncontrolled fires involving PCBs. In these situations, several different things could happen:
   · PCBs could be released in liquid form. They could then contaminate soil or water nearby.
   · High temperatures in a fire could turn liquid PCBs into an aerosol form. If this happens, the PCBs could be inhaled. They could also be transported somewhere else by air currents.
   When PCBs are burned at high temperatures, the process can turn them into different substances called dioxins and furans, which are far more toxic than PCBs.

What are PCB's?
PCBs stands for Polychlorinated Biphenyls. The name refers to any one, or any combination of 209 specific chemicals that are similar in structure. PCBs are extremely persistent. They last for many years because they do not break down easily on their own and they are difficult to destroy. PCBs were first manufactured in 1929. For several decades, they were used widely as ingredients in many industrial materials, such as sealing and caulking compounds, cutting oils, inks and paint additives. PCBs were also used to make coolants and lubricants for certain kinds of electrical equipment, such as transformers and capacitors.

What is the danger?

• Most of what is known about the human health effects of PCBs is based on exposures due to accidental releases or job-related activities. These exposures are much higher than the levels normally found in the environment. The adverse health effects include a severe form of acne (chloracne), swelling of the upper eyelids, discolouring of the nails and skin, numbness in the arms and/or legs, weakness, muscle spasms, chronic bronchitis, and problems related to the nervous system. In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that there is some evidence to link long-term, high-level PCB exposure in occupational settings to an increased incidence of cancer, particularly liver and kidney cancer.
• Attention began to focus on potential hazards linked to the use and disposal of PCBs, when the presence of PCBs was detected in the Great Lakes for the first time in 1966. By 1977, concern over the impact of PCBs on the environment led to a North American ban on manufacturing and importing PCBs.
• The ban did not cover PCBs that were already in use in electrical applications. These are being phased out now, and the federal government has set strict regulations for the handling, storage and disposal of PCBs.
• The storage of PCBs has been regulated since 1988. Handling, transport and destruction of PCBs are also regulated, mostly under provincial regulations.
• Despite the large reductions in PCB inventories since the implementation of regulatory controls, releases of PCBs to the environment through spills and fires continue to occur. ====> however, as the light fixtures and ballasts were crushed into the piles of rubble now being carted to the landfill, the public health hazards remains.

Health Canada's advisories:

• Never burn wood that has been treated or painted, since burning materials that contain PCBs can create dioxins and furans. If you are at risk for exposure to PCBs in the workplace, be sure to take appropriate safety precautions and follow all prescribed decontamination procedures.

More information here:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pcb/eng/index_e.htm

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/pcb-bpc_e.html

# posted by ramblingrose @ 9:15 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• one at German Mills @ 170 ft high
• two at Aberdeen & Strassburg @ 170 ft high were 7 (seven!) feet wide
• one at Rosendale @ 185 ft high was 3 1/2 feet wide
• where Kitchener's Breithaupt Park now is, one tree @ 200 ft high x 6 1/2 ft wide
• one oak near St Jacob's measured 120 feet @ 5 ft diameter

...one pine log 20 ft long @ 4 1/2 feet diameter produced 1600 board feet of the finest lumber!

Where maple, beech and elm thrived best, appealed to the new settlers as indicating where the choicest soil for producing profitable crops could be found; and this kind of timber could be removed easily and cleared at the least cost, the maple usually being the choice."

Source: "Waterloo County Forests and Primitive Economics." by E. W. Snider, Waterloo Historical Society 1918.

I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear a nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree. -- Joyce Kilmer

& only foolish men would indiscriminately cut down so many trees and then waste the valuable lumber!

After the forests were cleared, the Grand River Valley was subjected to innumerable floods requiring dams to be built --- now all managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority. Kitchener @ 17% urban forest cover is still shy of the recommended 30% to ensure a healthy environment!

# posted by ramblingrose @ 1:42 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

stewardship of cultural heritage assets as defined by legislation and actual practice?

