HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 25, 2026
Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee
Meeting Agenda
Electronic Meeting
March 25, 2026 - 07:00 PM
Members of the public may observe the meeting proceedings by viewing the livestream on
the HTML Agenda or the archived video available on the City's website.
For inquiries related to accessibility, please contact Legislative Services
Phone: 905.420.4611 | Email: clerks@pickering.ca.
Review and Approval of Agenda
Disclosure of Interest
Approval of Minutes
January 28, 2026 Meeting Minutes Page 2
Delegations
New Business
Memorandum from Matthew Somerville, Senior Planner,
Heritage
Page 5
Re: Proposed Part IV Designation – 4230 Sideline 6
2025 Year End Report and 2026 Work Plan
Other Business
Next Meeting
Adjournment
1.
2.
3.
3.1
4.
5.
5.1
5.2
6.
7.
8.
1
Present:
Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
Electronic Meeting
January 28, 2026 - 07:00 PM
N. Brewster
L. Jeffrey
M. Lowe
S. Monaghan
B. Sopher
K. Hearst, Records, Privacy, and Elections Coordinator (Recording Secretary)
A. Mostert, Manager Landscape & Parks Department, Engineering Services
M. Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage (Staff Liaison)
Regrets:
R. Anderson
S. Croteau
R. Smiles
J. White
1. Review and Approval of Agenda
Moved By L. Jeffrey
Seconded By N. Brewster
That the January 28, 2026, Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee meeting agenda be
approved.
Carried
2. Disclosure of Interest
3. Approval of Minutes
3.1 November 26, 2025 Meeting Minutes
Moved By B. Sopher
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Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
January 28, 2026
2
Seconded By M. Lowe
That the Minutes of the November 26, 2025, Meeting of the Heritage Pickering
Advisory Committee be approved.
Carried
4. Delegations
There were no delegations.
5. New Business
5.1 Arnold Mostert, Manager Landscape & Parks Department, Engineering
Services
Re: Whitevale Park Playground Equipment Replacement / Long-Term Park Master
Plan
Arnold Mostert, Manager Landscape & Parks Department, Engineering Services
through the aid of a PDF presentation provided:
• An overview of the Whitevale Park playground equipment replacement.
• An overview of the invited bid process for the playground equipment
replacement.
• An overview of the features and play structures in the playground equipment
replacement.
• That based on community feedback at the Whitevale spring festival, the
replacement should be made with wood components but not specifically
nature play.
• That the replacement meets AODA standards with structures being accessible
from the ground or by transfer station or ramp to a platform.
Question and answer period ensued between the Committee and A. Mostert
regarding:
• The scoring matrix used to evaluate the bidders and how much cost was
weighted.
• The accessibility features of the playground replacement including the ramp
into the playground, the engineered wood fibre surfacing, and the play
structures.
• About nature play elements and whether the playground features meet the
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Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
January 28, 2026
3
requirements of nature play.
• Adding more nature play elements into future park development.
M. Somerville called a recess following loss of quorum. The meeting resumed when
S. Monaghan rejoined the meeting.
Discussion resumed amongst the Committee regarding:
• Interpretation and future plans for the Whitevale Park Playground.
• Cultural Strategic Master Plan and opportunities for more story-telling and
interpretation signage in Whitevale.
• Developing a new Heritage Conservation District Plan for Whitevale.
M. Somerville asked the Committee to provide him with any stories they know of
regarding the heritage and historical elements of the community to add to roster of
stories for interpretive signage.
6. Other Business
There was no other business.
7. Next Meeting
The next regular meeting of the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee is schedule for
February 25, 2026
8. Adjournment
Moved By L. Jeffrey
Seconded By N. Brewster
Carried
The meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m.
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Memo
To: Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee March 19, 2026
From: Matt Somerville
Senior Planner, Heritage
Copy: Chief Planner
Division Head, Development Review & Urban Design
Subject: Proposed Part IV Designation – 4230 Sideline 6
File: A-3300-133
The purpose of this memo is to seek the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee’s support to
designate the property located at 4230 Sideline 6, known as the Mount Zion Community Centre,
under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
1.0 Background
The property at 4230 Sideline 6, known as the Mount Zion Community Centre, contains the former
School Section No. 13 Mount Zion School, a one -room rural schoolhouse constructed in 1876
(see Location Map, Attachment 1). The site reflects more than 170 years of educational and
community history and is closely associated with the development of publicly funded education in
Pickering Township.
The property is not currently listed on the City of Pickering’s Municipal Heritage Register as either
a designated or non-designated (‘listed’) property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Photograph 1: View of 4230 Sideline 6 (Heritage Studio, 2025)
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March 19, 2026 Page 2 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
The Mount Zion Community Centre is currently under review as part of a broader municipal facility
assessment. Through Resolution #733/25, Council directed Community Services staff to
investigate options to reduce the facility’s net capital cost, including the potential sale or lease of
the property at market rates, and to report back to Council (see Council Resolution #733/25,
Attachment 2).
To support this work, Heritage staff retained Heritage Studio to prepare a Cultural Heritage
Evaluation Report (CHER), dated December 8, 2025 (see Heritage Studio CHER, Attachment 3),
which evaluates the property’s cultural heritage value or interest under Ontario Regulation 9/06.
The CHER concludes that the property meets the criteria for designation under the Ontario
Heritage Act.
The findings of the CHER provide a basis for HPAC to consider designation of the property under
Part IV of the Act.
1.1 Timeline of the Development of the Site
1.2 Early Education and the First Schoolhouse (1852)
Following the educational reforms introduced under Egerton Ryerson, Superintendent of
Education for Canada West from 1844 to 1876, the Province established a framework for publicly
funded elementary education. Amendments to the Common Schools Act in 1850 divided rural
municipalities into “school sections,” each responsible for constructing and maintaining local
schoolhouses through taxation. In 1852, the first school serving School Section No. 13 was
constructed as a modest frame building located approximately half a mile west of the present site
on Lot 9, Concession 7. Historical accounts describe the structure as an unpainted 30 -by-50-foot
building surrounded by woodland, serving children from the Mount Zion area who had previously
attended school in the nearby community of Salem.
1.3 Current Schoolhouse (1876)
Following the passage of the School Act of 1871, which made elementary education free and
compulsory in Ontario, many communities sought to construct improved school facilities. In 1875,
the trustees of School Section No. 13 purchased approximately three-quarters of an acre of land
from John C. Jones for $120 to construct a new schoolhouse closer to the Mount Zion community.
