Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ottawa’s built heritage committee has greenlit significant changes to the city’s heritage grant program, aiming to address escalating construction costs and introduce new funding opportunities for buildings managed by charities and non-profits.
The revised program, informed by comparisons with similar initiatives in other municipalities, user feedback, and current trends, includes several key adjustments:
- The existing matching grant for small-scale properties will remain at a maximum of $10,000.
- The threshold for large-scale properties will increase from $25,000 to $35,000, reflecting a 51 percent rise in construction costs since 2019, provided funding allows.
- A new cost-sharing stream will be established for incorporated not-for-profit and charitable organizations, covering up to 75 percent of eligible restoration costs, with a cap of $75,000. This stream is designed to support substantial conservation projects.
- The program’s name will change from the Heritage Grant Program for Building Restoration to the Heritage Property Grant Program.
Additionally, the committee has approved a Notice of Intention to Designate 123 Metcalfe Street under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The building, a purpose-built YMCA from the early twentieth century, is noted for its Italianate, Edwardian, and Renaissance Revival architectural styles.
Designed by the New York firm Jackson & Rosencrans, in collaboration with Ottawa architect John Albert Ewart, the property is recognized for its craftsmanship and artistic merit. It also offers historical insights into early queer communities in Ottawa, serving as a male-only space during a period with few alternatives for gay and bisexual men.
Another property, 50 Carruthers Avenue, has also received a Notice of Intention to Designate. Built in the 1870s, this house exemplifies the modest design of early village buildings and has historical ties to the Vachon family, notable merchants in Mechanicsville. The Vachons operated C. Vachon & Sons, a company dealing in ice, coal, and wood, from the property from around 1907 until the 1980s.
These committee decisions will be reviewed for approval by city council on September 18.
