TRADITIONAL CUT STONE LTD.
Hand Crafted Masterpieces in Natural Stone
A Stone Age Revival
Published In:
National Post
Date:
Saturday, June 11, 2005
TCS Article 006
Craftsmen using traditional tools are helping to bring Toronto’s
Old City Hall back to its Romanesque glory - even if it means
tapping and English quarry.
The bell on the tower at Old City Hall strikes six o’clock. The
courts have shut, the accused have been returned to prison, the
judges and lawyers have gone home. Height above where
traffic and people stream along Bay and Queen streets, James
Young, a fresh-faced Newfoundlander, is leading me on a
scramble up and down the maze of scaffolding erected for the
conservation of this Romanesque Revival masterpiece.
Abruptly, Mr. Young, the construction supervisor, stops and
points to a decoration on a dormer, five stories up on the south
side. There, among leaves, branches, and flowers etched into
the red sandstone, is a new carving of a man’s face.
“Lawrence [Voaides, master stone carver at Traditional Cut
Stone Ltd.] did that”, says Mr. Young, “I don’t know who it is. He
carved his own face, too, and a third face, though I’m not sure
where they are.”
Well, what the heck. If you’re going to embark on a gargantuan
restoration of Old City Hall that takes longer - and costs at least
15 times as much - as building the behemoth in the first place,
then you might as well have some fun while you’re at it.
Photos: Above right, Grigore Rotaru of
Traditional Cut Stone works a slab of red
sandstone that will be used to replace aging
stonework on the Old City Hall in Toronto
TRADITIONAL CUT STONE LTD.
Hand Crafted Masterpieces in Natural Stone
A Stone Age Revival
TCS Article 006
After all, Mr. Voaides is in good company. Edward james
the mayor said then.
Lennox, the Toronto architect who built this place, showed his
Sandstone, though, deteriorates
own mischievous side in 1899. City Hall was years late and way
with age. On March 9, 1921, the jaw
over budget and Mr. Lennox was taking flak. Just before the
of a gargoyle on the clock tower
ribbon-cutting, his team carved satirical portraits of
crashed through the roof, narrowly
meddlesome city councillors - and a flattering portrait of himself
missing a draftsman in the Works
- visible to this day, right over the main entrance. (The city also
department on the attic floor.
refused to pay his whole bill and forbade a plaque with his
Fearing for public safety, the city
name; in retaliation he carved “E.J. Lennox Architect A.D. 1898”
removed the four clock tower
in foot-high letters in the bracket at the eaves that wrap the
gargoyles, leaving eight other gargoyles in place. Things were okay
building).
for about 75 years (aside from that little problem in the 1960s when a
Photos: The tools of the trade.
popular uprising saved Old City Hall from demolition for the Eaton
If you’re like me or any of the other accused with business (in
Centre).
my case, a traffic ticket) at Old City Hall, you blow by the
scaffolds, wrapped in green netting against sandstone dust,
Then, in 1996, a chunk of sandstone fell off by the main entrance,
and wonder “When the heck are they going to be done with the
“narrowly missing a member of the public,” recalls George
restoration work?” City councillors have roughly the same
Parcalidis, project manager in the City of Toronto’s Facilities and Real
assessment of the job. But I stopped for a closer look and
Estate division. “It was a close call. It was a blessing in disguise,
discovered one of Toronto’s most remarkable undertakings: the
allowing us to address the serious deterioration.”
loving and painstaking job, involving 1,500 pieces of stone, of
restoring the city’s architectural masterpiece.
In 1997, the city began restoration. They hired The Ventin Group as
architects, who put Peter Burton in charge of the job. It was a poetic
E.J. Lennox, also architect of Casa Loma and the King Edward
choice: Mr. Berton’s father, author Pierre Berton, had fought to save
Hotel, won the commission for what we now call Old City Hall in
Old City Hall in the 1960s. Restorers ran into a small problem, though:
1886. The city put aside $1.6-million. Costs soared; Torontonians
the quarries of Mr. Lennox’s day have shut down.
voted in two plebiscites to continue the job. Sandstone came
from New Brunswick and the Forks of the Credit in Caledon;
“Look at this country!” exclaims Mr. Parcalidis. “All kinds of natural
granite came from Orangeville. Then years later Mayor John
resources and no active quarry here in Ontario that produces red
Shaw opened the still-unfinished building, by then costing $2.5-
sandstone.” Which leads us to the bizarre spectacle of Toronto
million.
importing 25 containerloads from the quarries of Hulberton, N.Y.
“Great buildings symbolize a people’s deeds and aspirations,”
So far, along with spending $15-million on a new copper roof, the city
TRADITIONAL CUT STONE LTD.
Hand Crafted Masterpieces in Natural Stone
A Stone Age Revival
has spent $23-million on the masonry restoration. In phase I,
they replaced selected stones on the main entrance. In 2000, as
that job ended, another 20 kg gargoyle jaw fell off on the north
side. It was timely; “We were seeking funding for the second
phase,” says Mr. Parcalidis. Council approved it. In phase II,
they restored the west and north entrances. In phase III, the 79metre high clock tower - for which four 3- metre bronze
gargoyles were cast - was restored. Now they’re on phase IV,
restoring the Queen and Bay Street sides, and repointing every
stone. It is a dusty, hot and tricky job, and there is an additional
danger: incurring the wrath of a judge.
“A guy with a little airgun was cleaning out mortar joints and
the sound was going right down into the courtroom,” recalls Mr.
Young, the supervisor.
“I got hauled in front of a judge in J court. She made me wait
half an hour and then threatened to hold me in contempt of
court.”
That would not be good, so Mr. Young switched the job to nights
for the past two weeks. Once the old stone is gone he can
resume working days, he says, to install new stone for the rest
of the summer.
TCS Article 006
Photos: Side, a mystery face amid the
gallery of gargoyles.