1. According to the Ontario Heritage Act 2005, the following are required:
   Building standards by-law
   35.3 (1) If a by-law passed under section 15.1 of the Building Code Act, 1992 setting out standards for the maintenance of property in the municipality is in effect in a municipality, the council of the municipality may*, by by-law,
   (a) prescribe minimum standards for the maintenance of the heritage attributes of property in the municipality that has been designated by the municipality under section 29 or by the Minister under section 34.5; and
   (b) require property that has been designated under section 29 or 34.5 and that does not comply with the standards to be repaired and maintained to conform with the standards.
2. When the Forsyth Co ceased business operations locally and closed this factory, the company applied for a demolition permit as it could no longer afford the $100,000 annual cost of maintenance of the building. The demolition permit was refused and the City designated the entire building complex as a significant cultural heritage under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
3. In 2001, the City acquired ownership of the property at a cost of $670,000 having previously paid $225,000 in connection with the CIRCA proposal to convert the building into loft-style residential units. Since 2001 until November 05, no maintenance was ever undertaken in spite of repeated requests to effect minimum repairs. In Nov 05, Council authorized a bare minimum of $30,000 repairs to prevent more water damage and install a fire alarm. Of those monies, only $9,000 were spent to secure some drain pipes. Demoltion of the Phases 1, 2 and 4 was undertaken 14 Jan 06.
4. Photos above of the interior of the building taken October 05. All that was ever required was repairs to the roof membrane and securing the drains to prevent water damage. Cost to the taxpayer to date? purchase price + countless engineering studies + cost of demolition & hazardous materials abatement + lost tax revenues as the loft conversion would have anticipated the loft boom in downtown Kitchener + loss of up to $1,000,000 in federal tax incentives (CBIP program) + additional incentives applied to creating affordable housing + what else? ** =======> if the photos above demonstrate this Council's record of stewardship over visible assets such as a significant heritage structure, Rambling Rose can only wonder at how many leaks have sprung in the management of her tax dollars?

* "may" = the wording of enabling legislation; in this instance, this municipality does have a property standards by-law and accordingly the designated Forsyth property fell under those provisions which required the property owner to maintain it.

** will take time to locate and total all these figures; however, easy to see that the final tally will far exceed the previous owner's annual maintenance budget of $100,000 x 5 years = $500,000 + cost of repairs to the roof.

