Lester B. Pearson's former home saved from demolition, for now
City subcommittee wants independent study before it decides whether home can be torn down
The home where former prime minister Lester B. Pearson lived when he received the Nobel Peace Prize was saved from demolition Thursday morning when the city's built heritage subcommittee ordered an independent review of the state of the building.
The city's own heritage staff had recommended the building at 231 Cobourg St. be demolished. The building has been owned by the Ugandan government — and used as its high commission — since the 1980s, but is now in a dilapidated state with serious foundation problems and mould resulting from water damage. The Ugandan government moved its workers out of the building in 2014 because it did not consider it safe.
However, the subcommittee — comprised of four city councillors and three heritage experts — were not convinced the home needed to be torn down. Instead, it approved a motion to instruct the city's heritage staff "to engage a structural engineer with heritage experience to provide an independent engineering report which speaks to the structure of the existing building."
The subcommittee will revisit the matter in April.
Staff chided for missing information
The two-storey brick building was built in the mid-1940s for use as an apartment building, but was converted to offices for the Ugandan High Commission in 1985. The structure itself does not have heritage protection, but it is officially recognized as a building that contributes to the Wilbrod/Laurier Heritage Conservation District.
The owners' architects argued that while any building can, in theory, be repaired, they questioned the logic of "heroic efforts" to save what they called a "marginal" building.
But the subcommittee members didn't see it that way.
They appeared concerned that the owners may have failed to properly maintain the home over many years, a problem known in heritage circles as demolition by neglect.
"We're saying more due diligence is needed," said Coun. Tobi Nussbuam, who chairs the subcommittee. "We need to be convinced that demolition is the only viable option here."
'Demolition by neglect will not be tolerated'
Nussbaum said it would have been "moral hazard" to approve the demolition on Thursday and that the subcommittee needed to send a message to owners of heritage buildings about their maintenance responsibilities.
"The larger message is that demolition by neglect will not be tolerated, that there is a responsibility on the part of the owners of heritage buildings to make the necessary, on-going investments in their properties."
Nussbaum had some rare words of public criticism for city bureaucrats because some of the information on which they relied for their recommendation to demolish — a secondary engineering report and a geotechnical report — were not provided to the subcommittee.
As well, the original heritage assessment of the building did not include the fact that Pearson had lived there.
Community pleased
It was actually the local community association, Action Sandy Hill, that discovered the information about Pearson having lived at 231 Cobourg St.
"We're pleasantly surprised," said Action Sandy Hill president Chad Rollins, who spoke against the demolition at the subcommittee meeting. "You never know what the result will be. I find that often that the staff recommendation is respected and followed, so it's pleasing to hear that the councillors listened to the arguments and the discussions and want to have more evidence before they make a final decision."
Rollins, as well as city councillor Mathieu Fleury, also pointed out that the building is important to the Prime Minister's Row project, which is trying to bring more attention to homes where former prime ministers and founders of Confederation lived.