Transcript - Approves Designations for Church and Home - Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee

Approves Designations for Church and Home - Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee - March 10, 2026

Okay, good evening everyone. Happy March. Happy warm weather, sunshine. It's so nice. We're here. We're here for Heritage Advisory Committee, our March meeting. So, welcome. And we will begin with a land acknowledgement. Grimsby is situated on treaty land. This land is steeped in the rich history of the first nations such as the Harendarok, Tanosoni and the Anastav including the Missosagas of the Credit First Nation. There are many First Nations, Matei and Inuit people from across Turtle Island that live and work in Niagara today. The regional municipality of Niagara and Grimby stand with all indigenous peoples past and present in promoting the wise stewardship on the lands on which we live. Thank you. Okay, moving on. Are there any disclosures of pecuinary interest tonight? Getting nos. We will then move to the agenda. We took a look at the agenda today. Any questions, comments on the agenda? We'll then have my resolution here uh that the March 10th, 2026 Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee agenda be approved. I'll need a mover. Councelor DeFlavio and a seconder. We have Brian. All in favor? That's carried. Fantastic. and then we'll move on to uh the February 2026 minutes. Those are sent around today. Any questions or comments on the minutes? They look good. Great. All right. My resolution that the Grimby Heritage Advisory Committee minutes of February 10th, 2026 be received. I'll need a mover. Councelor Christi and a seconder to Fabio. All in favor? That's carried. Perfect. Okay. So, it looks like we have no verbal updates tonight. Uh and we'll move on right into our our reports. We have two uh designation research reports for Ontar 19 Ontario Street and six Maple Avenue. And I think Mike will be presenting both of those. So Mike, go ahead when you are ready. Thank you. Through you, chair. Staff would like to note that all property owners have been informed of the proposed designations of their properties. Uh we'd also like to note that one of tonight's property owners uh did approach staff about the possibility of designation um and did tell us that they love living in a piece of Grimby history uh which is the kind of collaboration and uh close coordination that we like like to have. Uh staff would also like to thank the Grimby Historical Society for their continued contributions towards the conservation of the town's cultural heritage value as well as the contributions of Wayne Mullins of Legacy Research. Um, as said, we have two properties tonight. The first of which is 19 Ontario, St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Uh, this is one of the oldest churches in Grimby and the first purpose-built Methodist church in the town. Based on the assessment of cultural heritage value or interest, staff recommend that the property at 19ario regulation 906. The property meets the criteria for design and physical value because 19 Ontario Street is an early and representative example of a brick church in Grimby. Built in 1865 in a romanesque style and expanded in 1897, the structure includes angled buttresses, stone gable caps, lancet style decorative reliefs, and a brick vestibule that encompasses the main entrance. The historic church also includes Orthodox crosses added during its 1948 conversion to St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The property meets the criteria for historical value and associative value because 19 Ontario is directly associated with the Methodist and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in Grimby as well as with Grimby's Methodist or Orthodox and Ukrainian communities and has been in continuous church related use for 161 years. As Grimby's first purpose-built Methodist church, the subject structure represents an early and important example in Grimby of the widespread transition from the wide-ranging circuits of early Methodist preachers to more permanent and centralized church practices. The church's construction was paid for almost entirely by the congregation, and its 1897 edition was undertaken primarily to provide more space for a Sunday school and other community functions such as music and theater. After the creation of Trinity United Church, 19 Ontario Street became a parish hall. In 1948, the subject structure was purchased by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada and became St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, receiving its first hierarchical visitation that same year. The church's first resident Orthodox priest, Father Wasili Fedek, later went on to become bishop of Saskatchewan and primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada. The church soon established a Sunday school and a Ukrainian heritage school, providing Ukrainian language education to Ukrainian Canadians of all faiths. 