This past summer, VanierNow ran two stories on St. Charles. The first, ‘What of St. Charles Church’, presented a photographic essay of both the interior and the exterior of the church and encouraged residents of Vanier (and the broader community) to participate in a community-led consultation to discuss the future of the site. The second piece pointed to the heritage value of the building and outlined an argument for heritage designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The article coincided with my July 21 submission to the City of a formal application for heritage designation.
The application for designation delayed the sale (and possible demolition?) of the church; after a closed-door meeting on August 8, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese announced that it would delay an announcement regarding its intentions for the site until the City’s decision on the designation application.
The conversation on what to do with the church (or the site) began as early as the 1960s when the parish first considered the demolition of the church in order to construct a new building that would better serve the needs of their community. High construction costs at the time—due to increased demand arising from the massive Expo 67 construction site in nearby Montreal—may have then prevented demolition.
Several decades later, the church site was identified as an important node in the Beechwood Community Design Plan and the building itself was recognized as a significant landmark for the area. Internal discussions on the future of the site were launched in 2010 after the final mass was held at St Charles in September. More recently (as already alluded to above), community partners, including the Vanier Community Association and Muséoparc Vanier, led a two-day co-design consultation welcoming the community to envision possible futures for the site.
The application for heritage designation further fueled the discussion and received attention in both English and French media. On July 30, the Ottawa Citizen ran an article on the application with the (somewhat unfortunate) title: ‘One man fights to save 105-year-old church’. Le Droit published several articles and letters in support of heritage designation. Quietly, a small group of residents, led by Ginette Gratton, Claude Gagné, Mike Bulthuis and myself, met to discuss ways of encouraging wide support for the application. Momentum quickly grew.
The application for designation delayed the sale (and possible demolition?) of the church; after a closed-door meeting on August 8, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese announced that it would delay an announcement regarding its intentions for the site until the City’s decision on the designation application.
The conversation on what to do with the church (or the site) began as early as the 1960s when the parish first considered the demolition of the church in order to construct a new building that would better serve the needs of their community. High construction costs at the time—due to increased demand arising from the massive Expo 67 construction site in nearby Montreal—may have then prevented demolition.
Several decades later, the church site was identified as an important node in the Beechwood Community Design Plan and the building itself was recognized as a significant landmark for the area. Internal discussions on the future of the site were launched in 2010 after the final mass was held at St Charles in September. More recently (as already alluded to above), community partners, including the Vanier Community Association and Muséoparc Vanier, led a two-day co-design consultation welcoming the community to envision possible futures for the site.
The application for heritage designation further fueled the discussion and received attention in both English and French media. On July 30, the Ottawa Citizen ran an article on the application with the (somewhat unfortunate) title: ‘One man fights to save 105-year-old church’. Le Droit published several articles and letters in support of heritage designation. Quietly, a small group of residents, led by Ginette Gratton, Claude Gagné, Mike Bulthuis and myself, met to discuss ways of encouraging wide support for the application. Momentum quickly grew.
Support for the application has come from archivist Michel Prévost, professor Caroline Andrew, journalist Denis Gratton, Ms. Trèva Cousineau, the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, Heritage Ottawa and all four (!) community associations that surround the St. Charles Church site: the Vanier Community Association, the New Edinburgh Community Alliance, the Lindenlea Community Association and the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association.
This past week, City staff completed their own assessment of the site, agreeing with the application and the views of many in our community that St. Charles Church meets provincial criteria for determining cultural heritage. Staff submitted a report to the Built-Heritage Sub-Committee, recommending designation, to be decided at the October 10 meeting (details on he meeting can be found here).
It is difficult to imagine the Sub-Committee not agreeing with staff’s assessment; indeed, I trust that City Council (following approval by the Planning Committee) will issue a notice of intention to designate St. Charles Church. And, recognizing the breadth of community support, I am hopeful that the Archdiocese will accept the City’s decision, and together with the broader communities, will welcome this opportunity to help envision a new use for this landmark building.
I would further encourage the Ottawa Citizen to run a follow-up story, with a somewhat revised headline: ‘A community mobilizes and saves 105-year-old church!’
(photo: Mike Steinhauer)