http://www.culture.gov.on.ca/english/culdiv/heritage/Toolkit/DHP%20Eng.pdf

# posted by ramblingrose @ 12:46 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

the freedom shirt aka the killer shirt

• Toronto-based John Forsyth Company, which assumed the Canadian licence for Arrow in 2001, launched a stylish fall line that includes bold colours and contemporary patterns. But, says Oliver Morante, EVP at John Forsyth, "the average customer, according to our market research, is 47 years old. Basically we're trying to lower that to between 30 and 35." Morante says sales of Arrow shirts had been holding steady, thanks to its popularity among men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, but that the brand wasn't growing. "If that happens you sooner or later lose market share and that's what happened. Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren started to chew some of that market."
• Enter John St. to the rescue. The Toronto-based ad agency developed a campaign based on the theme "killer shirts." Killer, as in hip, get it? Advertising includes a TV spot, transit shelters and backlit billboards in Toronto and Montreal that portray a stylish guy deftly dodging arrows. Stephen Jurisic, co-CD at John St., says the brand has achieved a Banana Republic-type of look (albeit with wider distribution in department stores) so the tagline makes sense. "We looked at the product, and we looked at what icons they had, which was the arrow," he says. "The idea came from a bold client, wanting to stand out."
• Minnetonka, MN, September 19, 2005 –– PremiumWear, Inc. announced today that is has been acquired by The John Forsyth Shirt Company Ltd., d.b.a. Forsyth of Canada, ("Forsyth").
• PremiumWear, Inc. is proud to introduce the innovative No-Curl Collar®® Pique Polo to the promotional products and golf apparel industries. Guaranteed not to curl, a thin, undetectable stay is inserted into the end of the shirt's collar to eliminate curling and help the collar maintain its original, fashionable shape
• http://www.premiumwear.com/content.m/about/news#news3
• http://www.premiumwear.com/sellsheets/companion_styles.pdf
• http://www.strategymag.com/articles/magazine/20041216/younger.html?page=1
• http://www.camagazine.com/index.cfm/ci_id/22921/la_id/1.htm
• from Hansard past issue re cutting edge industry:
  "When I entered John Forsyth plant in Cambridge, above the rhythm of finely tuned sewing machines and expensive machines that precision cut over 100 sheets of fabric at one pass, I saw an industry that has remained on the cutting edge, not to use a pun. This industry, whether it is Hathaway in Guelph or Miller Shirts in Montreal, has done its very best to stay competitive." -- Gary Goodyear, MP, Hansard record of speech in House of Commons
• from my notes:
  When Harris Hester bought the John Forsyth Shirt Co. in 1997, it had plenty of equity, but needed an operating line and a chunk of sub-debt. "We approached banks across the province," recalls the president and CEO of the Mississauga, Ont.-based apparel manufacturer, "but banks don’t seem to like the apparel sector. So we sought an asset-based lender, and chose Congress Financial in 1997." He’s never looked back.

Labels: Forsyth

# posted by ramblingrose @ 1:26 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Labels: built heritage, Forsyth

# posted by ramblingrose @ 11:57 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• "In the normal course, if a building is considered unsafe or in danger of collapse, an order would be made by the CBO under the Building Code Act requiring its renovation, repair or demolition. The owner would then have to get a permit from the municipality under the Building Code Act to carry out the required work. Before this permit can be issued, any applicable law must be satisfied. In the case of a designated property, the provisions of section 33 with respect to alterations or section 34 with respect to demolition, as appropriate, would have to be followed. In both cases council's consent and consultation with the municipal advisory committee is mandatory before work could proceed."
• OHA on Alteration of property:
  33. (1) No owner of property designated under section 29 shall alter the property or permit the alteration of the property if the alteration is likely to affect the property’s heritage attributes, as set out in the description of the property’s heritage attributes that was required to be served and registered under subsection 29 (6) or (14), as the case may be, unless the owner applies to the council of the municipality in which the property is situated and receives consent in writing to the alteration.
• OHA on Demolition or removal of structure, Decision of Council & Deemed Consent
  34. (1) No owner of property designated under section 29 shall demolish or remove a building or structure on the property or permit the demolition or removal of a building or structure on the property unless the owner applies to the council of the municipality in which the property is situated and receives consent in writing to the demolition or removal.(2) Within 90 days after receipt of an application under subsection (1) or within such longer period as is agreed upon by the owner and the council, the council, after consultation with its municipal heritage committee, if one is established,
  (a) may, (i) consent to the application,(i.1) consent to the application, subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by the council, or (ii) refuse the application;
  (b) shall give notice of its decision to the owner and to the Trust; and
  (c) shall publish its decision in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality.(4) If the council fails to notify the owner under clause (2) (b) within the time period mentioned in subsection (2), the council shall be deemed to have consented to the application.
• OHA on Repeal of by-law designating property & Duties upon passing a repealing by-law
  34.3 (1) The council of a municipality shall pass a by-law to repeal a by-law or the part thereof designating a property under section 29 if the owner of the property has applied in writing to the council for consent to the demolition or removal of a building or structure on the property and,
  (a) the council consents to the application under subclause 34 (2) (a) (i) or (i.1) or is deemed to have consented to the application under subsection 34 (4); or
  (b) the Board has ordered that the municipality give its consent under clause 34.1 (6) (b). 2005, c. 6, s. 24.
  (2) When the council passes a repealing by-law under this section, the council shall cause,
  (a) a copy of the repealing by-law to be served on the owner of the property and on the Trust;
  (b) notice of the repealing by-law to be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality;
  (c) reference to the property to be deleted from the Register referred to in subsection 27 (1); and
  (d) a copy of the repealing by-law to be registered against the property affected in the proper land registry office.
• Ontario Heritage Act contains a clause saying the act prevails over other acts and regulations in the event of a conflict between them. ===> not sure if this section applies here:
  35.1 In the event of a conflict between an order by the Minister designating property under section 34.5 and a municipal by-law that affects the same property, the order prevails to the extent of the conflict, but in all other respects the by-law remains in full force and effect. 2005, c. 6, s. 27.
• consistent with other legislation?
  Section 8 of the OBCA says "No person shall construct or demolish a building or cause a building to be constructed or demolished unless a permit has been issued therefore by the chief building official."
• the legal loophole?
  The only exception might be in cases of dire emergency (where for example a building is actually collapsing or about to collapse) and there is no time to follow the process above, in which case the CBO could order the repair or demolition and then have it carried out immediately.
• OHA available at this link: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/90o18_e.htm