19 Ontario Street also yields information about social and religious life along Ontario Street and about the development of one of Grimby's main thorough affairs. The property meets the criteria for contextual value because 19 Ontario Street has been a defining architectural feature along Ontario Street since its construction in 1865. The scale, mass, and form of the historic church building is a focal point along the southern section of Ontario Street. Visually distinguishable from its surroundings, marking it out as an historic center for one of Grimby's oldest neighborhoods. The church has been a center for community life since 1865 and is physically, visibly, functionally, and historically tied to this neighborhood and the Ontario Street corridor. In this regard, the historic church building acts and has long acted as a landmark and can be easily identified from vantage points along the Niagara escarment. In summary, based on the assessment of cultural heritage value or interest and significant findings, staff recommend that the property at 19 Ontario Street be designated under part four of the Ontario Heritage Act. Thank you. Go back here. Thank you, Mike. Uh so I think this is a good reminder to first say that with the new or new how we're packaging these designation reports. So there's going to be one uh resolution at the end but we're going to go through each report individually give comment on each and then move on. Correct. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. I was thinking about that as you as you were speaking but I didn't want to interrupt. Thank you for that report. So, do we have any questions regarding uh 19 Ontario Street for for the planners today? Okay. Um, I had a couple questions. So, first, because this is a church, um, I know that I think it was last year or the year before, there were changes to Ontario Heritage Act when it comes to religious institutions. Um I don't I I just I'm just curious if you could remind us what those are if you know off the top of your head because I I believe I want to make sure that how this is designated um is it has those in mind and and what what those changes were. Thank you for your question uh through the chair. Um yes. So legislative changes recently came through that basically uh ensured that uh worship and practice of the faith cannot be impacted by the designation. So if the congregation needs to do something for the purposes of their worship um they are able to do that. There's some like additional provisions but we would work directly with them but that's like the intent behind the provision. Um, I also wanted to note like we've uh that we have been talking with the church and the congregation and we're going to be meeting with them in the next couple of weeks to really talk about the details of it. Um, but we shared with them similar to how we have with all the other churches is that um, their community is valuable to us and we want to make sure that all these different communities are represented in the buildings we protect. Um, so we're looking forward to that. The grant funding was also something they're very interested in. Um so we're looking forward to those discussions but um that is something we also talked about with them and we've seen that with some of the other dascese that we've met with for like the Anglican church and things like that. They're very aware of the the policies in the heritage act and um yeah we've been explaining to them like how that works. So I think it helps us meet a balance of protecting the building while not stopping. Yeah. So thank you. Thank you for reminding us. I I I I knew there was changes, but I I couldn't quite find them as quickly as I wanted to today. So, I just wanted to ask and that's great. And I think again, like hearing the stories, um I didn't realize how, you know, visibility Ukrainian Canadian community was in Grimby during that postc World War period. Um and seeing them like seeing that community and the impacts that they had on on the church. Um I think that that's a really cool story. So, so I agree. Um, and the interior, the the one shot you took was gorgeous. It sounds like um I'm not sure we can do interior designations. We don't we don't want to do that, but I do wonder if there's a way that we can acknowledge the the craftsmanship that went into the interior as well because it sounds like that was added later by a significant Ukrainian architect also. Uh, so is I was wondering if there is a way to kind of note that craftsmanship without necessarily designating it because it sounds like that might go against the changes to to the Heritage Act uh through the chair. So, there is like an opportunity like if they had said to us that was something they would want to protect, there is an opportunity to add in interior features. They're just hard to regulate because you can't be inside the buildings. Um but um if we said do if say we did protect it, they wanted to protect it and then in the future their worship changed and the way their layouts changed and they had to make adjustments again that would have the protection of um the new legislation to not have it impact their worship. But I think anyways we would want to work with a congregation like that. Um so that's why we were so supportive of those um the introduction of those policies cuz it's something we want to do, right? is to work together. So, I think that those policies may give us balance if that was something they were interested in, but I think we'd leave interior up to them for sure. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm glad you were having those conversations. And that's why like again, I don't know if I'm I'm not suggesting that kind of protection, but just acknowledging the work that that went into it and and you know, kind of giving the community a chance to really celebrate that work that I didn't know. I've never been in the church, so I didn't know that that that that was there. So, it's really cool to see and if we were able to commemorate it and to celebrate it. Uh that does bring me to just one other um one I have a question just about the 9006 when it comes to um the noting the like the the builders. Um and you it's kind of cool that we have like the names for the brick layers and the plasterers and we don't often get the names of like the laborers who build this house. So, I think that was really cool to add that and for that to be 1865 again like we don't often get like the laborers that are attached to the house or to the to the building. But it did make me think that if we are recognizing the plasterers that would have been inside interior that it might be worth also recognizing the architect who buil who built the the nave inside. Yes. Um he has his own website. So I was doing a little bit of reading. It sounds like uh Vimir Slipchenko I think is his name. So he was Ukrainian heritage. Um spent a lot of time in Hamilton. Really involved with the art and design community in in Hamilton and on in Ottawa as well. So really involved. Doesn't seem like he was the most present father and husband, but uh really into his work. So that should be something that we can and that we might be able to celebrate in the 906. um as well as Yuri Kodak since he was involved with the expansion as well. So just suggestions because we are paying tribute to the 1865 builders kind of kind of interesting to see that evolution of of who contributed to the the building over time. Uh pardon me through you chair. That's a very good idea and I do think we will be adding that to the 906. Great. Thank you. Um, any other questions or comments on the building? Okay. Thank you for for your work on this one. It's really exciting to see. If there's no other questions, then we can continue on to six Maple Avenue. Thank you. Through you, chair. Our next property is a residential property on Maple Avenue. uh one of the oldest surviving structures that was part of a a rather important residential subdivision along the main street east corridor. Based on the assessment of cultural heritage value or interest, staff recommend that the property at 6 Maple Avenue be designated under part four of the Ontario Heritage Act. Staff have concluded that the property has met seven out of the nine prescribed criteria of the Ontario Regulation 906. The property meets the criteria for design and physical value because six maple Avenue is a representative and significantly intact example of the Italian8 architectural style featuring sandstone foundations, red brick walls and two frontest pieces. It also features significant surviving external woodwork including a two-story porch, scroll scroll saw brackets and trellised arches creating a distinct appearance from among Grimby's surviving Italian8 dwellings. The surviving woodwork also displays a high degree of craftsmanship, being both expertly crafted and having survived over a century of exposure to weather. The property meets the criteria for historical value and associative value because Six Maple Avenue has direct associations with Grimby's long and important history of fruit farming. Parcelled from the historic farm of Abraham Nellis by his grandson Beverly Nellis, the property was built for retired fruit farmer John Aphendi White and was the home of working or retired farmers and horiculturalists from 1903 into the 1960s. The subject dwelling was built by Henry James Plain, a brick layer and contractor who lived and worked in Grimby from the 1870s until 1904 and was responsible for work on many of the fine brick homes that lined Main Street East. He was also the principal masonry contractor for the construction of the Wolverton Baptist Church, demonstrating both his talent and the high regard with which he was held in Grimby. Six Maple is also closely associated with Reverend George McMurray Ross and his son, Latutenant Russell Ross, a family of Scottish immigrants who arrived in Grimby in 1910. The Rosses operated a bakery and tea room at four Main Street West while living in the subject dwelling. Reverend Ross ministered part-time to numerous Grimby churches, remaining an active member of the Grimby Horicultural Society's board of directors years after the family moved away from Grimby and is known to have cultivated fruit trees at his six maple property. His son, Latutenant Russell Ross, joined the second draons of the active militia soon after immigrating to Grimby and was among the first Grimsbyes to depart for service in Europe in 1914. He was killed in action at the Battle of Mount Surell in June in 1916. The subject property is also associated with Charles McCain, a machinist, plumber, and contractor. McCain moved to Grimby in 1919 after years living and working near Cobalt, Ontario at the heart of the province's silver mining boom. McCain took up farming in Grimby and within four years had become a member of the Grimby Horicultural Society's board of directors. The McCaines were also responsible for building the subject property's current garage. 