St. Thomas-Elgin Branch of ACO applauds preservation of Elgin County Courthouse

Members of the St. Thomas-Elgin branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario applaud the decision to preserve the historic Elgin County Courthouse by consolidating the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice under one roof.
“We’re thrilled that the project preserves the heritage of the 1853 courthouse,” branch president Suzanne van Bommel said. “Credit must go to where it is due – to Steve Peters, our member of provincial parliament. I know first hand his commitment to this project and how hard he has worked over the years to preserve this beautiful building.”
The decision illustrates that heritage conservation is fully compatible with modern requirements. The city and county get a modern, fully accessible courthouse facility that will create short and long term jobs located in the heart of downtown. ACO branch members believe that the project will have additional spin-off benefits, spurring further development in the west end of the city. It will also act as a model for other creative re-uses of the city’s many heritage properties.
The St. Thomas-Elgin Branch of ACO was formed in April of this year in response to the devastating loss of historic Alma College due to neglect and arson.
The Architctural Conservancy of Ontario was formed in 1933 with the express purpose to “preserve buildings and structures of architectural merit”.
For further information, contact:
Suzanne van Bommell, branch president, 519-200-6700
Serge Lavoie, branch secretary, 519-859-7763

Time to get political with built heritage preservation

The city’s built heritage received a welcome ally this week with the establishment of an Elgin-St. Thomas chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, with the aim of preserving buildings and structures of architectural merit and places of natural beauty and interest.
With the notable exception of Ald. Heather Jackson-Chapman, our elected representatives at all levels of government have done little more than talk the talk when confronted with heritage preservation.
Witness Alma College. Better yet, the two remaining orphaned structures on the Moore Street property.

Catherine Nasmith, ACO President, interviewed on the loss of Alma College

Catherine Nasmith, President of the Architectural Conservancyof Ontario interviewed by CBC Radio on the tragic loss of Alma College and the value of conserving heritage resources. To listen to this interview,
follow the link

Founding Meeting of the St. Thomas-Elgin Chapter of The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario

The St. Thomas-Elgin Chapter of the ACO will hold its founding meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Canada Southern Station (former New York Central Station) located at 750 Talbot St., St. Thomas. The meeting will take place in Anderson Hall, the former station dining room. The station is located behind the Giant Tiger store. All individuals interested in architectural preservation in St. Thomas and Elgin County are welcome to attend. Guest speaker at the meeting will be Cathy Nasmith, president of the ACO and Toronto architect.
The ACO was founded in 1933 “to preserve buildings and structures of architectural merit and places of natural beauty and interest”. Since the 1930s, through advocacy and direct action, the ACO has saved hundreds of buildings across Ontario and raised awareness of preserving community heritage. The ACO operates through a network of branches, linked by an office in Toronto. There are 23 branches across the province and a membership of over 1,200. Last year the ACO and its branches organized or participated in 400 events with a total attendance of over 53,000 people. In addition, board members and volunteers served as representatives on local workshops and planning meetings, researched local heritage issues, and acted as advocates before various levels of government.
Each ACO branch has its own board and its own accounts to manage local affairs. Branches operate with relative independence, focusing on local issues, programming and recruitment. Typically, branches advocate for preservation of local architectural heritage and an increased knowledge of the value of such preservation, its contribution to increased tourism, pride and self-esteem.
For more information on the founding meeting, please contact Laurence Grant at 519-633-2535 /laurencegrant@narhf.org

Making a Recession Work For Ontario’s Community Landmarks

Catherine Nasmith, President Architectural Conservancy of Ontario

In times of recession governments turn to investing in infrastructure, and that often translates into investment in sewers, roads, and sometimes other community facilities.

Everyone remembers the great investments that the U.S. and Canadian governments made during the depression in highways. Few remember that it was during these times that both government also chose to make major investments in the development of National Park systems, and in preserving the nation’s heritage landmarks. Often these parks included National Historic Sites.

As the stock markets run amok many are now calling on governments to use their powers to invest in public projects, to use this time to build the infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond. Its time we reminded our governments that heritage and environment projects are worthy contenders for that public investment.