Labels: built heritage, Forsyth

# posted by ramblingrose @ 11:00 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

• In 1844, Liborius Breithaupt (d. 1851), his wife, Catharine, and their 16-year-old son, Louis, emigrated from Hesse (Germany) to Buffalo. Louis worked for his father (Liborius) in the tannery business in Buffalo, N.Y. Louis (I) used to travel to Berlin to buy hides. After meeting Catharina Hailer in Berlin, they married in 1853
• In 1858, Louis established Eagle Tannery & Leathers ; after his death, the business was carried on by his widow and his sons who expanded the tannery to Penetanguishene.
• In 1861, Louis and Catherine came to Berlin to reside and later moved into a spacious home named Waldeck.
• In order to run the business as economically as possible, his wife Catherine nee Hailer operated a kitchen in her house where the factory workers had their meals.
• In 1862-3, Louis built the American House (architect C. Krull), 3 storey white brick structure 40 guest rooms on the second and third floors above the stores at street level ; room rates were $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 & was considered the leading hotel in Berlin at the time & cost $9,000 to build.
  An 1867 advertisement stated that you could catch a stagecoach for Waterloo and Preston outside this hotel.
• His tannery was destroyed by fire in 1867 and again in 1870 but he rebuilt and continued to develop a large business.
• In 1874, Louis and Catherine built Waldeck, 108 Queen Street North, an Italianate-style residence--OHA Part IV designated heritage propery
• He was mayor of the Town in 1879-1880 and died while in office. Two sons and a grandson of Louis Breithaupt were also mayors. He was called the"first citizen of Berlin" for his work in furthering the growth of the town and his municipal activities, including two years as mayor.
• In the history of Berlin (Kitchener) there have been four father/son combinations who held the
  position of reeve or mayor. The Breithaupts were exceptional in this area as Louis I was mayor of the Town of Berlin in 1879 -1880 and his one son Louis Jacob (L. J.) who is buried here [Mount Hope Cemetery] was mayor in 1888 -1889. A son of Louis J. (L. J.) Louis Orville (L. O.) was mayor of the City of Kitchener in 1923 -1924. At age of 32, he was the youngest mayor to that date, and went on to become the Honourable L. O. Breithaupt, 18th Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.
• The descendants of Liborious Breithaupt became industrialists, entrepreneurs, engineers, cultural leaders, soldiers, city fathers and mayors, members and leaders of the provincial legislature and Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.The impact and achievements of the Breithaupts have not gone unnoticed. Looking at a map of Kitchener one will find Breithaupt Street, Breithaupt Park, and Breithaupt Centre all named in honour of the Family who generation after generation offered so much.
• Sources of historical data:
  http://www.kitchenercemeteries.ca/pdf/MountHope_walkingTour_sm.pdf
• 
  http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/Region.nsf/0/6CC119BED12DA0EA85256B06004AA1A9OpenDocument
• 
  http://www.german-canadian-business.ca/en/gpd2002_BreithauptBio.php
• 
  http://www.ourroots.ca/f/page.aspx?id=43016
• 
  http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/discipline/SpecColl/archives/BHC.html#Liborius
• 
  Photos top L to R: the American House (now called American Block); Louis Breithaupt portrait; 82-86 King Street West/location of Breithaupt Estate offices & Canadian Block purchased in 1888 by the Breithaupt family; photo R middle: storefront in American Block; drawing bottom: American Block at corner King and Queen Streets.
• From Little Paradise by Prof. Gottlieb Leibbrandt: 'Its residents, knowing that it had no natural advantage to offer, no waterfront, not even a river, and but one railway*, determined to develop its own great asset, a frugal industrious and enterprising population. .. The principal figure in the city's coat-of-arms and it typified the residents."
• *the railway brought in steam engines to power the industrialization of Berlin
• Cultural heritage status? all buildings shown in this blogpost are at risk: the American Block, Canadian Block & adjacent 82-86 2 storey Victorian commercial building have yet to be listed/designated on the City's Heritage Register

Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history

# posted by ramblingrose @ 7:01 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

C*A*N* and civic engagement

Of late Rambling Rose has spoken with many who feel any one of the following: C* as in cynicism, A* as in apathy, and N* as in nostalgia.

Cynicism describes an attitude prone to doubting the honesty, sincerity, and disinteredness of our civic politicians and their political agendas in decision-making. Apathy sets in and is best summed up in the defeated phrase, " What's the point anyhow?" and is usually followed by a sentence or two of self-justification. Nostalgia becomes an escape to the past and a means of connecting with something that one has lost. The most frequent icon referred to in any such discussions is the loss of the original 1924 City Hall.

Voter apathy certainly does affect municipal government as the following municipal 03 elections stats show:

• Of 140,647 eligible voters, only 21% (30,208) went to cast a ballot
• 17% (23, 707) elected the incumbent Mayor
• assuming representation by population applies over six wards, 140,647 /6 wards = 23,442 eligible voters in each ward:
• 12% (2,817) elected the Ward 1 Councillor
• 18% (3,444) elected the Ward 2 Councillor
• 10% (2,421) elected the Ward 3 Councillor
• 10% (2,363) elected the Ward 4 Councillor
• 14% (3,180) elected the Ward 5 Councillor
• 12% ( 2,821) elected the Ward 6 Councillor

How can a council elected by a minority of the taxpayers make decisions for the majority? By default?

To counter cynicism, apathy, and nostalgia, Rambling Rose shares these thoughts from a speech by Winnipeg's Mayor Glen Murray speaking on Political Will at the Creative Places + Spaces Conference
October 17–18, 2003/ Toronto ON:

• "I believe that active citizenship is the absolutely fundamental foundation of a civil society.
• A civil society isn’t something that is invented out of osmosis. It is the personal decisions that you make. If you see yourself as a consumer and not a citizen, you will not live in a civil society. If you see yourself as a taxpayer and not a citizen, you will not live in a civil society. If you see yourself as a voter and not a citizen, then you will not live in a civil society.
• And a civil society is important and essential to a creative society. So if you are not out knocking on doors for a candidate, if you are not out asking tough questions at town hall meetings, if you are not drafting the most brilliant treatise on art as a regenerator of community and forcing that in the face of every candidate you come across, then you’re not yet being a citizen.
• You live in this privileged era, which we unarguably inherited from our parents and grandparents who suffered through holocaust and war and poverty and displacement.
• We are the generation that is living with the greatest amount of material wealth, education and health of any generation to occupy our country’s history. That doesn’t mean we’re all included. It does not mean that all ships have risen equally, but it does mean that we should be able to pass on a massive legacy to our children and grandchildren given how much we inherited from people with so little.
• And if we cannot use our creativity to redefine this country and become a shining example in the world on this continent of what democracy in the small d biggest sense of the word, and inclusion and social justice can mean, then we have failed and we have really let down our children because we have no excuses."