6 Maple Avenue has the potential to yield information about the development of Maple Avenue as well as Beverly Nellis's plan number 63, one of the main or one of the Main Street East corridors earliest subdivisions. Plan number 63 was one of several subdivisions that made Main Street East a unique mix of urban development and continuing agricultural practice. The subject dwelling also reflects the highquality craftsmanship of Henry James plane and features elements unique amongst his known surviving work value because six Maple Avenue is one of the oldest surviving structures along Maple Avenue and is a clear and intact example of its long history of development. The subject dwelling is physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to the area's history of agriculture and residential subdivision, particularly the development brought about by plan 63. The subject dwelling is an early surviving example of this development built on a quarteracre lot created in 1885. The residential and agricultural development represented by Six Maple Avenue was the direct result of the success of Grimby's fruit farming industry and the associated rapid growth of the downtown village area. In summary, based on the assessment of cultural heritage value or interest and significant findings, staff recommend that the property at 6 Maple Avenue be designated under part four of the Ontario Heritage Act. Thank you. Thank you for your report, Mike. Are there any comments or questions from the committee getting shaking of the heads? So great, great work, great research, um really storied past. So it is really kind of cool how every uh how the home own how so many different homeowners had such an interesting contributions to the town and then also world wars and some really interesting stuff. So thank you for that research. Um the one comment I have u when it comes to the heritage attributes um I wonder if it's possible if it's worth adding um the small setback at into the designation just because so much of the land has been developed around it already that it might be worth protecting some of the frontage uh just for any any future um changes that that might take place that might be worth doing that. I'm not sure if you have any comments on that. Uh thank you through you, chair. I do actually think that that would be a worthwhile addition. Um a lot of the farming and residential properties that came around on Main Street East in the late 19th early 20th centuries are noted to have shorter setbacks than farming properties elsewhere. And this one particularly so uh being a smaller lot that wasn't directly attached to farmland. So I think protecting that setback specifically would be quite important. Thank you for making the note. Okay. Thank you. Um and I know yeah we've done that for many other properties on Main Street West and Main Street. So thank you. Okay. Any any other comments or questions from from the committee on this? Okay, great. That's awesome. This is this is a a great site. I've always admired the the porch on this one, so it was really cool to learn a little bit more about the history. Yep. Uh thank you through you, Chair. Uh there's actually one other thing I wanted to mention. I mentioned it in the report, but part of the research that tied things together for this property actually came through collaboration with the descendant of one of the previous owners, uh Robera Thompson. She's the great granddaughter of Reverend Ross. Um and she some years ago became a family historian. And as I was attempting to find information about its early 20th century history, I wasn't finding much until I stumbled across her research. I got in contact with her and for about a month we had a back and forth conversation where she provided more resources and oral history which I cross-cheed and made part of the report. So without her a fair amount of the things that I find most uh interesting historically about this property uh probably wouldn't have really come into focus. So I wanted to give particular um thanks to her. That's really neat. I think that's really great um that you were able that was collaboration with the descendant and really fill in a really uh storied and vibrant vibrant history of the space. So yes, kudos and thank you to uh to the contributor for for that work. That's really awesome that we were able to capture these rich family stories through through her research. That's great. All right, if there's no other questions, we can move um on to the the resolution. Uh, and again, this is a resolution for both properties on 19 Ontario and and six maple. So, I'll go ahead and I'll read this um resolution that report 2604 heritage designation report for 19 Ontario Street and 6 Maple Avenue be received and that the committee recommends the properties at 19 Ontario Street and 6 Maple Avenue be designated under part 4, section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and that a notice of intention to designate be issued in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. I will need a mover. Councelor DeFlabio and a seconder. Councelor Cristani. All in favor. Okay, that's great. And that's carried. Awesome. That's exciting. Um and and great to have uh both properties so supportive and in the process also. That's really exciting for us. Uh great. Okay. Um moving on then. We don't have no more reports. Um, I we'll open it up for for announcements or new business. I do have a couple items I wanted to bring attention to. I wasn't sure if anyone else had any new business to bring up. Uh, okay. So, first, um, I wanted to mention I am a member of the Grimby Historical Society and I was really pleased to see in their 2025 annual report that they noted a really positive relationship between the town and the heritage advisory committee. And I was just really happy to see that because we've really nurtured this very intently over the last few years. I know Bianca especially, you've been here for a few years now, quite a few years now, and you've been really nurturing that relationship. So kudos to see that kind of collaboration and to see that being noted in the annual report. Kind of that mutual respect that's being shared for, you know, each other's efforts to preserve, promote, and protect GMSU's heritage is great to see. I know it hasn't always been that way, so it's really great to to see that