The existing red-brick Mount Zion Schoolhouse, completed in 1876, reflects the standardized
one-room schoolhouse designs promoted during Ryerson’s reforms. The building features a
rectangular plan, a front gable roof with a bell tower, red brick walls with buff brick detailing, and
arched window openings, and originally included separate entrances for boys and girls divided by
a central teacher’s room. Compared to many rural schoolhouses of the period, the Mount Zion
Schoolhouse is somewhat larger and incorporates additional windows and decorative brick
detailing, reflecting the increasing importance placed on education within rural communities.
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March 19, 2026 Page 3 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
Photograph 2: Undated historic image of S.S No. 13, (Alma Jones)
The Mount Zion School served as the local elementary school for the surrounding rural community
for nearly 90 years (1876 – 1965). During this time, it functioned as a typical rural one-room
schoolhouse, accommodating children of multiple grade levels within a single classroom.
1.4 Closure of the School and Community Use (1965–Present)
The Mount Zion Schoolhouse remained in operation as a rural one -room school until 1965, when
the consolidation of rural schools across Pickering Township resulted in students being
transferred to the newly constructed Greenwood School.
Although its educational function had ended, the building continued to serve the surrounding
community. In 1967, the property was purchased by Arthur Latcham of Stouffville for $1,500, who
subsequently donated the building to the Mount Zion community for use as a community facility.
The property was formally established as a community centre through By -law 8835, allowing the
former schoolhouse to transition from an educational facility to a local gathering place. Since that
time, the building has remained in civic use, hosting community meetings, events, and other local
activities.
In 2015, the City of Pickering entered into a five -year lease agreement with the Mount Zion
Community Centre Association, which has since been renewed, allowing the building to continue
operating as a community hall. Today, the Mount Zion Community Centre remains an important
cultural landmark within Pickering’s rural landscape, reflecting more than a century and a half of
continuous community use.
2.0 Heritage Review
2.1 City-Initiated Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER)
The historical evaluation of the Mount Zion Community Centre was undertaken as part of the
City of Pickering’s review of community halls in the northern portion of the municipality. On
May 26, 2026, Council considered Report CS 07 -25, which examined options for the
renovation, retention, or potential disposition of several northern municipal facilities.
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March 19, 2026 Page 4 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
As part of that review, Council directed that the Mount Zion Community Centre and Green River
Community Centre be evaluated under Ontario Regulation 9/06 of the Ontario Heritage Act to
determine whether the properties merit designation under Part IV of the Act.
In response, the City retained Heritage Studio to prepare a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report
(CHER) for the property (see Heritage Studio CHER, Attachment 3). The CHER evaluated the
Mount Zion Community Centre against the criteria outlined in Ontario Re gulation 9/06 and
determined that the property meets five of the nine provincial criteria for cultural heritage value or
interest.
The property has design and physical value as a representative example of a late nineteenth -
century rural schoolhouse constructed in accordance with standardized schoolhouse design
principles associated with mid-19th century educational reforms.
The property has historical and associative value for its direct association with the development of
publicly funded elementary education in Ontario and with the educational reforms led by Egerton
Ryerson.
The property has contextual value as an important element in defining the historic rural landscape
along Sideline 6 and for its longstanding role as a community institution serving the Mount Zion
area for more than 150 years.
Based on the findings of the CHER, the property meets the criteria for designation under Part IV of
the Ontario Heritage Act.
2.2 Cultural Heritage Evaluation
The building located at 4230 Sideline 6, known historically as School Section No. 13 Mount Zion
School and now operating as the Mount Zion Community Centre, is a one-storey red-brick
schoolhouse constructed in 1876. The structure is designed on a rectangular plan with a front-
gable roof and a bell tower, reflecting the standardized design principles associated with
nineteenth-century rural schoolhouses in Ontario. The building features red brick masonry in
common bond with buff brick detailing, arched window openings with stone sills, and an ocular
window in the front gable. Although a mid -twentieth-century addition obscures portions of the
original façade, the overall form, materials, and architectural char acter of the historic schoolhouse
remain intact.
The building retains a high degree of physical integrity dating to its original construction and
continues to function as a community facility serving the surrounding rural area.
The property is a representative example of a mid-to-late nineteenth-century rural one-room
schoolhouse constructed during a period of significant expansion of publicly funded education in
Ontario. Key architectural features include:
• One-storey massing on rectangular plan with front gable roof;
• Red brick chimney over the west gable;
• Red brickwork in common bond with buff brick detailing, including arches, quoins and
plinth;
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March 19, 2026 Page 5 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
• Arched window openings with buff brick arches, original wooden sash windows with slender
glazing bars, brickmoulds and stone sills;
• Original door opening with buff brick arch on south elevation;
• Oculus window opening with buff brick surround in east gable;
• Bell tower;
• Fieldstone foundation; and
• The schoolhouse’s location south of Mount Zion, and its façade facing east towards the
road.
Key (current) interior elements that contribute to the property’s cultural heritage value include the:
• Original boys’ and girls’ entrance openings on the interior of the east elevation.
This form of one-room rural schoolhouse was common throughout Ontario during the mid to late
nineteenth century and reflects the standardized schoolhouse plans promoted during the
educational reforms led by Egerton Ryerson, Superintendent of Education for Canada West from
1844 to 1876.
Ontario Regulation 9/06, made under the Ontario Heritage Act, establishes the criteria for
determining cultural heritage value or interest of properties that may be designated under Part IV
of the Act. A property may be designated if it meets one or more of the nine criteria grouped under
three categories: design/physical value, historical or associative value, and contextual value.
Table 1 below presents the evaluation of the subject property using Ontario Regulation 9/06.
Table 1: Evaluation of 4230 Sideline 6 as per Ontario Regulation 9/06
O. Reg. 9/06 criterion
Criteria
Met? (as
per
CHER)
CHER evidence Evidence
strength
1. Design/Physical:
representative/early
example
Yes Representative mid–late 19th c.
one-room schoolhouse; standardized
design principles; rectangular
one-storey plan, front gable roof, bell
tower; red brick on fieldstone
foundation; retained integrity despite
later addition.
High
2. Design/Physical:
craftsmanship/artistic
merit
N/A CHER evaluation marks N/A, but the
narrative describes above-average
architectural detail (buff brick
arches/quoins/plinth; stepped brick
detail at skewback; oculus window;
rare dual entrances)—suggests a
possible craftsmanship argument if
clarified.
Medium (as
currently
supported)
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March 19, 2026 Page 6 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
O. Reg. 9/06 criterion
Criteria
Met? (as
per
CHER)
CHER evidence Evidence
strength
3. Design/Physical:
technical/scientific
achievement
N/A
Not asserted.
Low
4. Historical/Associative:
direct associations
with theme/institution
Yes Association with publicly funded
education expansion and school-
section system; brick school replaces
earlier frame school; constructed in
1876 following key school legislation;
symbolic locally.
