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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApr. 4 Waterfront Trail Draft REport •yl WATERFRONT TRAIL COORDINATING COMMITTEE SIGNAGE /ART SUBCOMMITTEE DRAFT REPORT Tuesday, April 4, 2000 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Application Report Description of "Home Place" Project Follow up on Western Gate Project Signage: Trailhead, Regulatory, Interpretive Implementation 1. The PineRidge Arts Council was successful in realizing an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant in the amount of$75,000 HURRAH/!!! The funds were awarded to the PineRidge Arts Council for an ambitious wood carving project, "Home Place" by Pickering resident Dorsey James. This sculpture will celebrate the diversity of cultures as well as pay tribute to Pickering's past, prsent and future. HOME PLACE from the PineRidge Arts Council Submission to the Trillium Foundation by Dorsey James • "Home Place" will prove to be a striking monument to Pickering and to the people and peoples that have worked to make it what It is today. The visually open and abstract qualities of "Home Place" will include and embrace the surrounding landscape. Perched atop Hydro Hill, "Home Place" will act as a draw to all those who see this from near and far. It will act as a beacon as well as a lookout point. It will provide a sense of place and orientation. The carved faces from the past, which can only be seen from the structure's interior, will welcome and reward all those who visit "HomePlace." "Home Place Project" will be comprised of four basic components - two intersecting circles, twenty hydro poles, a centre pediment and an area of enchantment.. The two intersecting circles will symbolize the world, the community, the family, oneness, the force that binds together. It is what occurs when a stone is thrown into the lake. The radiating circles represent man, then his family, then his ancestors. The two circles symbolize past and future and the tangent between the two, which is our present. There are twenty poles used in this project, which makes reference to the year 2000 millennium. They are installed ten per circle, leaning in towards the centre of the sculpture to create an embracing, cathedral - like canopy overhead, or warm and inviting campfire from a distance. The number ten, along with symbolic association with Pickering's • original ten council members, suggests totality, Inclusive of all numbers, completeness, heaven and earth, the male and female, togetherness and family. It symbolises the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, the end of one year and the beginning of another, the passage of time. Seven faces will be carved into the structure in one set of three and one set of four. The set of three symbolises past present and future as well as the passionate wholeness of the body, mind and spirit. This feature reemphasizes the sculpture's focus on the time trilogy as well as is reminiscent of the physical, emotional and spiritual commitment made by pioneers to make this place, Pickering, their home. The set of four represents not only the four races, but as well the four corners of the earth, N. S.E. W. This is suggestive of the multicultural diversity of peoples that immigrated to Canada and Pickering from countries far and near. (These Images take into account the female as well as the male, our aged as well as our young). The total seven not only suggests a time and a place of rest(i.e. on the seventh day He rested / to be in seventh heaven etc.)but it is also a number to which luck and good fortune is attributed. The centre pediment will be the centre, the hub, the original source, idea or home(the names.of individuals and organizations that have somehow contributed to the actualization of "Home Place", might be engraved or otherwise acknowledged on this component of•the sculpture). It is reminiscent of the squared log construction of homesprevalent during a significant period of Pickering's development. The pole placement on both and opposite sides of the portal suggests the traversing of European as well as American settlers from their original homes to their new Canadian home. "The Home Place Area of Enchantment" will pay tribute to the arts in such a way so as to provide for each and everyone who visits the "Home Place Enchanted Area", a warm, enlightening and enriching experience. The sculptures will depict mythological imagery of cultural significance, representations of early settlers and intellections of the animal andplant life inhabiting the area.They will reflect aspects of local heritage, the natural environment