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| St. Margaret's Church, 206 Montreal Road (Photo: Mike Steinhauer) |
In the same year that the St. Margaret’s Anglican Church celebrates its 125th anniversary (having opened in spring 1888), preservation of the small limestone church building may be encouraged with a new zoning provision for the building, to be enacted this Fall.
At their meeting on Tuesday, September 24, the City of Ottawa’s Planning Committee will review, for referral to Council, the adoption of the Montreal Road District Secondary Plan. The Plan is the outcome of the review of Vanier’s former site specific policy; the new plan can be found in its entirety in the report to the Planning Committee, as item 10.
A notable addition to the Secondary Plan comes in the recognition of St. Margaret’s Anglican Church. The Plan suggests that the church “would benefit from having the Heritage Overlay included in the zoning on the property,” noting that “the church is one of the oldest buildings in the former City of Vanier.” Applying the Heritage Overlay is a positive step. The Heritage Overlay, a provision through the City of Ottawa Zoning By-law, will effectively add another layer of zoning regulations ‘over’ the property, with the goal of retaining (or reusing, if vacant) the existing building. For example, any new development on the site would be limited to current height and dimensions (and character), and any additions would be limited in size and location so as to preserve the heritage character of the original building. Certain parking requirements are also waived. Significantly, the overlay takes precedence over the underlying zoning for the site.
St. Margaret's Anglican Church was built in 1887-1888 to serve the Janeville community; its’ cornerstone was laid by Lady MacDonald, wife of Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald. Today, the church is still active, with weekly services in English and Inuktitut. The proposed application of the Heritage Overlay is a worthy recognition of another component of Vanier’s rich built and cultural heritage.