High
5. Historical/Associative:
yields information
understanding
community/culture
N/A Not asserted by CHER (though the
CHER suggests local printed history
exists on the interior wall; could
support informational potential if
documented).
Low–
Medium
(potential,
but not
developed)
6. Historical/Associative:
reflects work/ideas of
significant theorist
Yes Design reflects Ryerson-era reforms
and model schoolhouse plans; linked
to the Canada Farmer “Cheap
Country School House” plan and
provincial standardization legacy.
High
7. Contextual: supports
character of area
Yes Defining element of Sideline 6 rural
landscape; open fields; 19th-century
institutional form supports rural
character.
High
8. Contextual: linked to
surroundings
Yes Historically linked to the Mount Zion
community; continuous civic use
>150 years; visually recognizable as
a 19th-century school.
High
9. Contextual: landmark N/A Not asserted in CHER. Low
3.0 Staff Recommendations to Heritage Pickering
This memo provides recommendations to the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee regarding
the Part IV designation of the Mount Zion Community Centre located at 4230 Sideline 6.
As outlined in the Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) prepared by Heritage Studio, staff
has determined that the subject property meets the criteria for determining cultural heritage value
or interest under Ontario Regulation 9/06.
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March 19, 2026 Page 7 of 7
4230 Sideline 6
The property retains Cultural Heritage Value or Interest for its design or physical value, historical
or associative value, and contextual value. The former School Section No. 13 Mount Zion School,
constructed in 1876, is a representative example of a nine teenth-century rural schoolhouse
associated with the expansion of publicly funded education in Ontario following the educational
reforms of Egerton Ryerson. The building also contributes to the historic rural char acter of the
Sideline 6 corridor and retains strong historical and functional associations with the Mount Zion
community.
The draft Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest prepared as part of the CHER identifies
heritage attributes associated with the historic schoolhouse building (see 4230 Sideline 6 - Draft
Statement of Cultural and Heritage Value, Attachment 4).
Staff offer the following recommendation to the Committee:
• That the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee recommend the Part IV designation of the
Mount Zion Community Centre located at 4230 Sideline 6 under Section 29 of the Ontario
Heritage Act.
4.0 Next Steps
Should Heritage Pickering support the designation of the Mount Zion Community Centre, City
Development staff will prepare a Recommendation Report to Council recommending that the
property be designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Following Council approval, staff will proceed with the Notice of Intention to Designate in
accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act.
MS:NS:jc
CityDevDept/A3300/A-3300-133 - 4230 Sideline 6/Committee, P&D & Council Reports + Council Directives/Committee Reports/Draft HPAC Memo 3.18.26.docx
Attachments 1. Location Map
2. Council Resolution #733/25 (May 26, 2025)
3. Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report, Mount Zion Community Centre,
4230 Sideline 6, Pickering, ON, prepared by Alex Rowse-Thompson,
Heritage Studio, Kingston. Dated December 8, 2025
4. 4230 Sideline 6 - Draft Statement of Cultural and Heritage Value
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Attachment 1
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Legislative Services Division
Clerk’s Office
Directive Memorandum
June 3, 2025
To: Laura Gibbs
Director, Community Services
From: Susan Cassel
City Clerk
Subject: Direction as per Minutes of the Meeting of City Council held on
May 26, 2025
Director, Community Services, Report CS 07-25
Northern Community Halls
Recommendations for Facility Renewal
Council Decision Resolution #733/25
1.That staff be directed to investigate the option to sell Green River Community
Centre, with Infrastructure Ontario being offered the first right of refusal to
purchase for $2.00 as per the original sales agreement (Attachment 1), and
then to explore options to sell the facility, and report back to Council with
recommendations in Q1, 2026;
2.That staff be directed to investigate options to sell the former Greenwood
Library back to the Durham District School Board first; and then to explore
options to sell or lease the facility at a market rate and report back to Council
with recommendations in Q1, 2026;
3.That staff be directed to renew the management agreement for the Mount Zion
Community Centre with the Mount Zion Community Centre Association for a two
year term from July 1 2025 to June 30 2026 returning said agreement to Council
in Q2, 2025 for endorsement; and to investigate options to reduce the net
capital cost of Mount Zion Community Centre by selling the facility, or leasing
the facility at a market rate and report back to Council with recommendations in
Q1, 2026;
4.That staff be directed to renew the management agreement for the Whitevale
Community Centre and the Whitevale Arts and Culture Centre with the
Whitevale and District Residents’ Association for a five-year term from July 1,
2025 to June 30, 2030 returning said agreement to Council in Q2, 2025 for
endorsement;
5.That City Heritage staff evaluate the Mount Zion Community Centre (School
Section #13 Schoolhouse) and Green River Community Centre (Green River
Baptist Church) under Regulation 9/06 of the Ontario Heritage Act to determine
whether the properties merit designation under Part IV of the Act, and report
back to Council with recommendations in Q4, 2025;
Attachment 2
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Please take any action deemed necessary.
SC:am
Copy: Chief Administrative Officer
Director, City Development & CBO
Director, Finance & Treasurer
Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor
6.That, as part of any open proposal to sell or lease the above properties, staff be
directed to invite community groups to submit an expression of interest; and,
7.That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the
necessary actions as indicated in the report.
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CULTURAL HERITAGE EVALUATION REPORT
Mount Zion Community Centre
4230 Sideline 6, Pickering, Ontario
Prepared For:
Matthew Somerville
Senior Planner, Heritage
Development Review and Urban Design
City Development Department
City of Pickering
One the Esplanade
Pickering, ON, L1V 6K7
905.420.4660 ext. 1147
msomerville@pickering.ca
Prepared By:
Alex Rowse-Thompson
Heritage Studio
Kingston, ON, K7K 1G9
alex@heritagestudio.ca
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Report Issuance
Draft: November 20, 2025
Final: December 8, 2025
Attachment 3
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1 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
CONTENTS
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
2. Property History .............................................................................................................. 4
History of Education in Ontario ..................................................................................... 5
Model Schoolhouse Plans.............................................................................................. 6
School Section No. 13 .................................................................................................... 9
3. Condition Assessment ................................................................................................. 13
4. Ontario Regulation 9/06 Evaluation ........................................................................... 15
5. Draft Statement of Cultural Heritage Value ............................................................... 18
6. Conclusion & Recommendation ................................................................................. 21
7. References ..................................................................................................................... 21
8. Project Personnel & Qualifications ............................................................................. 22
9. Appendix – Photographic Documentation ................................................................ 23
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2 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
1. INTRODUCTION
Heritage Studio was retained by the Owner, the City of Pickering, to prepare this
Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) for the property known municipally as 4230
Sideline 6 and the Mount Zion Community Centre. The property is located on the west
side of Sideline 6, between the 7th and 8th Concessions in the former Township of
Pickering, now the City of Pickering in the Region of Durham (Figure 1). The property
is approximately 0.29 hectares (0.72 acres) and contains a one-storey brick
schoolhouse building, constructed circa 1876, with later 20th century front addition,
and is surrounded by gravel covered surface parking, grass areas and trees (Figures 2
& 3).
