Hello supporters of the historic Port Hope Hospital
As we told you last week, Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson has called a Special Council Meeting for 6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 26th regarding the proposed designation of 65 Ward Street and to allow for consideration of the recent CRB report by Council.
The report from the CRB can be viewed in its entirety here: CRB Report - 65 Ward St.
In the report, the CRB recommends designation and states that the historic Port Hope Hospital buildings meet 2 of the 3 criteria for designation. Below we have highlighted several significant points noted by the CRB in their report.
Criterion 2: Historical or Associative Value
Does the property have historical or associative value because it has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to the community? (s. 1(2)2i)
[80] On the evidence before it, the Review Board finds that the Property has historical or associative value because it has direct associations with a theme or activity that is significant to the community. The Review Board finds that the Property is directly associated with several themes from the first half of the 20th century: the history and development of Port Hope; the history of health care in Port Hope; the evolution of health care in Ontario; and the history of nursing and nursing training in Ontario. It is also associated with the activity of health care providers during the First World War, including the treatment of injured soldiers and veterans and the Spanish Flu epidemic.
[81] The Municipality, the Objectors, and some of the participants spoke movingly of the importance of this Property and the buildings on it as they relate to the history and development of Port Hope.
[82] All of the parties and participants also spoke to the role of this site in the evolution of health care in Port Hope, and in Ontario generally, a point made several times by objectors Mrs. Brown and Ms. Haley and participant Mr. McLaughlin. Indeed, the existence of both the Cottage Hospital and the Hospital, on the same site, clearly demonstrates this evolution. That both survive and are found together, is significant.
[83] The Review Board notes that the Legion also supports the designation since this hospital played a critical recuperative role in the health of soldiers and veterans of the First World War. Other than Mr. McLaughlin, who touched on it indirectly, no one spoke of the connection of Hope Street Terrace to this ongoing story of the evolution of health care, locally, provincially, and nationally. The Objectors spoke of the importance of the Hope Street building as a community as well. Regrettably, no evidence was explicitly provided to show whether Hope Street Terrace also contributed to heritage value.
[84] As the Review Board in Faghani v. Toronto (City), 2018 CanLII 37799 (ON CONRB), noted: “the definition of ‘community’ is fluid and can be expanded, contracted, or specialized depending on the circumstances.” In this case, the Property is directly associated with themes that are significant to the Municipality but also at a provincial or even national level. It is also vital to the community of veterans as demonstrated by the Legion’s support for designation.
[85] The Review Board is satisfied that the property does have significant historical or associative value because of its direct associations with these themes and activities and therefore recommends designation under this criterion.
Criterion 3: Contextual Value
The property has contextual value because it is vital in defining, keeping, and supporting the character of an area (s. 1(2)3i)
The Property has contextual value because it is a landmark (s.1(2)3iii)
[95] The Municipality argues that the property functions as a landmark. In Qureshi v. Mississauga (City), 2015 CanLII 99223 (ON CONRB), the Review Board considered what a landmark means in the context of O. Reg. 9/06 and determined that it involves a “landmark in the context of its community.”
[96] In this case, the Review Board heard much testimony to support the idea that the Property functions as both a symbolic and geographic landmark in the Port Hope community. The Hospital is a large and commanding presence on an important arterial road, it has generous setbacks, and its large, institutional design is surrounded by much smaller residential buildings. It would even seem to be a symbolic landmark for veterans as demonstrated by the support for designation of the Royal Canadian Legion.
[97] The Review Board is satisfied that the criterion for landmark has been met.
For more information on the CRB report and the options that ACO Port Hope have tried to communicate to the council and the opposition, please click here.
Port Hope council does not plan on making a decision during the March 26th meeting, their decision on the designation is expected to be made at the following Council meeting, on April 2, 2019.
We hope that the Council will not underestimate the importance of the CRB report. There are very few buildings that receive the designation of "landmark." This is reserved for extraordinary buildings, Town Halls, Cathedrals, large Government Buildings, such as the old Post Office we have already lost and so on. To have confirmed the Old Hospital buildings as a Landmark is critically important. We should not even entertain the idea of losing another important Landmark.
There is no doubt in our minds that the burden of proof has been met and the historic Port Hope hospital buildings at 65 Ward St. should be designated without opposition. However, the battle continues. Even after the CRB report, some council members remain unconvinced that 65 Ward St. should be designated.
We're running out of time, and this is our last chance to help save the historic Port Hope hospital buildings at 65 Ward St.
If you are close enough, please attend to show your support.
Location: Port Hope Town Hall / 56 Queen St.
Date: Tuesday, March 26th
Time: 6:30 PM
If you can't attend, please take 5 minutes and send an email to the Port Hope council.
Port Hope Council Email List:
Mayor Bob Sanderson - mayor@porthope.ca
Deputy Mayor Les Andrews - landrews@porthope.ca
Councillor John Bickle - jbickle@porthope.ca
Councillor Laurie Carr - lcarr@porthope.ca
Councillor Jeff Lees - jlees@porthope.ca
Councillor Wendy Meadows - wmeadows@porthope.ca
Councillor Vicki Mink - vmink@porthope.ca
Please CC the following municipal staff on ALL emails regarding this issue.
Brian Gilmer / Director of Corporate Services / Clerk
bgilmer@porthope.ca
and
Tom Dodds / Director of Community Development
tdodds@porthope.ca
We need to help the council and residents understand why we need to save the historic Port Hope hospital buildings and preserve the memory and history of everything these buildings stand for in our community.
Thank you to all for your support.
ACO Port Hope