being noted in the annual report. So kudos. Um, and I also wanted to um mention I wanted to share a upcoming public consultation meeting that might be of interest to committee members as well as the broader Grimsby Heritage Community. Um, there is a proposed Cooper House multi-story development along John Street and the developers are hosting a public consultation session at the Carnegie building this Thursday, March 12th, from 4 to 6:00 p.m. So, if you're unfamiliar with the area, uh, John Street is within the boundary of kind of that the historic downtown core of Grimby. Um, and it's historically served as an industrial area due to its proximity to the rail station. And so the old homes that have been purchased by the developer, they likely belong to workers and the neighborhood, you know, contributes to uh the collective history of the downtown. And I think this is um a really interesting way for us to learn about the development uh that's coming and to provide feedback. Um, from my understanding, our comments will be considered in their the formal application of the developers to to the town. Uh, so again, this is a good opportunity to learn what's what what what they're planning, provide some feedback, uh, before the applications formally go to the town. So, I just wanted to confirm, Bianca, um, that that's right, that there hasn't been any applications yet, and if you're able to share any of the conversations you've had so far. Uh, thank you through the chair. Maybe I'll just start with your first agenda item um with the GR Historical Society. Um yeah, a huge shout out to Wayne. Um we've been doing this big townwide review and uh as a part of this term of council, I know we've talked about it. We've successfully designated 52 buildings. Um and um we couldn't have done it without him. So huge shout out to Wayne and we're really grateful for um everything that he provides to us and just working so collaboratively with us. we have great working relationship. Um, and everyone at the archives, they were so warm and welcoming to us when we go and we start our research. Um, so just big thank you to them. Um, we would be lost without Wayne for sure. Um, and then for the second item there, so there's no formal application before the town. Um, so the idea is they're going out ahead of making that application to see what the community wants so that they can work that into their application. Um but uh I was going to add regardless of that as a part of the formal planning application there will be an additional consultation period. Um so you're welcome to go out um and provide feedback if you'd like. Um but there is still that requirement for one as a part of the planning act when an actual application comes in. So nothing has come in at this time. Um and I was also going to note there is a building that's on the municipal heritage register along that street. Um and so if that building is coming down, whatever is happening with that building, um that's something the heritage committee will be reviewing. So um there'll still be a lot of opportunity for consultation. Um but yes, we have no formal application before us and no recommendations or staff assessment has been undertaken. It's there's no application at the time basically. Yeah. Thank you for providing that feedback. Uh yeah, again I just uh I saw this is a great opportunity for for us to kind of talk to uh talk to the developers and kind of put uh give some input as as they continue their planning. So, you know, why not why not show up and and see what it's all about? Uh any comments or questions regarding regarding that? Okay. So, again, that's Thursday, this Thursday, March 12th, uh from 4 to 6:00 p.m. um at the Carnegie building. And I do think it's it's you know again worth noting um you know with the the official plan that's coming in into you know reality uh this this year too you know like we know that intensification it's inevitable and so this is again just a chance for the community to contribute to finding that balance where you know development can is is invited here. It's welcome. We want to see more people and more vibrance uh but how can we do so in a way that really maintains the distinct character and identity and history of the town. So, I was really happy to see that the uh that that the Cooper House developers are opening up this conversation with the community. So, I encourage people to to go. Um and I did want to ask about the official plan. Is there still time to make comment or is that now closed um through you the chair? Um there's still additional consultation coming back. So, we just got some feedback. That feedback will be integrated and then an additional draft will be brought forward. Um, but we have a great team working on the official plan. Um, so if there's any specific questions anyone has about where we are in the process or they want to provide more feedback, whatever it is, um, you can email us at planning@grimsby.ca and we're happy to take all that feedback and also provide updates. And we also have, um, our, um, let's talk page with more information. So yeah. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate there's all these opportunities to to really shape what our community looks like for the next 25 years. Exciting stuff coming our way. Uh okay. Anything else from the committee at this point? 6:30 on the dot. We like this. Okay. Nice. Okay. Well, thank you everyone for your time today. I hope you get to enjoy the rest of the sunshine that's left and uh we'll see you next month. Thanks.

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