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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 22, 2025 Page 1 of 5 Minutes/Meeting Summary Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee January 22, 2025 Electronic Meeting 7:00 pm Attendees: N. Brewster S. Croteau C. Doody-Hamilton L. Jeffrey R. Smiles M. Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage (Staff Liaison) A. MacGillivray, Council & Committee Coordinator (Recording Secretary) Absent: R. Anderson A. Bhadra S. Monaghan J. White Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) 1. Review and Approval of Agenda Moved by S. Croteau Seconded by C. Doody-Hamilton That the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda of January 22, 2025 be approved. Carried 2. Disclosure of Interest No disclosures of interest were noted. 3. Approval of Minutes Moved by R. Smiles Seconded by S. Croteau That the November 27, 2024 Meeting Minutes be approved. Carried 4. Delegations There were no delegations Page 2 of 5 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) 5. New Business 5.1 Memorandum from Matthew Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage Re: Notice of Intent to Demolish 575 Highway 7 – The Vardon House M. Somerville provided a background on 575 Highway 7 (The Vardon House) and indicated that the owner had submitted a Notice of Intent to Demolish to the City, accompanied by an updated Heritage Impact Assessment as well as a draft Commemoration Plan. Discussion ensued amongst the Committee regarding: • which Committee Members were involved in the original discussion regarding The Vardon House; • identifying the structure as a Gothic-Revival farmhouse, of which the lacey gingerbread trim should be identified as a key character defining element of the house and celebrated through the commemoration; • concerns regarding the amount of time to implement a commemoration into the nearby Green River Cemetery due to the anticipated Highway 7 road widening work over the next decade; • concerns regarding the proximity to the Federal Pickering Airport lands; • whether commemoration could be incorporated on the anticipated patio of the Learning Centre; • whether a large commemoration piece could be considered that is visible to those driving on Highway 7 and Highway 407; • concerns regarding the anticipated Learning Centre patio not being accessible to the general public; • the importance of considering appropriate scale when determining the commemoration; • the commemoration piece located at SmartCentres Markham (Copper Creek Drive, Markham, ON) • historical full size metal statues located in Ottawa, ON of notable figures; • the commemoration piece of steel horses located at RioCan Windfields in Oshawa (Windfield Farms Road and Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON) • whether salvaging of material will be considered; • the importance of having a place for salvaged items to be stored or used; Page 3 of 5 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) • clarification that the interior and exterior of the building had been photographed; • whether more artistic photography of the Vardon House could be captured; • whether the City of Pickering archives have any material that represent the Vardon House; • whether there was opportunity to incorporate commemoration (e.g. photograph, painting) into the Learning Centre at FGF; • salvage and documentation of materials being outlined in Option 3 of the updated Heritage Impact Assessment; and, • that identification and documentation of “character” items be considered. Moved by N. Brewster Seconded by C. Doody-Hamilton 1. That the Pickering Heritage Advisory Committee advise Council that the property located at 575 Highway 7 does not merit cultural heritage designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act; 2. That 575 Highway 7 be removed from the Pickering Heritage Register; and, 3. That Council directs staff to continue working with the applicant to finalize a Commemoration Plan. This shall include identifying character items for salvage and documentation of those items, and report back to the Pickering Heritage Advisory Committee. Carried 5.2 Verbal Update from Matthew Somerville, Senior Planner, Heritage Re: Number of Municipally Managed Cemeteries in Pickering Matthew Somerville informed the Committee that the City looked after eight (8) cemeteries. Discussion ensued amongst Committee Members regarding: • whether the Committee could be provided a map or information of where the cemeteries are located; M. Somerville to contact J. Sabbean regarding potentially photographing and/or painting the Vardon House. M. Somerville to follow up with City Clerk for additional information including the cemeteries that Pickering recognizes and whether a map or list could be provided. Page 4 of 5 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) • challenges regarding municipal addressing of some cemetery sites; • challenges regarding cemeteries on private property; • cemeteries being of heritage value and how they provide historical information; • clarification regarding active and inactive cemeteries, and those under the City’s care; • the designation of cemeteries with distinct heritage features in Richmond Hill in the Village core; • interest in what cemeteries the City recognizes, both active and inactive; • a cemetery located by the former Pine Ridge Nurseries on Brock Road; • the Care and Maintenance Funds used to manage cemetery properties being limited to fuel for lawn mowing; • a rural cemetery in Oshawa that congregated headstones into a corner feature; • the Post cemetery and work on the site plan to incorporate an appropriate public art piece; • Christie’s Methodist Cemetery located in the Bridlewood Mall parking lot (Warden Avenue and Finch Avenue, Toronto, ON); • whether a grave located on private property in the area of Kingston Road and Altona Road is a native burial site or that of the family of Joseph Black; • clarification that when native burial sites are discovered, it is not often disclosed to prevent disruption of the site; and, • the general curiosity regarding cemeteries in Pickering. 6. Other Business 6.1 Committee Member Identification S. Croteau inquired whether the City would be issuing Committee Members official identification for use at any potential site visits during the term. 6.2 Transition to Microsoft Teams A. MacGillivray informed the Committee that the City is migrating to the Microsoft Teams platform for electronic participation in public meetings. M. Somerville to follow up and report back to the Committee regarding this matter. Page 5 of 5 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) 7. Next Meeting The next regular meeting of the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee is scheduled for February 26, 2025. 8. Adjournment Moved by C. Doody-Hamilton Seconded by N. Brewster That the meeting be adjourned. Carried Meeting Adjourned: 8:00 pm