Currently, the property has no heritage status. It is not included on the City of
Pickering’s Municipal Heritage Register as a designated or non-designated (‘listed’)
property pursuant to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA).
The City of Pickering is in the process of evaluating the renovation/retention or sale of
Community Halls in the northern area of the municipality. The Report to the Executive
Committee, dated May 5, 2025, includes Recommendation 5 “That City Heritage staff
evaluate the Mount Zion Community Centre and Green River Community Centre under
Regulation 9/06 of the Ontario Heritage Act to determine whether the properties merit
designation under Part IV of the Act, and report back to Council with recommendations
in Q4, 2025.”
Accordingly, the purpose of this cultural heritage evaluation is to assess whether the
Mount Zion Community Centre meets the criteria for designation as outlined in Ontario
Regulation 9/06 and, if necessary, to prepare a Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
(SCHV) for inclusion in a future designation by-law. This CHER provides a summary
overview of the property’s history, describes its current physical condition, evaluates
its cultural heritage value using Ontario Regulation 9/06, presents a draft SCHV, and
concludes with a professional recommendation regarding its designation.
Alex Rowse-Thompson (Heritage Studio) did not visit the subject property. Instead,
Matthew Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage, visited the property and provided
photographic documentation, which is included in the Appendix of this report.
This CHER has been prepared with respect to Parks Canada’s Standards and
Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada (the Standards and
Guidelines); the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Ontario Heritage Tool Kit;
the Ontario Heritage Act; the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement; the Region of
Durham Official Plan; the City of Pickering Official Plan; and other charters and
guidelines that exemplify best practice in the field of cultural heritage conservation.
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3 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
Figure 1: Location of subject property shown with dashed redline. (City of Pickering mapping, annotated
by Heritage Studio)
Figure 2: East and south elevations of Mount Zion Community Centre. (Matthew Somerville, City of
Pickering, 2025)
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4 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
Figure 3: Mount Zion Community Centre, looking west from Sideline 6. (Google Streetview)
2. PROPERTY HISTORY
Long before the first land grants were made to United Empire Loyalists and Scottish,
English, Irish, and other immigrants, in Pickering Township, the subject property
formed part of the ancestral lands of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg for time
immemorial.
Today, the property is located on the lands of the William Treaties and the Johnson-
Butler Purchase. The Williams Treaties were signed in October and November of 1923
between the Crown and seven First Nations groups, including the Chippewa of Lake
Simcoe (Beausoleil First Nation, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, Chippewas
of Rama First Nation) and the Mississauga of the north shore of Lake Ontario (Alderville
First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, and Mississaugas of
Scugog Island First Nation). The Williams Treaties were the last of the land cession
treaties to be signed in Canada, which transferred more than 20,000 square kilometers
of land in southern Ontario to the Crown.
The schoolhouse building (currently Mount Zion Community Centre) on the subject
property was constructed on Lot 7 of Concession 7 in the Township of Pickering, south
of Mount Zion in 1876.
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5 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
History of Education in Ontario
In 1798, the first Ontario school was opened in Toronto. It was a private school, and it
was not until 1807 that the Public Schools Act was passed at the provincial legislature.
Eight schools were established in the province, and five trustees for each school were
appointed (Xiaobin 2015). In 1816, the Common Schools Act was passed, dividing the
province into eight districts each with a board of education, which depended on locally
elected trustees for all their information.
Egerton Ryerson (24 March 1803 – 19 February 1882) became the superintendent of
education in Ontario (formerly Canada West) in 1844 (Figure 4). Egerton promoted
education for all and believed that the state should be responsible for educating all
children, and that education should be made compulsory. In 1844 and 1845, he toured
Europe to study different school systems. Based on his findings, he wrote his Report on
a system of public elementary instruction for Upper Canada (1846). In this report,
Ryerson recommended improvements to the educational system, many of which were
adopted in the first two Common Schools Acts (1846, 1850).
In 1846 a new Education Act was passed, which included an important provision that
the superintendent of education would ensure that schools were appropriately
distributed. Relatedly, and importantly, it also divided Townships into “school
sections”. The Act was amended in 1850, giving permission to any school section to
determine whether the school should be maintained by a monthly fee from the pupils
in addition to a tax upon the ratable property of the section, or whether all bills should
be abolished and the schools declared free (Xiaobin 2015).
In 1854, Ontario and York Counties were separated for administrative purposes. In this
year the Pickering Council passed several by-laws which provided for the local control
of local affairs. The ability to levy local taxes led to a number of new schools being
constructed, including School Sections at Greenwood, Dunbarton, Kinsale, Audley,
Cherrywood, Brougham, Mount Zion, Base Line, Brock Road, Pickering Village and the
Whitby-Pickering Townline Union Schools. Many of these schools, the product of the
property and increased population of the 1850s continued in use for another century.
While women were hired as teachers, in line with gender norms of the time, the
following men were held the role of Superintendent:
• Rev. J Durant 1854
• Rev Alex Kennedy 1855
• Mr. E. Birrel 1856-1865
• Rev. John Baird 1866-68
• Rev. WA Ross 1869-1871
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6 Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report | 4230 Sideline 6 HERITAGEstudio
Ryerson aimed at establishing a free, universal, and compulsory education system for
all Ontario children, which was successful with the passing of the School Act in 1871
and amended School Act in 1876. Coincidently, the existing School Section No. 13
Mount Zion schoolhouse was constructed in 1876.
Figure 4: Portrait of Egerton Ryerson, undated. (Public Archives of
Ontario)
Since about 2010 there has been ongoing debate and controversy surrounding
Ryerson’s responsibility for the residential school system. Neither the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission nor its chair, Murray Sinclair, blame Ryerson for residential
schools. Ryerson was consulted by the founders of the Indian residential school system.
However, he was not directly involved in founding or running of the residential school
system and predeceased its creation. Since 2021, however, several schools have been
renamed because of the controversy over Ryerson’s role in the development of
residential schools and his involvement in the wider attempt to assimilate Indigenous
peoples into Canadian society. For example, Ryerson University, became Toronto
Metropolitan University in 2022.