"The real power lies with the general public to be vocal--with the City and with the development industry. The voice of the people can only be heard and responded to when the people speak up." --anon. Kitchener citizen

Labels: politics

# posted by ramblingrose @ 4:17 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

the Queen Street Jog?

Photos L to R clockwise: Queen Street south of King, Walper Hotel line drawing ca 1929, Walper Hotel mural anno 04, and Queen Street north of King.

Rambling Rose has finally solved the riddle as to why Queen Street takes a sharp jog to the west if one is driving from the Joseph Schneider Haus up to the hill where KPL is located.

The answer to this riddle has been found at the beginning of this City's history with the survey of the German Co tract (Block 2 of the Haldimand Grant) into 448 acre lots and the first settler here, Joseph Schneider. Queen Street (originally Schneider's Road) cut through Joseph Schneider's farmlands to connect with the Great Road between grist mills in Waterloo and Preston & ultimately to the Dundas markets. Queen Street was never a major road in the early settlement; nor was the intersection of Schneider's Road with the Great Road a major crossroads in pioneeer times. The Great Road itself followed the contours of the land and crossed over swamp lands and around a chain of sand hills --hence, the strange configuration of King Street which runs all directions of the compass (north, south, east, and west). During pioneer times, the Great Road ran through the original farmsteads. At this intersection, the Great Road cut through Joseph Schneider's farm and cut off a triangular portion of swampy land on the north-west side of Queen Street (now the location of the Children's Museum and a bank at corner). However, this wedge of the Schneider farmstead was not sold for commercial development until ca the 1880's. In the meantime, Berlin had established itself around that triangle. Rambling Rose will need to study the map archives in the Joseph Schneider Haus to confirm the how? why? when? where? of this tale.

Further trivia:

• When the Walper House was opened in 1893, King Street was paved with wooden blocks and had plank sidewalks.
• When Phineas Varnum arrived in the early settlement, he wanted to purchase a parcel of land to set up a blacksmith shop and roadhouse from Joseph Schneider. Joseph refused to sell the land but leased the swampy corner where the Walper Hotel now stands.
• In 1830, Berlin had only 1) a blacksmith shop; 2) a tavern; and 3) a small store.
• In 1836, the Mennonites built the first frame church, i.e. Benjamin Eby's where First Mennonite Church now stands.
• In 1850, Berlin pop. 750 had added 1) a pottery; 2) a brewery; and 3) two small chair factories.
• All that changed during the 1850's as a result of two political gifts -- not of Berlin's making:
• In 1852, Berlin becomes the county seat of the newly formed Waterloo County
• In 1856, the Grand Trunk Railway connects the town with markets in Toronto to the east and via Sarnia with markets in Chicago and the American midwest. Not only can Berliners ship out a variety of industrial products, they can also bring a variety of consumer goods to sell in their stores. The stage is set for Berlin to become the regional seat of government, a major industrial centre, and a regional shopping mecca.

Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history

# posted by ramblingrose @ 1:02 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

a man's work and his times live on? (draft ==> links to follow)

Photos L to R from local & online archives: Jacob Yoch Shantz with wife Sara, with grandchildren, studio portrait, and the Shantz Button factory.

Jacob Yoch Shantz counts many descendants. The Georgian home he built at 5 Maurice Street, OHA part IV designated property and the Canadian Block on King Street still remain. However, until the Canadian Block is either listed or designated on the City's Heritage Register, possibly the oldest commercial structure in Kitchener remains at risk.

