By Nancy Miller Chenier and Liz MacKenzie
The new development proposed for the Old Lady’s School site would see the heritage workers’ cottage at 281-283 Cumberland demolished. The property owner, Claude Lauzon Group is proposing demolition to make room for a development that would occupy the sites of 281-283 & 287 Cumberland and 207-209 Murray. The latter was already demolished in 2013, leaving but the north and east walls of Old Lady’s School and over a year’s worth of construction fencing and blocked foot traffic on Cumberland.
The proposed building has elevations on St. Patrick, Cumberland and Murray and it may be used for residential rentals. The community has concerns about the safety of an entrance to the underground garage off Murray Street, a busy region road. The elevation dwarfs the red brick heritage building on the corner.
The Lowertown Community Association Heritage Committee opposes the proposed demolition of 281-283 Cumberland Street, a rare example of an early building type in the Lowertown West Conservation District. This duplex workers’ cottage has a strong association with the early history of small industrial and retail businesses owned and managed by women, and their contribution to commerce and tenancy in Lowertown.
Both 281-283 Cumberland and the remains of Our Lady’s School resonate with the history of women from Lowertown’s early French and Irish residents.
At 283 Cumberland in particular, Adelaide Marenger, Marie Desilets and Hermiline Brunette turned to self-employment to sustain their families. As widows, they engaged in enterprises that could be conducted from their homes with revenue generating businesses – as landladies, storekeepers, and dressmakers.
The voices of Lowertown girls and their female teachers drawn from the ranks of the Sisters of Charity still echo within the two remaining walls of Our Lady’s School. Built on the site of the former Notre Dame School, Our Lady’s School continues to remind us of the rich Irish history of Lowertown. It also speaks to the struggle for separate school education for Catholics. From this school, throngs of energetic young girls were guided to morning mass at the newly constructed St Bridget’s Catholic Church across Cumberland Street.
The Statement of Cultural Heritage Value for the district states that “the history of Lowertown West is the history of generations of Ottawa’s working people, both French and English speaking, and the physical record of that social history, represented by both the institutions and the residential buildings, is a major cultural resource for the City of Ottawa.”
In a statement to the City, Heritage Ottawa supports the LCA position: “We are strongly opposed to the demolition of the properties at 281-283 Cumberland. Part of the important attributes of this Heritage Conservation District is the rhythm of the streetscape and the role that small residential and commercial properties have in its identity. The small buildings at 281-283 Cumberland are a key contributor to the heritage of the block.”
All properties in a Heritage Conservation District are designated under the Heritage Conservation Act. They are considered to be historically or culturally significant and require special care and attention in the planning process, to ensure that they are conserved.
The conservation principles set for the District recognize that heritage buildings with an unassuming appearance deserve the same respect and care: “much of the area consists of modest residential buildings, which are vernacular in design. Many of these buildings have been severely altered because their value as a historical and architectural resource has not been recognized. The guidelines should encourage better conservation of these structures.”
That said, development is most welcome on the Lauzon-owned property. For far too long, the community has watched Our Lady’s School boarded up and decaying: a neighbourhood eyesore and embarrassment. However, it is the responsibility of the developer to bring a proposal that respects the Heritage Conservation District in which it sits. The community has already lost a valuable building at 207-209 Murray Street through neglect by the same owner and there is no appetite to support another demolition.
In September 2013, Groupe Claude Lauzon was given permission to demolish 207-209 Murray and all but the south and west walls of Our Lady’s School. The agreement required the group to bring a development proposal for the site within two years. At that time, Heritage Ottawa asked that whatever replaces the building not be bigger than the original structure. An initial proposal featured a much taller building, and it is heartening that the new proposal reflects the zoning that limits height to 4 storeys.
The community has concerns about the safety of an entrance to the underground garage off Murray Street. The building dwarfs the red brick heritage building on the corner.
The proposal will be presented to the Built Heritage Sub-Committee on December 10, to Planning Committee on January 26, 2016 and to City Council on January 27. The LCA will speak at the Dec 10 and January 26 meetings.
Please send your comments to info@lowertownbasseville.ca