Figures 5 & 6: Façade of former School Section No. 16 Alta School at 555 Concession 8 Road (Matthew
Somerville, City of Pickering, October 2025) and School Section No. 9 Greenwood School at 3560
Westney Road North (Google Streetview).
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Model Schoolhouse Plans
As part of Egerton Ryerson’s school reforms in 19th century Ontario, he commissioned
and published model schoolhouse plans from around 1847 onwards. Ryerson believed
that the physical school environment shaped morality, discipline, and learning. He was
influenced by British educational writings and New England design manuals. The key
design elements that he generally endorsed included simple rectangular massing,
gable-front façade, symmetrical windows along one side, bell tower, and minimal
ornamentation.
Following the establishment of a public education system, The Canada Farmer, an
agricultural and rural journal published in Toronto, promoted a standardized plan for
a rural one-room schoolhouse in the issue for June 15, 1866. The article was entitled
“Cheap Country School House” (Figure 7). This plan closely aligned with Ryerson’s
recommendations for proportion and form. The key features of the “Cheap Country
School House” plan included:
• Simple form – Typically a rectangular building in brick, stone or frame, with a
broad gable roof.
• Symmetry – A symmetrical front façade, often with two entrance doors (one for
each sex).
• Frame construction to reduce costs.
• Fenestration – Symmetrical rows of large windows on each side to provide
natural lighting.
• Interior – A single open classroom, with smaller cloakrooms adjacent to the front
door(s).
• Gothic Revival – A common variant included a steeply pitched (as opposed to
broad) central dormer, ornamental detailing, and a bell tower.
Figures 5 and 6 include two local Pickering versions of the standardized schoolhouse
design. School Section No. 16 at 555 Concession 8 Road is currently owned by
Transport Canada and is a recognized federal heritage building. It was constructed in
1864. The Greenwood School at 3650 Westney Road North is owned by the City of
Pickering and was constructed in 1860. Both schoolhouses are on a rectangular plan
with front gable roof and constructed in red brick with buff brick detailing. The principal
difference is in the layout of their façades. The former Altha School has two separate
entrances for boys and girls, and the former Greenwood School has one central
entrance. Interestingly, unlike the Mount Zion School, the Altha School does not have
a central window on the façade between the separate entrances. The Greenwood
School appears to be larger in size and like Mount Zion, has five openings along the
side elevation (on the east side there are four window openings and a door opening).
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Figure 7: Plan for a Cheap Schoolhouse. (The Canada Farmer, Volume 3, Number 12)
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Figure 8: School Section No. 13 as seen on
the 1877 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the
County of Ontario. (H. Belden & Co.,
annotated by Heritage Studio)
School Section No. 13
Following the amended Education Act of 1850, and the establishment of “school
sections,” the first school was constructed in School Section No. 13, a frame building in
1852 (Wood 1911). The frame schoolhouse was constructed on Lot 9 of Concession 7,
about a ½ mile west of the existing brick schoolhouse. No photographs of the original
frame schoolhouse have been identified; however, a printed history of the school
mounted on the interior wall of the existing schoolhouse describes the frame building
as being 30 by 50 feet in size, unpainted, banked with dirt, and surrounded by woods.
The cost to build the frame schoolhouse is noted as $1,500. Before 1852, the children
in Mount Zion attended a school near Salem (Wood 1911).
The printed history on the wall of the schoolhouse states that in 1875, the trustees
bought a piece of land from John C. Jones (Figure 8), about ¾ acre for $120. The
existing brick schoolhouse was constructed in 1876 (following the 1871 School Act
making education free for all). The same printed history describes the new
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schoolhouse as “a large brick building…it had two entrances to the east with a “bell
room” or teacher’s room between.”
The S.S. No. 13 Schoolhouse is constructed of red brick in common bond and has the
typical rectangular one-room plan with gable roof and a bell tower located directly
above the front gable. The bell tower may be a 20th century replacement as it does not
appear to have the same level of architectural sophistication as the building. Above the
fieldstone foundation is a buff brick plinth.
Today, the original façade is concealed by a 20th century addition housing a kitchen
and bathrooms. Nonetheless, there is evidence of the original boys and girls’
entrances, and a central window (Figures 11 & 13). The central window would have
provided daylight to the bell room or teacher’s room between the separate entrances.
The schoolhouse has five window/door openings on each side elevation, more than
the average three, further increasing natural daylighting.
The modern addition from the mid-20th century matches the existing materiality but
overall detracts from the visual continuity of the original design and obscures the
original façade. The eaves and eave returns are flashed in aluminum, and it is likely that
the original or early wood eaves, returns and frieze board remain underneath.
Figure 9: Undated historic photograph of School Section No. 13, west and south elevations. (Alma
Jones)
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The schoolhouse design generally follows the standardized principles of the era but is
larger than the average and includes elevated architectural detailing. For example, the
plans for a “Cheap Country School House” show a measurement for the rectangular
plan of 40’ by 30’, whereas the Mount Zion schoolhouse is 52’6” long by 32’1” wide.
Additionally, the plans for a “Cheap Country School House” describe a wood frame
structure with the most economic materials and finishings. In contrast, the Mount Zion
School is constructed with brick and includes detailing such as buff brick arches over
openings and buff brick quoining on the corners. Interestingly, there is evidence of
discolouration on the buff bricks on the underside of arches. This may suggest that the
same red bricks were used on the arches but dipped in a buff slip (i.e., glaze). It is
unlikely that they had access to different clay deposits.
Further above average architectural details include the stepped brick detail at the
skewback of the arch (as opposed to a flat end). The presence of the ocular window in
the front gable, which appears to have been exposed on the interior originally is also
unusual and represents a more refined design (Figure 10). This decorative feature
would have also improved natural daylighting on the interior. Certainly, this
schoolhouse design mirrors the principles of the plans for a “Cheap Country School
House” but is a larger elevated version. This is notable given its relatively remote rural
location in Pickering Township.
Figure 10: East and north elevations of schoolhouse building. (Matthew Somerville, City of Pickering,
2025)
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Figures 11 & 12: View of ocular window on the interior now concealed by a modern dropped ceiling
and insulation and arched window opening with buff brick arch, stone sill, painted wooden sash
window with brickmould. (Matther Somerville, City of Pickering)
Figure 13: Interior of schoolhouse looking east towards 20th century vestibule. Note the original arched
openings for the boys’ and girls’ entrances. (Matthew Sommerville, City of Pickering, November 2025)
School Section No. 13 Mount Zion School closed in 1965, and the students were then
bussed to the Greenwood School. In 1967, Mr. Arthur Latcham of Stouffville, purchased
the property for $1,500 and gifted it to the Mount Zion community to be used as a
community centre. Bylaw 8835 established the property as a community centre. The
facility was managed by a Board that was appointed by Council. In 2015, the City of
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Pickering entered into a five-year lease agreement with the Mount Zion Community
Centre Association. The lease has since been renewed, and the Community
Association continues to use the schoolhouse building.
