Contact
LACAC Heritage Whitby
Planning and Development Dept.
Town of Whitby
Phone: 905.430.4306
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.whitby.ca/heritage
2014 Committee Members
Margaret Clayton, Chair
John Ecker, Vice Chair
James Brown
Lynn Collins
Rita Edgell
Steve Gusterson
Katherine Hull
Rick McDonnell
Sue Pitchforth
Councillor Elizabeth Roy
David Slute
Brian Winter
Staff:
Stephen Ashton, Planner
Maria McDonnell, Manager
Daren Zuk, Planning Intern
King Brothers Tannery, ca. 1916
(Source: Whitby Archives)
60 Years of Lost Whitby
Treasures
Newsletter │ Spring 2014
By Brian Winter, Retired Archivist, Town of Whitby
The Town of Whitby was generally intact until 60 years ago,
when a process of modernization and demolition began. This
process also occurred in many Canadian communities and was
reflective of the era. In May, 1954, the first of many of Whitby’s
fine old buildings was demolished. This was the home of the
late Mrs. Theodore McGillivray, on the north-west corner of
Dundas and Perry Streets. Built in the 1860s or early 1870s, it
was constructed for the Campbell family who had a grocery and
wine shop in downtown Whitby.
The McGillivray house was demolished to build a Grand Union
store, Whitby's first modern supermarket. In July of 1954, the
King Brothers' Tannery was demolished (see photo of left of
page). This was located in the block bounded by Brock, Gilbert,
Green and Dunlop Streets. The tannery, established in 1863,
had closed in 1952. It was replaced by the Whitby Plaza, with
the largest part being a Dominion store, now called No Frills.
Several other buildings were demolished, including the Samuel
Trees House (now the site of the library), in 1958, the Old Post
Office (site of Lafontaine Store) in 1959, and the Old Town Hall
(site of the former Fire Hall at Brock and Colborne) in 1960. The
Old Blanket Factory (Brock north of Mary Street) was
demolished in 1962 and the Old Buckle Factory (site of FreshCo
on Brock South) in 1966. And so it went. It was not until 1967,
when Canada celebrated its Centennial, that people began to
take an interest in historic buildings. Luckily, the old Court
House on Centre Street South was converted into a Community
Centre as Whitby’s Centennial Project.
Inside This Issue
A Good Year for
Whitby’s Heritage _______ Page 1
A Rare Architectural Style at
St. John’s Roman Catholic Church,
Whitby _____________ Pages 2-3
60 Years of Lost
Whitby Treasures _______ Page 4
Mayor Pat Perkins at the
“Unveiling of the Plaque”
Ceremony at Intrepid Park.
In the years of 1977-78, several other Whitby historic buildings
were demolished. These include the Almonds United Church,
the old Whitby Baptist Church, the Joseph King Estate, the
Presbyterian Manse and many other historic structures.
Becoming alarmed at these demolitions, the Town Council voted
the following year (1978) to establish a Local Architectural
Advisory Committee (LACAC) to recommend designation of
architectural and historical landmarks under the Ontario Heritage
Act. In the past 36 years the Town of Whitby has designated
nearly 60 buildings and established a Heritage Conservation
District in Brooklin. Three heritage districts are now proposed for
the old Town of Whitby. Demolition has largely changed to
conservation and adaptive reuse.
For further information regarding
the Local Architectural
Conservation Advisory Committee
(LACAC Heritage Whitby) visit the
Town of Whitby website at
www.whitby.ca/heritage.
A Good Year for Whitby’s Heritage
By Margaret Clayton, Chair LACAC Heritage Whitby
There have been a number of positive outcomes for Whitby’s
rich heritage resources over the past twelve months. On May 3rd,
2014 Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites and Monuments
Board held the “Unveiling of the Plaque” Ceremony at Whitby’s
Intrepid Park, identifying “Secret Intelligence Activities at Camp
X” as a National Historic Event of Canada. This was the result
of LACAC Heritage Whitby’s 2009 application to the Board.
Over the past year, LACAC has been supportive of the
establishment of a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) in
Downtown Whitby and the proposed Werden’s Plan HCD in the
area surrounding the Centennial Building. The Lynde House,
Whitby’s oldest building and dating to the War of 1812, was
relocated to Burns and Brock Streets by the Town of Whitby in
late 2013. In March 2014, the Town of Whitby decided to
purchase the former Ontario County Land Registry Office
through the Province of Ontario’s Infrastructure Ontario
Department with a plan for adaptive reuse of the building. Both
properties are within the Werden’s Plan area.
Several members were recognized for their volunteer
commitment to LACAC in 2013-2014. Rick McDonnell received
the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Lieutenant Governor's Ontario
Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement. As well, in March
2014, six members were recognized for their volunteer service to
LACAC through the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards - Brian
Winter, Rick McDonnell, Margaret Clayton, Steve Gusterson,
John Ecker, and Rita Edgell.
In 2014, residents of the The Whitby Shores Community
expressed their support for retaining the former Doctor’s
Residence of the Old Whitby Psychiatric Hospital at a
community meeting. LACAC is hopeful that this last remaining
building from the Hospital will be retained and preserved through
adaptive reuse within the new development.
The past twelve months have been a busy year for LACAC
Heritage Whitby. As Richard Alway, Chairman of the Nation
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada said during the
Camp X Unveiling of the Plaque Ceremony: “How we
remember our past is important. It helps us define
ourselves as a nation. It gives us meaning and context.”