and / or simply offer a point of focus for those who wish to be. Some images will be designed and placed strategically to surprise the discoverer. Some will be carved directly into dead tree stumps, or out of the bases of trimmed limbs of standing trees. Some will be carved from used hydro poles. The abundance of unique tree trunks and limbs that wash up on the the waterfront shore might also be transported and utilized for this purpose. A partnership with the staff and students of Dunbarton High School, will allow for the Inclusion of youth in the "Home Place Project". The students will work with the artist to construct the carvings in the Area of Enchantment". It is only fitting that art that speaks to our history or past should come from the hands our future - our youth. • 0.2 oir•tl1 orto 4' 12' Pickering Township Historical Society 041 itg March 29. 2000 THE WESTERN GATE AND THE FIRST NATIONS TRAIL: An overview and discussion. Background For the past three years, an extensive public consultation has been conducted to explore the potential of Pickering's waterfront and determine its best use. One of the themes which emerged early in the planning process was the vision of a trail system that would serve both the physical and cultural aesthetic of our residents. The Pine Ridge Arts Council and the Pickering Township Historical Society have sought to address this aspiration by creating a synthesis that would enhance the trail experience by incorporating elements of both arts and cultural heritage. From an organisational point of view, our challenge was to provide an historical timeline that would reflect the chronology of the land and its peoples. A simple transverse of the city along the lakeshore proved truly awkward in execution. The solution reached was to section the trail into 3 parts -the cultural evolution of the land would be directed inwards from the city's east and west borders and meet at the Millennial Square. From that point, an environmental trail would circle Frenchman's Bay and highlight the natural history of the various ecosystems to be found there. Further, the Arts community would be sourced to create an interpretive representation of our collective past that would satisfy our wish to be truly "Unique." Of the two historical trails, the eastern section will be dedicated to the depiction of 200 years of change since European settlement. Interpretive stations will also explore other aspects of Pickering's history within the context of the local geography, but the major theme of each trail segment will be stressed. However, it is the western section of the Millennium Trail that is addressed herein. The First Nations Trail This segment reflects two important eras of Ontario's past - eras whose echoes are but dimly heard in today's modern society. These cultural sequences, First Nations and French, have been marginalized as the land is modified by progress. The Rouge River and its environs, however, provide us with a perfect setting to illuminate these obscure times. The river's name is, in itself, one of the few reminders that this region was once part of New France. Explorers, traders, missionaries and warriors sought out the trail leading from the Rouge to the Upper Lakes. The first European school in the Greater Toronto Area was established in the vicinity by Sulpician missionaries in 1669. The area of the Rouge River represents a microcosm of French colonial activity in the New World. 842 Naroch Blvd., Pickering,Ontario LI W 1S9•(905)839-1221 • mohr(a,scar.utoronto.ca It is the First Nations, though, who can lay claim to some 10,000 years of habitation within the borders of the City of Pickering,yet is the group most poorly represented in our contemporary psyche. Still, the landscape itself bears witness to a vibrant human chronicle which is deeper and more complex than that reflected by the process of European settlement. The Rouge Valley, itself, is the southern terminus of an age-old "carrying place", by which trade was conducted with the upper Great Lakes via Lake Simcoe. Archaeological sites abound, even in the immediate area`of the trail's western limits. The First Nations Trail, anchored by the Western Gate, is our community's response to this social and cultural vacuum. The inclusion of the Arts community in the process allows us to avoid the trap of the"historical plaque syndrome" as an educational tool. Instead, we are encouraged to use symbolic elements and cultural iconography to convey our message with a minimum of verbiage. The Western Gate serves as a feedback mechanism as well as an artistic statement. The images depicted in silhouette upon the sculpture will