3. CONDITION ASSESSMENT
The Report to the Executive Committee, dated May 5, 2025, notes that the Mount Zion
Community Centre had an FCI of 65 percent as of January 1, 2025. FCI is a measure
used by the City to track the general condition of City assets and is deferred
maintenance required divided by the replacement value of the asset.
Heritage Studio has not reviewed the specific deferred maintenance required for this
building, nor have they visited the site in person. However, a review of the photographs
of the exterior and interior of the building reveals that:
• The asphalt shingle roof and aluminum clad eaves appear to be in fair to good
condition;
• There is appropriate raingear (troughs and downpipes) installed on the
building;
• The circa 1876 red and buff brickwork appears to be in fair condition;
• The fieldstone foundation is minimally visible in the photographs, and its
condition is not clear.
• The original wooden windows appear to be in fair condition and repairable to
improve operability, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.
• The interior appears to be in fair to good condition.
The physical integrity of the original design is high with the front addition being the
only significant alteration. There are two brick chimneys on the building. The rear
chimney appears to be original, whereas the taller narrow chimney adjacent to the bell
tower looks like a 20th century intervention and may be related to later mechanical
upgrades as it is located in proximity to the mechanical room within the front addition.
The staff report notes that “a recently completed structural engineering assessment
has also raised concerns about the condition of its floor framing and load-bearing
masonry.” No specifics of these concerns are described, and it should be highlighted
that an engineer with in-depth knowledge and experience of historic masonry
buildings should be consulted to confirm the extant of any issues.
In summary, the schoolhouse appears to be in fair to good physical condition and is
generally weather tight.
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Figure 14: Floor plan of Mount Zion Community Centre. (Cassidy & Co. Architectural Technologists)
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4 . ONTARIO R EGULATION 9/06 EVALUATION
The following table evaluates the property at 4230 Sideline 6, using Ontario Regulation
9/06, which sets out the provincial criteria for determining whether a property is of
cultural heritage value or interest. The evaluation is based on the property history
summary in Section 2 of this brief and on the photographs provided by Matthew
Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage, at the City of Pickering.
Criteria Description Assessment Explanation
Design or
Physical
Value
1. it is a rare, unique,
representative or
early example of a
style, type,
expression, material
or construction
method.
√
The schoolhouse building is a
representative example of a
mid to late 19th century
schoolhouse, which followed
the standardized design
principles for schoolhouses of
the era. These design
principles being inspired by
Egerton Ryerson’s school
reforms in Ontario and by a
standardized /pattern for a
one-room schoolhouse in the
publication The Canada
Farmer in 1866.
Despite the modern front
addition, which obscures the
design of the original façade,
the physical integrity of the
schoolhouse is high. The
locally sourced red brick walls
with buff brick detailing
remains, as do the original
arched window openings with
wooden sash windows and
stone sills.
2. it displays a high
degree of
craftsmanship or
artistic merit.
N/A
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3. it demonstrates a
high degree of
technical or scientific
achievement.
N/A
Historical or
Associative
Value
4. it has direct
associations with a
theme, event, belief,
person, activity,
organization or
institution that is
significant to a
community.
√
The schoolhouse building has
direct associations with the
broader mid-19th century
school reforms for publicly
funded schools in Ontario and
is symbolic of this movement
within Pickering Township.
The schoolhouse was
constructed in 1876, which
followed the Common School
Act of 1846 (amended in
1850) which established
“School Sections” within the
Townships, and the School
Act of 1871 that made
elementary education free
and compulsory. As
superintendent of education
in Canada West (now Ontario)
from 1844 to 1876, Egerton
Ryerson was a key contributor
to both pieces of legislation.
5. it yields, or has the
potential to yield,
information that
contributes to an
understanding of a
community or
culture.
N/A
6. it demonstrates or
reflects the work or
ideas of an architect,
artist, builder,
designer or theorist
√
The design reflects the
standardized design
principles of the era, which
were influenced and
designed by Egerton
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who is significant to a
community.
Ryerson’s educational reforms
of the mid-19th century. These
standardized designs were
promoted through The
Canada Farmer in their article
on plans for a “Cheap Country
School House”.
Contextual
Value
7. it is important in
defining, maintaining
or supporting the
character of an area.
√
The schoolhouse is important
in defining, maintaining and
supporting the historic rural
character of Sideline 6/Salem
Road in Pickering. The late
19th century design of the
schoolhouse is a defining
element in Pickering’s historic
rural landscape.
8. it is physically,
functionally, visually
or historically linked
to its surroundings.
√
The schoolhouse is historically
linked to the community of
Mount Zion. It was
constructed for the
community in 1876 and has
been in continuous use as a
civic building for more than
150 years.
9. it is a landmark.
N/A
In summary, the property at 4230 Sideline 6 meets five of the nine criteria under
Ontario Regulation 9/06. In accordance with Section 2 (3) of the regulation, the
property must meet two or more of the criteria to be designated under Section 29 of
the Ontario Heritage Act. Therefore, the property qualifies as a significant built heritage
resource under the definition provided in the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement and
is a strong candidate for designation under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
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5 . DRAFT STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE
The following draft Statement of Cultural Heritage or Interest is recommended for
inclusion in a future designation by-law for the subject property.
Description
The School Section No. 13 Mount Zion School, now known as the Mount Zion
Community Centre, at 4230 Sideline 6, is located on Lot 7, Concession 7, in the former
Township of Pickering, now part of the City of Pickering in the Region of Durham. The
property is on the west side of Sideline 6 between Concession 7 and Concession 8,
south of Mount Zion. The property is approximately 0.29 hectares (0.72 acres) in size
and contains a one-storey red brick schoolhouse, constructed in 1875-1876. The
schoolhouse is surrounded by gravel covered surface parking, grass areas and trees.
Cultural Heritage Values
The property has design value or physical value because it is a rare, unique,
representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction
method.
The Mount Zion School has design value because it is a representative example of a
mid to late 19th century schoolhouse. Its design largely follows the standardized design
principles for schoolhouses of the era, which were inspired by Egerton Ryerson’s
school reforms in Ontario and by a pattern for a one-room schoolhouse in an 1866
publication of The Canada Farmer. For example, the schoolhouse follows the
rectangular one-storey, one-room plan with front-gable roof and bell tower. It is
constructed in red brickwork on a fieldstone foundation with buff brick detailing. An
original chimney is located above the west gable.
