HomeMy WebLinkAboutBy-law 6692/06
Per City, Solicitor. thi$ by..faw
THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF PICKER., ::':~awn::e
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BY-LAW NO 6692/06
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Being a by-law to designate the property and
buildings at 1690 Whitevale Road. Lot 19,
Concession 5 (Glen House) as being of historical and
architectural value or interest.
WHEREAS authority was granted by Council to designate the property and
buildings at 1690 Whitevale Road, (Glen House) as being of cultural heritage
value or interest; and
WHEREAS the Ontario HeritElge Aciauthorizes,the Councitofthe municipality to
enact by-laws to designate real property, including aU the buildings and structures
thereon, to be of cultural heritage value or interest; and
WHEREAS the Council of the City of Pickering has ca,u$8d lobe seNed uPQO the
owners of the land and premises known as 1690 Whitev,ale Road and upon the
Ontario Heritage Foundation, Notice of Intention to designate the ,property and
has caused the Notice of Intention to be published in a newspaper having a
general ,circulation in the municipality as required by the Ontario Heritage Act,
and
WHEREAS the reasons for designation are set out in Schedule 'A' to this by-law;
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WHEREAS no notice of objection to the proposed designation was seNed upon
the Clerk of the municipality.
NOW THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE CORPORA TIONOF THE CITY OF
PICKERING ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
1. The property at 1690 Whitevale Road, more particularly described' in
Schedule 'B' is designated as being of cultural heritage value or interest.
2. The City Solicitor is hereby authorized to cause a copy of this by-law to be
registered against the property deScribed in Sohedule 'B' to this by-law in
the property Land Registry Office.
3. The City, Clerk is authorized to cause a copy of this by-law to be seNed
upon the owners of the property at 1690 Whitevale Road and upon the
Ontario Heritage Founc:tationand to cause notice of this by-law to be
published in a newspaper having general circulation in, the City of
Pickering as required by the Ontario Heritage Act.
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r By-law read a First, Second and Third tirne and finally pas$e(t this 24th day of
July, 2006.
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Debi. A. Bentley~ City Clerk
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Bv-Iaw 6692/06 .
Schedule 'A'
Reasons for Designation
Glen House
1690 Whitevale Road
The Glen House is said to be associated with some of the earliest settlers in the
Pickering area. The site, which may also merit National Historic Site status, was
used as a meeting place in the 1930's for the socialist group which was
eventually formed into the C.C.F., the precursor to the National Democratic Party.
The late 19th century house has a later addition but remains intact. The house,
mid 1840's barn and. surrounding property are being considered for designation
owing to the political activities which took place at this Jocation.
Cultural Heritaae Value: Thomas Hubbard (1759~1.853) and his family were
United Empire Loyalists, who came to Pickering just before t~e tum of the 19th
century. "Thomas and his family had a major impact on thecommunjty in terms
of social, religious. and political life. He was the first Township Clerk in 1811 and
donated land for the first area school that was buUt by the Hubbards. Matthews,
Sharrads.and Willsons. The Hubbards were founders of the influential Christian
Church of Brougham. Hubbard and his sons were members of the Brougham
Reformers (Mackenzie sympathizers)." [Scheinman, 2004]
William R. Wood, writing in 1911 reports a log school building on the southwest
corner of the property in relation to 5.5. 10 (Brougham). In 1850, James
Hubbard sold the south quarter of the lot (where the house is tocateQ) to
Archibald C. Thompson. In the 1861 census, he was recorded as haVing a log
house on the site. The building's association with the Thompson family is worthy
of note as Thompson's Inn, situated '~st across the Brock Road, was a key
landmark in the area throughout the 19 century (location for town meetings and
a local meeting place for Mackenzie supports in the time leading up to' the 1837
Rebellion). It appears that the land was leased many times over the years until
around 1900 when the property owners are listed as BignaU. This family
conveyed the land to Andrew Glen in 1923.