provoke questions - why is this image before us, what is its significance to the trail? A walk down the trail will provide answers to those questions in a local context. In turn,the trail directs the user through the Western Gate, where contemplation of the images will reinforce the lessons learned from the interpretive stations. It has been stressed from the outset of this project that the inclusion of the First Nations is essential to achieve legitimacy and integrity in the message we present to the public. To that end, discussions have been initiated with the representatives of the cultural groups whose antecedents were of this land. We are asking representatives of these cultures to help us by providing their own defining elements for both the trail and the Western Gate. We feel strongly that by pursuing these initiatives in partnership, we will avoid the perpetuation of stereotypes, and instead, present an accurate portrait of our collective past. All in all, it is our goal that the picture that we present reflect the symbolism of these communities as they see themselves, rather than from an outside perspective. Tom Mohr • President,P.T.H.S. 3. Report to Arts and Heritage Subcommittee. On Wednesday,March 29,2000,Edward Falkenberg and I visited the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, to meet with members of the Six Nations Iroquois. The purpose of the visit was twofold. First,to acquaint the Aboriginal Community with the First Nations Trail aspect of our Millennial Trail, and secondly,to present some of the themes that we would like to incorporate into both our interpretive stations and Edward's Western Gate concept. (see Appendices) While the Centre is located upon Iroquois lands,their mandate is broad-based and encompasses all First Nations' cultural groups. In their own words; The Woodlands Cultural Centre is a non-profit organization which preserves and promotes the culture and heritage of the First Nations of the Eastern Woodland area. To meetits goals, the Centre offers: programs in the areas of language, research, library, museum, museum education (tour program) and museum shop. The Centre offers information and interpretation in respect to the culture, history, heritage and tradition of the Eastern Woodlands, maintaining a healthy tension between traditional values and contemporary innovation. We met with Ms Joanna Beddard,Executive Director of the Centre and Mr. Tom Hill, Director of the museum facility which also comprises part of the complex. Edward and I explained the purpose of our visit,and expressed our interest in involving the First Nations in the project. They were both comfortable with our plans, and responded positively to our inclusion of the Aboriginal community in our efforts. Our list of potential interpretive themes was examined,and was met with approval- no inappropriate elements had been included.(certain objects or themes relating to Aboriginal religious traditions, items such as ceremonial masks and pipes, are considered sacred) Some of our themes were enlarged and further ones added for consideration. Our hosts were candid in their desire to see us create an opportunity for Aboriginal artists to contribute both their talents and their vision to the project. I believe this opportunity exists, and further,that we should encourage the process. As to the Western Gate,even though the design incorporates elements of native symbolism,it is Edward's concept and this factshould not be lost in our pursuit of cultural legitimacy. However, he is enthusiastic about receiving guidance in the appropriate iconography to be used, and its proper placement and order. The vision that we have presented for our interpretive stations is one without signs, or at least a minimum of text. If we can embrace the concept of an artistic endeavour as a vehicle for an idea, and then include a smaller,more discrete sign to interpret the symbolism to the'viewer,we will have achieved our goals- of being educational and being unique. A fine example was provided by Tom Hill: Imagine a giant rock,a glacial erratic,adorned with carvings,petroglyphs, designed by an Aboriginal artist. These petroglyphs could tell a story,perhaps the First People's view of Creation. A standard trail sign could illuminate the story being told. The piece would stand alone as an installation of visual art but the petroglyphs would be available for children to take rubbings of the symbols as part of a school program. This is but one example. What we would suggest is that we identify which elements we would like to illuminate in the initial phases of the trail and put out a call for entry,for artists to