The schoolhouse building is larger than average and includes some superior
architectural detailing that is notable given its relatively rural and remote location in
Pickering Township in 1876. For example, the additional number of windows along the
side elevations (including an additional entrance on the south elevation) would have
increased natural daylighting. Architecturally, buff brick detailing, including arches,
quoins and plinth, and the ocular window on the front gable, express a refinement
which is not typical of rural schoolhouses. Additionally, the separate boys and girls’
entrances with transom lights with central window on the façade is rare in Pickering.
Despite the modern front addition, which obscures the design of the original façade,
the physical and design integrity of the schoolhouse is high.
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The property has historical value or associative value because it has direct associations
with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is
significant to a community.
The property has historical value because the construction of the former Mount Zion
School is associated with the broader mid-19th century movement to expand public
education and to establish publicly funded schools. The former Mount Zion School is
symbolic of this movement within rural Pickering Township.
This brick schoolhouse replaces an earlier frame schoolhouse about a ½ mile west of
the property, constructed circa 1852, which followed the Common School Act of 1846
(amended in 1850) which established “School Sections” within Townships. The Mount
Zion School was constructed in 1876, which followed the School Act of 1871 (amended
1876) that made elementary education free and compulsory. The Mount Zion School
illustrates a significant phase of cultural development for the community in both
recognizing the importance of education and supporting its funding through taxation.
The superintendent of education in Canada West (now Ontario) from 1844 to 1876,
Egerton Ryerson was a key contributor to both pieces of legislation. Broadly, the former
Mount Zion School, and all rural schoolhouses of this era are associated with Ryerson.
The property has historical value or associative value because it demonstrates or
reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is
significant to a community.
The Mount Zion School has associative value because it reflects the ideas of Egerton
Ryerson’s educational reforms of the mid 19th century and the model schoolhouse
plans that he developed. These plans were popularized by The Canada Farmer in their
June 15, 1866, article, which provided plans for, and a description of, a “Cheap Country
School House”. Despite the controversy surrounding Egerton Ryerson’s involvement
in the residential school system, his plans for a model schoolhouse and The Canada
Farmer’s article have left a legacy of rural schoolhouses across the landscape of
Ontario.
The property has contextual value because it is important in defining, maintaining or
supporting the character of an area.
The Mount Zion School has contextual value because it is important in defining,
maintaining and supporting the historic rural character of Sideline 6 in Pickering. The
late 19th century design of the schoolhouse, including its simple form and massing, its
red and buff brickwork, and bell tower, is a defining element in Pickering’s historic rural
landscape. Sideline 6 is primarily characterized by open agricultural fields, and the
presence of the schoolhouse is a tangible reminder of the area’s 19th century origins,
and its ongoing rural character.
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The property has contextual value because it is physically, functionally, visually or
historically linked to its surroundings.
The Mount Zion School has contextual value because it is historically linked to the
community of Mount Zion. It was constructed for the community in 1876 and has been
in civic use, first as a school and then as a community centre, for more than 150 years.
Even with the front addition, the property remains visually recognizable as a 19th-
century school. The property has familiarity in the community and as a former
schoolhouse and now public building, and an ongoing association with the local
community of Mount Zion.
Heritage Attributes
Key exterior elements that contribute to the property’s cultural heritage value include
its:
• One-storey massing on rectangular plan with front gable roof;
• Red brick chimney over the west gable;
• Red brickwork in common bond with buff brick detailing, including arches,
quoins and plinth;
• Arched window openings with buff brick arches, original wooden sash
windows with slender glazing bars, brickmoulds and stone sills;
• Original door opening with buff brick arch on south elevation;
• Oculus window opening with buff brick surround in east gable;
• Bell tower;
• Fieldstone foundation; and
• The schoolhouse’s location south of Mount Zion, and its façade facing east
towards the road.
Key interior elements that contribute to the property’s cultural heritage value
include its:
• Original boys’ and girl’s entrance openings on the interior of the east elevation.
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6 . CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
The property at 4230 Sideline 6 meets the prescribed provincial criteria under Section
2(3) of Ontario Regulation 9/06 which specifies that a property must meet two or more
criteria to be designated under Section 29(1) of the Ontario Heritage Act. The property
meets five of the prescribed criteria and is therefore a significant built heritage
resource under the definition provided in the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement. To
ensure the long-term conservation of the property, the City of Pickering should
designate the property under Section 29, Part IV, of the Ontario Heritage Act.
In summary, the designation of 4230 Sideline 6 under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage
Act:
• Recognizes the property as a ‘significant’ built heritage resource in accordance
with the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement.
• Supports the Durham Regional Official Plan:
o 3.3.41 Encourage area municipalities to: b) utilize the Ontario Heritage
Act to conserve, protect and enhance the built and cultural heritage
resources of the municipality.
o 3.3.43 Encourage built and cultural resource conservation through
adaptive reuse. Where original uses cannot be maintained, promote
opportunities for adaptive reuse of heritage structures and sites,
including the recycling of building materials, wherever feasible.
• Supports the Pickering Official Plan:
o 8.1 City Council shall respect its cultural heritage, and conserve and
integrate important cultural heritage resources from all time periods into
the community.
o 8.4 City Council, in consultation with its heritage committee, where
warranted shall implement the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act,
including designation under the Act of heritage sites and heritage
districts.
o Pickering’s Rural System - The City’s policies for its rural system seeks to:
support the cultural heritage and integrity of rural lifestyles.
7 . REFERENCES
A Century of Education, Pickering Township. School Area Number 2, 1967.
Belden, H. & Co. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario, 1877.
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McKay, William A. 1961. The Pickering Story. Published by the Township of Pickering
Historical Society.
“Mt. Zion School” printed history posted on interior of Mount Zion Community
Centre. Author and date unknown.
Ontario Architecture: https://ontarioarchitecture.ca/school.htm
Ryerson, Egerton. 1847. Report on a System of Public Elementary Instruction for
Upper Canada. Montreal: Lovell and Gibson, St. Nicholas Street.
The Canada Farmer: Volume 3, Number 12, June 15, 1866, Toronto, Upper Canada.
Wood, William R. 1911. Past Years in Pickering: Sketches of the History of the
Community. Toronto: William Briggs.
Xiaobin Li. 2015. History of Ontario Education, Article #1, Brock University:
https://foundations.ed.brocku.ca/week07/4/
8 . PROJECT PERSONNEL & QUALIFICATIONS
Heritage Studio
Heritage Studio is a consulting firm based in Kingston, Ontario, that specializes in
cultural heritage planning. We believe that all planning and design work should be
rooted in an understanding of the heritage of a place, whether physical, cultural,
environmental, or intangible. Accordingly, we advocate for an integrated approach to
heritage conservation and land use planning, an approach that we believe is
fundamental to creating, enhancing, and sustaining quality places. To this end, we
promote communication and collaboration between our clients and stakeholders with
the goal of bringing a pragmatic values-based approach to complex planning
challenges. Heritage Studio offers the following core services: cultural heritage
evaluations, heritage impact assessments, cultural heritage policy development, and
heritage planning support and advice.