Andrew Glen was an articulate Scotsman who came to Canada in 1912 and. lived
and worked in Toronto until he became disenchanted With city life, purchasing his
farm in 1923 and living there until expropriation. He was a writer, pacifist,
socialist, theosophist and outdoorsman. In 1918, he joined the The.osophical
Society and became Secretary of the Social .Reconstruction Group. He became
president of the Labour Party of Toronto in 1921. On June 26, 1932, severa.1
local socialist groups, including J.S. Woodsworth, met at his farm where a
resolution was passed asking Woodsworth to form a national'socialist'
conference. Mr. J.S.Woodworth did so in the west later that year confirming
Glen House as the historic meeting place of the group which, out of that meeting,
went on to form the C.C.F., the precursor of the National Democratic Party.
Andrew Glen ran as a CCF candidate in 1935,but was unsuccessful.
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During the late 1930's, Mr. Glen was a regular columnist for the T9ronto Star, but
with the coming of the war,his pacifism became suspect. Eventually, his home
was searched by the RCMP and some of his property seized. A large portion of
his personal papers, relating to his involvement with socialism; have been
deposited in the Queens University Archives in Kingston.
Heritage Attributes: The original house, which stiU contains the basement, its old
enormous apple and vegetable bins made o{ boards which are at least thirty
inches wide. The house is srnall, but in good condition and has survived some
one hundred and twenty years of weathering. It sits ana slight knoll with. the land
dropping off to the west into Urfe Creek, surrounded by mature trees and well
tended gardens.
The house is a one and a half storey residence with a large rear addition with
gables perpendicular to the original and a further shed roofed- addition to the rear.
The simple treatment of the stair at the rear corner with pencil post. balustrade is
a surviving original feature of note, however, and its placement at the rear comer
'winding' at the. two walls, is typical of log construction'. The simple - wood
balustrade is a rare surviving example for Pickering and should be retained in
place. While the exterior is clad in aluminum siding, however, the form of the
original section and its relationship to other aspects of the site (creek, lane, barn)
remains intact. It will require further Investigation and research, but it is possible
that the log house now on the property and hidden behind layers of cladding
materials is the log school built on land Thomas. Hubbard donated for school
purposes early in the 19th century and which was operated by the Hubbards,
r Matthews, Sharrard and Willson families.
A frame outhouse is notable for its three holes including a child's seat and a
relatively early frame barn. The Glen barn is a fine exa'mple of a pre-1860's barn
and probably. dates to the early to mid 1840's. The barn is of very heavy. timber,
pegged, mortise and. tenon' construction of 'English barn' style with very few
changes having been made to it down through the years. Its layout and style'of
construction, with its canted purlin supports, large swing beam and pole rafters, is
typical of a barn of .this period. Its workmanship is of superior quality as
evidenced by the fine adzing work and clo,se tolerance of its joinery. It appears to
be in fair condition but needs a proper survey to determine its condition in detail.
The Scheinman inventory (2004) evaluated this property as a Heritage Resource
requiring a Statement of Heritage Resource. The Hough Stansbury inventory
(1994) rates this property as a Class A, the highest score possible.
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Sianificance: The Glen House was the site of the first meeting of those who
would go on to form a Soci$listpolitical party. It shows the strong movement
began with the impetus of the east. James Woodworth was at this first meeting
and. told AndrewGI.en that he was going out west to form this new party - the
C.C.F. He became leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Foundation
Federation in 1932, the same year the meeting at the Glen House took place.
The Ontario Heritage Foundation recognizes this property as having provinciaI'
significance. In addition, the sites association with both the Hubbard and'
Thompson families is of heritage significance .
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This house, the barn and the remaining property deserve designation as a
heritage site for the historical value related to the significance of the political
activities that took place in this location.
Bv-Iaw 6692/06
Schedule 'B'
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L~gal Descriotion
Glen House
1690 Whitevale Road
Lot 19
Concession 5
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