submit concepts. I feel that it would be fitting to specifically target those cultural groups whose story is to be told. This brings us to the issue of finance. Mr. Hill felt that there are granting agencies that would assist in the funding of Aboriginal artists. The Pickering Township Historical Society and the Pine Ridge Arts Council are both non-profit organisations that could make application to these agencies,and I believe that Mr. Hill would not only help to steer us in the right direction,but also add his endorsement of our efforts. As to the French aspect of this trail segment,I feel that it would be appropriate to contact cultural heritage agencies within the governments of both Quebec and France for support. (Hey, ya never know) We will continue to stay in contact with our new friends at the Woodland Cultural Centre, even as we seek to involve the Mississauga First Nations, and representatives of the French legacy of our city. They are all part of our collective past, and we will invite them to share in our future. We will have a project that we can all look to with pride,one that will celebrate all the people of our lands,one that will be educating and informative to all cultures. Respectfully submitted by Torn Mohr April 4, 2000 WORKING GROUP #4 SIGNAGE /ART 5. Committee Members: John Sabean,Tom Mohr, Andrea Graham, Patricia Lowe, Edward Falkenberg Advisors: Everett Buntsma, Victor Ford, The Signage/Art subcommittee appreciates the opportunity to comment on the signage for Pickering's Waterfront Trail. John Sabean and I met with Everett Buntsma recently. We are pleased that council and staff have embraced the concept of "Uniqueness". We seem to be on the same wave.length as the City, with regard to this important element. A copy of our notes is enclosed, page 7. Regulatory/Informative Signage Our subcommittee is in agreement with the guidelines provided in the book, "Design Signage and Maintenance Guidelines", prepared by Victor Ford for the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. We concur that these guidelines for Trailhead signs, cannot be improved upon. The illustration on page 8, is particularly • interesting and would be our recommendation for Informative signage. We agree that along the Waterfront Trail there should be Unity, but not necessarily Uniformity. For this reason we also support the use of Regulatory signage, as illustrated on page 9. Interpretive Signage: Here is where we can have fun! To define many of the unique historical, cultural and environmental elements of Pickering's Waterfront Trail, we recommend a more creative, artistic and therefore, unique approach. To educate people one must first get their attention. Creative signage, from a distance, would grouse curiosity and thereby entice people to come closer. The Top 30 Elements For Interpretive Signage • Tom Mohr has identified ten important elements along the First Nations' Trail. Appendix B, page 10 • John Sabean has identified ten historical elements on the Peak section of the Trail. page 11 &1 2. • Patricia Lowe will collaborate with John on finalizing the ten Environmental elements John has suggested for the Bay or Monarch Trail. page 13 & 14 6. Implementation: Creativity and Uniqueness do not come cheaply. • If funding is not available for all 30 designations, we recommend starting with fewer elements per area, and doing them well. This will set a precedent for others to follow. • To facilitate this, the City could put out an R.F.P. or Call for Entry, to all in the Durham Region, to interpret specific elements of that section of the Trail. • The arts community would help with the guideline and selection process. • Cost would include research, design, materials and installation. • The criteria for these pieces would be as stringent as those for a manufactured "catalogue" plaque. "Artistic and historical elements will combine with physical and mental stimulation, and create a healthy synergy for body, mind and soul. This is the legacy we leave our children."