Alex Rowse-Thompson, MEDes, RPP, CIP, CAHP
As principal and founder of Heritage Studio, Alex has more than 15 years of heritage
conservation and planning experience that includes both private sector and municipal
planning roles. Her experience is rich and varied, from her involvement in large-scale
regeneration sites in the UK, to the development of heritage conservation district
studies and plans in Ontario municipalities and working with architects to ensure
heritage-informed restoration and new construction. Alex is a member of the Canadian
Association of Heritage Professionals, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the
Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
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9 . APPENDIX – PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
East and south elevations.
East and north elevations.
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West and south elevations
North and west elevations.
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East elevation.
Interior looking west.
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Interior looking east showing two original entrance openings for the boys and girls,
now concealed by the front addition.
Location of former “S.S. NO. 13” sign. (see Figure X)
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Concealed buff brick arch over original door, now concealed and located within the
attic of the front addition.
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Attachment 4 – Draft Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
The following draft Statement of Cultural Heritage or Interest is recommended for inclusion in a
future designation by-law for the subject property.
Description
The School Section No. 13 Mount Zion School, now known as the Mount Zion Community
Centre, at 4230 Sideline 6, is located on Lot 7, Concession 7, in the former Township of
Pickering, now part of the City of Pickering in the Region of Durham. The property is on the
west side of Sideline 6 between Concession 7 and Concession 8, south of Mount Zion. The
property is approximately 0.29 hectares (0.72 acres) in size and contains a one -storey red brick
schoolhouse, constructed in 1875-1876. The schoolhouse is surrounded by a gravel-covered
parking area and a grassed area with trees.
Cultural Heritage Values
The property has design value or physical value because it is a rare, unique, representative or
early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method.
The Mount Zion School has design value because it is a representative example of a mid to late
19th-century schoolhouse. Its design largely follows the standardized design principles for
schoolhouses of the era, which were inspired by Egerton Ryerson’s school reforms in Ontario
and by a pattern for a one-room schoolhouse in an 1866 publication of The Canada Farmer.
For example, the schoolhouse follows the rectangular one -storey, one-room plan with front-
gable roof and bell tower. It is constructed of red brickwork on a fieldstone foundation with buff
brick detailing. An original chimney is located above the west gable.
The schoolhouse building is larger than average and features notable architectural detailing,
given its relatively rural and remote location in Pickering Township in 1876. For example, the
additional number of windows along the side elevations (including an additional entrance on the
south elevation) would have increased natural daylighting. Architecturally, buff brick detailing,
including arches, quoins and plinth, and the ocular window on the front gable, expresses a
refinement which is not typical of rural schoolhouses. Additionally, the separate boys’ and girls’
entrances with transom lights and a central window on the façade are rare in Pickering.
Despite the modern front addition, which obscures the original façade's design, the
schoolhouse's physical and design integrity remains high. The separate boy’s and girls’
entrances and central window remain intact, but are currently concealed from view, technically
rendering them interior features.
The property has historical value or associative value because it has direct associations with a
theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a
community.
- 43 -
The property has historical value because the construction of the former Mount Zion School is
associated with the broader mid-19th century movement to expand public education and
establish publicly funded schools. The former Mount Zion School is symbolic o f this movement
within rural Pickering Township.
This brick schoolhouse replaces an earlier frame schoolhouse about a ½ mile west of the
property, constructed circa 1852, which followed the Common School Act of 1846 (amended in
1850), which established “School Sections” within Townships. The Mount Zion School was
constructed in 1876, following the School Act of 1871 (amended 1876), which made elementary
education free and compulsory. The Mount Zion School illustrates a significant phase of cultural
development for the community in both recognizing the imp ortance of education and supporting
its funding through taxation.
The superintendent of education in Canada West (now Ontario) from 1844 to 1876, Egerton
Ryerson, was a key contributor to both pieces of legislation. Broadly, the former Mount Zion
School and all rural schoolhouses of this era are associated with Ryerson.
The property has historical value or associative value because it demonstrates or reflects the
work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a
community.
The Mount Zion School has associative value because it reflects the ideas of Egerton
Ryerson’s educational reforms of the mid-19th century and the model schoolhouse plans that
he developed. These plans were popularized by The Canada Farmer in its June 15, 1866,
article, which provided plans for, and a description of, a “Cheap Country School House”.
Despite the controversy surrounding Egerton Ryerson’s involvement in the residential school
system, his plans for a model schoolhouse and the Canada Farmer’s article have left a legacy
of rural schoolhouses across the landscape of Ontario.
The property has contextual value because it is important in defining, maintaining or supporting
the character of an area.
The Mount Zion School has contextual value because it is important in defining, maintaining
and supporting the historic rural character of Sideline 6 in Pickering. The late 19th-century
design of the schoolhouse, including its simple form and massing, its red and buff brickwork,
and bell tower, is a defining element in Pickering’s historic rural landscape. Sideline 6 is
primarily characterized by open agricultural fields, and the presence of the schoolhouse is a
tangible reminder of the area’s 19th-century origins and its ongoing rural character.
The property has contextual value because it is physically, functionally, visually or historically
linked to its surroundings.
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The Mount Zion School has contextual value because it is historically linked to the community
of Mount Zion. It was constructed for the community in 1876 and has been in civic use, first as a
school and then as a community centre, for more than 150 years. Even with the front addition,
the property remains visually recognizable as a 19th-century school. The property has
familiarity in the community, and as a former schoolhouse and now public building, and an
ongoing association with the local community of Mount Zion.
Heritage Attributes
Key exterior elements that contribute to the property’s cultural heritage value include its:
• One-storey massing on rectangular plan with front gable roof;
• Red brick chimney over the west gable;
• Red brickwork in common bond with buff brick detailing, including arches, quoins and
plinth;
• Arched window openings with buff brick arches, original wooden sash windows with
slender glazing bars, brickmoulds and stone sills;
• Original door opening with buff brick arch on south elevation;
• Oculus window opening with buff brick surround in east gable;
• Bell tower;
• Fieldstone foundation; and
• The schoolhouse’s location south of Mount Zion, and its façade facing east towards the
road.
Key (formerly exterior) elements that contribute to the property’s cultural heritage value include
the:
• Original boys’ and girl’s entrance openings on the interior of the east elevation (currently
intact, but concealed by the modern addition).
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