"You have to have the will to take heritage buildings seriously. If you don't want to do it, you will find every possible way not to do it. "-- Val Rymnieri, Urban Design Professor, U of W School of Architecture

"Downtown Kitchener is the centre of a large, historical region. This is not surprising, given that the intersection of King and Queen Streets, long regarded as the Royal Crossroads, represents the area from where the City first began. In fact, over 60 per cent of all individually designated heritage properties in the City of Kitchener are located within the downtown and central neighbourhoods area. These cultural heritage resources vary considerably in terms of age, style, form and appearance, but all are significant in defining Kitchener’s identity and distinctiveness. While the inventory of heritage resources in the downtown is impressive, the opportunity still exists for heritage, in all its forms, to have a greater visual presence in the downtown. As the oldest section of a City, the downtown is the most logical place to look for reminders of the people and events that have helped shape our community." --Downtown 05-07 planning document

Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history, built heritage

# posted by ramblingrose @ 3:16 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

• In 1854, Jacob Yost Shantz (1822-1909) builds the Canadian Block at the corner of King and Foundry (now Ontario Street), a 3 storey red brick Georgian-styled structure to replace the 1861 frame building that had burned down
• about that time a by-law had been passed that henceforth, buildings on King Street were to be brick as a result of so many fires in the downtown previously
• by 1875, the original corner building acquired the addition now addressed 18-24 Ontario Street which continued the Georgian style but now in red & buff brick
• both buildings reveal the prosperity of the owner with distinctive brick corbelling under the cornice and storefronts with large glass windows for display

Who was Jacob Yost Shantz?

• His parents emigrated from Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania to take up farming locally . After Mr. Shantz's first marriage he took possession of his father's farm, still known as 'Jacob Shantz's place', where he resided for upwards of some forty years, then he moved to Berlin. He was married three times and father of twelve children.
• Shantz was an entrepreneur, civic leader and active church member (first of the Mennonite church, later of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church). He is best known for his role in promoting the immigration of Mennonites from Russia to Manitoba in the 1870s. From 1873 to 1884 about 8,000 Mennonites migrated to Manitoba. Shantz advised the Canadian government with regard to Mennonite settlement in Manitoba. He scouted the land, negotiated with the Canadian government, and stirred up support from Mennonites in his area.
• That task done, Shantz built workmen's homes and mercantile blocks cf. the Canadian Block above. Emil Vogelsang and his partner gave Shantz the contract to build a factory for the Pioneer Button Works, the first button factory in Canada. Eventually Shantz purchased a share in the business and entered into a seven year partnership agreement with Vogelsang. After that Vogelsang built a new factory building at Queen/Courtland and Shantz continued on in the same location with the Shantz Button Company, later kown as the Dominion Button Works to 1964. He also built the first farmers’ market in Kitchener
• Regarding his experiences settling Mennonite immigrants into Manitoba, Jacob had this to say: "I knew they were honest and the country was good." Asked if he was not afraid to go among the [Metis] without a weapon for defence, Jacob's answer was: " No. When they see that I do not carry a rifle they know that my purpose is good and become my protectors. Therein lies my safety. I eat and sleep with them without fear." All in all, he approached this particular life task from his belief system: he had been called by God to this task.
• His life story as well as that of his business Dominion Buttonworks has been discovered using these links:
  http://www.nosracines.ca/f/page.aspx?id=849795
• http://grebel.uwaterloo.ca/mao/Manuscript%20Collections/HM1.43.htm
• http://www.city.kitchener.on.ca/pdf/kpl_centreblock/heritage_centre_block_report_2005.pdf
• http://archeion-aao.fis.utoronto.ca/ArcheionVirtualExhibit/button3.html
• http://ebybook.region.waterloo.on.ca/getperson.php?personID=I6223&tree=Eby
• http://www.mhsc.ca/index.asp?content=http://www.mhsc.ca/mennos/hcanada.html

Labels: Berlin/Kitchener history

# posted by ramblingrose @ 11:27 AM 0 Comments Links to this post