- Tom Mohr WATERFRONT COORDINATING COMMITTEE SIGNS WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS Attendees: Andrea Graham John Sabean Everett Buntsma • Signs should include logos of all involved in particular trail section o i.e. City, Waterfront Trust, TRCA • Signs should be unique and durable • • Require unity but not uniformity • Prefer vertical sign design as per the Waterfront Trust guidelines • Prefer use of international symbols for common signage(i.e. washrooms) • All involved groups who wish to have acknowledgement or name signs should submit to.Coordinating Committee for review • Discussion regarding development of City Waterfront logo. Requires discussion and direction of entire committee • Types of signs— Information - location -direction - general information Interpretive - environmental -historical -points of interest • Recommend 10 elements/subjects for interpretive signs for each of 3 trail sections o First Nations -Tom Mohr to develop elements o Monarch. -Patricia Lowe to develop elements o Peake -John Sabean to develop elements This covers the major topics covered. . Other items to review: Trail Head sign from Waterfront Trust Materials for signs General sign designs 3.4.8 Vertical Trailhead Signs .1200 mm •1200 mm 900 mm '1•---'t1 I` • 900 mm 1 50 mm grid •�_�� -�� : wire mesh • 0 O 1; g t t • .IIfH IILi 1 CII of UurII.gton •Lo,.Ik Park Q Cllr of Ilurll.tlon •Lo..lk Park `. 0RBIlf0 WYd SIEC.1C Thin if 0.W WAR.ED W.6 1000CC nu.SEO.S4T E WIL ��G DEI.RSO...At..D LIES OE E pftt114100115010,o.0KS..0 Inn CI 0 0 IA n N GENERAL - ^ cE.[..t 1100,11.1%).ABOUT t.EC/c YiDnWTION ABOUT .i(Y+wtO. TlEpnO.1 LOCAL e0OT10.0'1ML.10 ABOUT SPICSC ADT TO 4600 n.LL LOCAL W1100 t pMw! MAL""°"T LK.L.0�CI�,u!MA.%0 , C0401Y1f 000.10at»r • C04.On.TE S.0.40,1M/ E E E E • I0 o ^ n -- Fig.3.34 Vertical Trailhead Signboard Variations Source:EDA Collaborative 120 >,SIGNAGE GUIDELINES 9 3.4.2 Facility Symbols A variety of square standard facility symbols are internationally recognized in the public environment. A graphic source for these symbols is the Quebec Manual of Uniform Control Devices. It is recommended that these symbols be used rather than text to identify the following four principal facilities: 1 ! IVB v N,11 11,1 I !HIT I1 I!'ir ' !i1!Olin119 l l j l'' I,uNly!!'I I ll i I I i r kir ,iii,1 Idle ,, , i I!L i,,ill��ll Id 1 ' ;! 1 'i li Telephone Washrooms Picnic Area Drinking Water Fig.3.26 ti Specifications Format: Standard sign - painted aluminum plate Size : varies, but should conform to the standard 300 and 450 mm widths where possible Background colour : blue *, rdn , Symbol colour : white ' 3.4.3 Cycling Route SignOUTE If cycling route signs are desired, such as on roadways with speed limits greater than 50 km/h, rectangular, green and white Cycling Fig. 3.27 Route signs could be used. Where they are posted, cycling route Cycling Route signs should be posted 10 metres beyond a roadway intersection, at ;' the beginning of a new urban block and every 90 metres thereafter. Unlike signs for exclusive cycling lanes, cycling route signs do not have a regulatory function. In most cases it is recommended that trail managers dispense with using cycling route signs and rely on ;;SIGNAGE` JIDELINES I I I . ,t< 10. Appendix A -A short list of design elements for the Western Gate. • Mastodon and fluted point Paleo-Indians(first residents,nomadic big game hunters). • "Arrowhead" Archaic Period(mobile foraging bands). • Turtle Symbol of Aboriginal earth-view,also clan symbol. • Longhouse Home for Lake Ontario Iroquois. • Ceramic pot Use design elements. • Beaver Blanket Trapping and trade. • Salmon Native food source&trade item. • Maize, beans & squash The "Three Sisters"(aboriginal horticulture). • Sunflower Important food source. • Deer Source of food, clothing, tools, also a clan symbol • Three Fires Symbolic of Algonkian alliance. • Canoe Transportation for First Nations and French. • Pine Tree "The Great Tree of Peace" Note: These items are provided as examples only,subject to guidance from the appropriate agencies. Other potential elements suggested by Mr. Tom Hill, Woodland Cultural Centre, as symbols of Iroquois clans: • Heron. • Eel. • Snipe. • Painted Turtle. • Bear. • Mud Turtle. • Eagle Algonquin Clans include some of the above, as well as: • Beaver. • Catfish. Appendix B -Suggested themes for interpretive station& • Lake Ontario Iroquois Residents of these lands till late 1600s. • Mississauga First Nation Succeeded Iroquois and ceded land to British. • Gandatsetiagon Seneca village at base of Rouge Trail. • Three Sisters Corn,beans and squash-primary Aboriginal agricultural products. • Deer Clan symbol and source of food,clothing, etc. • Paleoindians Pickering's first residents. • Rouge River&Petticoat Creek. Last reminders of New France. • Francois de Salignac de Fenelon. Sulpician Priest who founded a short-lived teaching mission at Gandatsetiagon. in 1669, first European resident of the Toronto area. • Rosebank 19th and 20th century resort destination. • Moore House Mansion belonging to MP&author that once stood on bluffs at Petticoat Creek Conservation Area 11 • . • SUGGESTED INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE RELATING TO PICKERING'S HUMAN HISTORY(with emphasis on the Peak Trail) 1. William and Margaret Peak&Family The Peaks are believed to be the first permanent European settlers in Pickering Township. They settled on the lakefront at Duffin's Creek. 