A Rare Architectural
Style at St. John’s
Roman Catholic
Church, Whitby
By John Ecker, Vice-chair of LACAC Heritage
Whitby, Parishioner at St. John the Evangelist
Roman Catholic Church.
What do Calgary’s Saddledome and Whitby’s St.
John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church have
in common? No, they are not both places of
worship, although some Calgary Flames fans might
argue the point.
Both structures feature a hyperbolic paraboloid
roof. A what? Nicknamed ‘hypars’ the style of roof
reached its zenith in the 1960s. The American
Heritage Science Dictionary describes a hyperbolic
paraboloid as a “surface of which all sections
parallel to one coordinate plane are hyperbolas and
all sections parallel to another coordinate plane are
parabolas.” In practical terms, hypar roofs allow
longer unsupported spans, walls of glass and
require less building material per square foot.
So the question then is: How did such an
interesting and uncommon shape land in the form
of a church in Whitby, Ontario? The answer comes
in three parts - the times, the use, and the budget.
Photo: Aerial photo postcard, circa 1959
(Source: Archives of the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Toronto)
First, when Pastor Leo J. Austin and his
parishioners determined it was time for a new
church, the mid-late modern era style of
architecture was very strong. The trend at the time
included unique building materials, open beams,
interesting floor plans, and glass walls. Such ‘thin
shell’ construction was very popular. Geometric
design supported the use of light and efficient
materials and provided for a dramatic aesthetic
effect. Many people have assumed that the design
of St. John’s was the result of the massive changes
to the Catholic Church during the Vatican II era, but
this is incorrect. The church was completed in 1958
and Vatican II was not convened until 1959.
of such dimensions has such a roof.” That building
in Claremont is the Cleeve Horne Home, also built
in 1958, as a retreat for the renowned artist.
Pickering designated the home under the Ontario
Heritage Act in 2000, and was a popular stop on
that city’s 2013 Doors Open schedule.
Second, Father Austin was a strong and visionary
leader. Included with an August 15, 1958 letter to
Cardinal James McGuigan, Archbishop of Toronto,
Fr. Austin attached a brief document called “Our
Plans.” The new church, he wrote, “will be a
modern contemporary structure, using the latest
methods and materials at hand to the best
advantage to create a simplified, functional and
devotional edifice to the Glory of God.” He
continued, “This unique design will provide a clear
and unobstructed view of the Main Altar for the
Church’s capacity of 600. In addition, there will be
no pews any great distance from the Altar - a
welcome asset.”
The hypar design proved to be more popular in the
United States, with several fine examples in the
American northwest and California. Carlton Hills
Lutheran Church (1961) in Santee, northeast of
San Diego is very reminiscent of Whitby’s St.
John’s Church. Carlton Hills’ architect, Robert E.
DesLauriers received an Award of Merit from the
American Institute of Architects for his design.
Third, the cost of the new structure was affordable,
owing to the design, which provided a large worship
space for less cost than for other similar size
buildings. In 1957, the estimated cost was
$200,000. With the financial generosity of
parishioners, work progressed quickly. The Daily
Times-Gazette (Oshawa) covered the Sunday, May
4, 1958 sod-turning event, attended by hundreds,
including numerous local politicians and dignitaries.
The paper gave this account of Cardinal
McGuigan’s comments, “Noting the modern
architecture of the new church, His Eminence said
he was ‘not able to appreciate fully what we call
modern art. We’re going to have, at least something
different.’ ”
On August 8, 1958, The Daily Times-Gazette
(Oshawa) wrote in an article about the new church
that “There is a smaller roof of the same type on a
home in Claremont but no other building in Canada
The August 12, 1958 edition of the Globe and Mail
noted “Architectural history was made in Whitby
tonight (August 11) when contractors poured a
concrete slab roof … [t]he roof is in the form of a
hyperbolic paraboloid or saddle type, and architect
Frank H. Burcher of Hamilton says it is the only one
of its size and nature in Canada.”
St. John’s has undergone several changes over the
years, but the exterior remains much as it was in
1958. The interior space, including the sanctuary,
has been updated to reflect new church liturgy. The
baptismal font was moved from the foyer to the left
of the altar. The original crying room has been
replaced by expanded bathroom facilities. The
heating system in the floor recently failed and a
new gas furnace is being installed—along with
much welcomed air conditioning. The roof has also
undergone repairs over the years amid some
concern that the hypar design may be part of the
problem.
Father Damian Ali, pastor at St. John’s since 2012,
is growing in his appreciation of the unique church
he oversees. “The open concept is warm and
inviting. Despite the challenges, it’s a wonderful,
welcoming space.”
St. John the Evangelist church in Whitby remains
one of Canada’s best examples of unusual and rare
hyperbolic paraboloid roof architecture.
Photo: Fr. Damian Ali, Pastor of St. John’s,
stands next to one of the south side buttresses
that support the hypar roof.
(Source: John Ecker)
Photo: St. John’s,circa 2014.
(Source: John Ecker)
A message from your
LACAC Heritage
Whitby members
Members of LACAC Heritage Whitby are
interested in hearing any questions or concerns
you may have regarding heritage in the Whitby
area. Please feel free to contact the committee for
any inquiries you may have at [email protected]
or 905.430.4306.