Dufferin Avenue-William Street Heritage Conservation District study June 1996

The study was prepared for the City of Brantford Planning Department by Edwin Rowse Architect Inc., Thomas W. Sparling Landscape Architect, and Gilbert Prioste Photography and published in book format in June 1996. The purpose of the study was to examine the merits designating six different neighbourhoods in Brantford, Ontario under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act including the Dufferin Precinct, the Palmerston Precinct, the Lorne Precinct, the William Street Precinct, the Grand River (Church and Scarfe) Precinct, and the Park Precinct. All of these neighbourhoods are adjacent to the already designated Brant Avenue Heritage Conservation District. Findings of the study include that all of the precincts, excluding the Grand River (Church and Scarfe) precinct, are worthy for designation under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as they all embody a heritage character that is both significant and definable. Moreover, the study states that many other bordering neighbourhoods are also potential candidates for designation and as such, should have their heritage further examined. The report recommends that the Lorne Precinct to be designated under Part V of the Act first to serve as a model for residential heritage district administration in Brantford thus addressing resident concerns regarding alteration controls. The Lorne Precinct was selected for initial designation as the study concluded that it had the greatest historical and architectural value out of all six precincts. Immediate individual designations under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act were also recommended for the Brant County War Memorial Park and Jubilee Terrace- the two main open-space properties in the Park Precinct. The report recommends designation of other study precincts only when requested by community residents. In addition to the previous three recommendations the report outlines improvements that could be made to improve the heritage character of the precincts including: zoning changes, public works streetscape considerations, parks design, and specific design considerations for Jubilee Terrace, Gore Armouries Park, and the Brant War Memorial. Also determined by the study was the notable stability of the area with the vast majority of residential homes constructed before 1920 still largely intact. As a result of the stability of the residential neighbourhoods the study noted that the largest threat to their heritage character was not demolition or redevelopment, but rather small-scale alterations to building facades that collectively degrade the heritage attributes of the area. From a heritage planning perspective the document is of great utility to those looking to protect the areas examined in the study. Each Precinct\’s unique history is examined in the study with their evolution traced from clearance of the land through to construction and present (1996) conditions. Written documentation is also accompanied by excellent visuals including photographs, maps, and cross sections. While the document is focused on specific historic neighbourhoods of Brantford, planners elsewhere in Ontario wishing to conduct similar studies to determine the merits of designating heritage conservation districts under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act could use the Dufferin Avenue-William Street Heritage Conservation District Study as a point of reference for compiling a detailed account of a neighbourhood\’s history and architecture. The report could have been improved with stronger recommendations. Despite recommending the designation of the Lorne Precinct as an example of how a residential heritage conservation district could be administered, the area has not been designated as of 17 years after the study\’s publication. The lack of action following the study may be attributed to the reports inability to use the research gathered to build a strong case for designation of the five districts deemed culturally significant. While both the Brant War Memorial and Jubilee Terrace were both individually designated in accordance with recommendations, none of the five precincts deemed worthy of designation have since received a designation under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. In the study\’s fourth recommendation for designation it literally underlines that, with the exception of the Lorne Precinct, a heritage conservation district should only be created \“when requested by community residents\”. This recommendation was made given the fact that the precincts were all considered to be stable neighbourhoods whereby demolition was considered to be a negligible threat the areas heritage character. Nevertheless, unsympathetic alterations were considered a threat and without designation, there is no way to control alterations that significantly alter the heritage character of the public realm. Therefore, the study is very useful to planners looking for a Heritage Conservation District research precedent. However, when it comes to the final recommendations, the report should not be used as an example of how to confidently contend for the creation of heritage conservation districts.