2. Our Quaker Heritage Timothy Rogers, who had previously settled a number of families in Newmarket, was responsible for bringing in a large settlement of Quakers to what is now the Pickering Village area. Rogers also erected the first saw mill in Pickering Township. For many years until their main building burned, the Quakers ran Pickering College, a co-educational facility that drew student not only from the local area, but also from abroad. 3. Transportation Pickering sits along an important transportation corridor carrying traffic east and west along the waterfront;From portages to road and railway construction, transportation has been an important theme in Pickering's history. 4. Agricultural and Rural Heritage Pickering sits on prime farmland. Farms have been an important factor in Pickering's economy of the past, and they continue to contrite both to the economic and the social structure of the city. 5. Forest Industry Logs and sawn lumber, along with potash, were the exports that built Frenchman's Bay into an important early port. • 6. The Rebellion Prominent figures in the Rebellion of 1837 were Pickeringites Peter Matthews, Randall Wixon, and the Reverend George Barclay. Matthews was executed for his role, Wixon (a former secretary of William Lyon Mackenzie) was exiled, and Barclay, a Baptist minister, saw his congregation and his community torn apart by the conflict. 7. Frenchman's Bay Structures _ Structures around the bay gave evidence of the importance of the bay to Pickering's economy. They included a grain elevator, ice houses, a lighthouse, marinas, and wharves. 8. The Arts Charles Fothergill (1782-1840) took part in Ontario's first art exhibition. Ebenezer Birrell's (1801-1888)painting of his Pickering farm is considered by curators to be the most popular painting hanging in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Tom Thomson, Canada's most famous artist, was born in Claremont. Cleeve Horne, portrait artist and sculptor, produced, among other works, the official portrait of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker(it hangs in the Rotunda of the Parliament Buildings). 9. Hamlets and Villages The centre of life for the people of Pickering Township was to be found in the hamlets and villages that grew up, especially at crossroads or in river valleys. Some of these villages are still thriving, some are greatly reduced in population and activity, and some have all but disappeared,but all of them contributed to the growth of the township. 10. Squires Beach One of five beach communities in Pickering Township before World War H. Reference to be made to such items as Simcoe House, and Gustave Plitz (who farmed the land in the area). L3 SUGGESTED INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE RELATING TO PICKERING'S NATURAL HISTORY(with emphasis on the Monarch Trail) 1. Geological Heritage The formation of Pickering's lands from the receding of the glaciers, with reference to Lake Iroquois, the Oak Ridges Moraine, till plains, and drumlins. 2. Forest Zones Pickering is located at.the conjunction of two forest zones,both of which have significance for the types of flora and fauna to be found. 3. White Pine A very important species for the early economy of Pickering Township. 4. Breeding Birds Numbers and species of birds that breed in the vicinity of the bay, with special attention to regionally or provincially significant species such as Black and Common Terns.. 5. Migratory Shorebirds A common sight in the spring and especially the fall at the north end of the bay are the hundreds and even thousands of shorebirds that stop to feed at the mud flats. 6. Hydro Marsh Description of the ecology of the marsh with reference to such matters as effects of high and low waters, sedimentation, types of vegetation, importance to wildlife,role in water purification. 7. Monarch Butterfly The symbol for our trail, but also a species with an interesting ecology, one easily taught to schoolchildren. 8. Invasive Species Species such as Purple Loosestrife, Zebra Mussels, and Orconectes rusticus which have been introduced into our area and have caused great changes (and disruptions) in our ecology. 9. Amphibian monitoring An introduction to the various species in the area and reference to changes from the past in relation to a worldwide decline. Explanation of auditory stations. 10. Salmon Historically abundant and a major food source for Aboriginals and early settlers; now recovering after a long period of decline.