200 Annette Street – Alteration to a Heritage Property and Intention to Designate, Part IV, Section 29, Ontario Heritage Act and Authority to Enter Into a Heritage Easement AgreementOwner is seeking to have
City Council approve the alterations to the property at 200 Annette Street, as designed by their Michael Hatch Designs Ltd.
from the city report...
Background
The property at 200 Annette Street (Attachment No. 2) contains the building formerly
known as the Annette Street Baptist Church. Constructed in 1888, the church was subject
to significant alterations in 1906 when the original west tower was replaced and the
building extended to the west. In 1920 a new entrance vestibule was added to the west
end of the structure.
Proposal
The proposed condominium development includes the rehabilitation of the church
building into eight residential units.
Alterations to the front (west) façade are minor and include:
new recessed entrance doors beneath existing windows at south side
new small window in centre panel of “blind belfry” in south west tower
replacement entrance doors
Alterations to the south (Annette Street) façade include:
new entrance doors within the masonry window opening of each bay by lowering the
sill to grade; retain the original window openings as transoms and original glazing
where possible
new skylights, matching the roof in colour, on two levels centrally located in each
bay of the south-facing roof; existing dormers to remain
new small window in centre panel of “blind belfry” in south west tower
Alterations to the east façade include:
new entrance door in existing window opening at south end by lowering window sill
construct 2nd and 3rd floor additions behind south east tower
Alterations to the north façade include:
new windows in wall, new dormer windows in roof, small decks and covered
parking, centred on existing bays and between existing buttresses
new skylights in north side of entrance vestibule roof
new window in entrance vestibule at basement level
grade level lowered to provide parking access at basement level
200 Annette Street – Alteration to a Heritage Property, Intention to Designate, Part IV, Section 29,
Ontario Heritage Act and Authority to Enter Into a HEA 5
Heritage Comments
The proposed alterations are acceptable in order to rehabilitate the church structure for
condominium use. The original structure is to be retained and conserved with alterations
to the north and east elevations. The addition of dormers and decks to the north elevation
is acceptable as it has limited physical and visual impact on the cultural heritage value of
the building. The front (west) and side (south) elevations will be conserved with minor
alterations.
The rehabilitation proposal is found to be in accordance with the Parks Canada Standards
and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places.
Reasons for Designation
Staff is requesting as a condition of approval that the property at 200 Annette Street be
designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The attached Heritage Property
Research and Evaluation Report (Attachment No. 4) outlines the historical, architectural
and contextual background of the property, and evaluates it according to the provincial
criteria prescribed for municipal designation (Ontario Regulation 9/06). The Etobicoke
York Community Preservation Panel provided historical information that assisted in the
research and evaluation of the site.
The Reasons for Designation (Statement of Significance) are found in Attachment No. 3.
The property at 200 Annette Street is worthy of designation for its cultural heritage value,
and meets the criteria for municipal designation prescribed by the Province of Ontario
under the three categories of design, associative and contextual value. Located on the
northeast corner of Annette Street and High Park Avenue, Annette Street Baptist Church
(1888, with additions in 1906 and 1920) has historical importance as an institution of
significance in the West Toronto Junction community, where it features a well-crafted
design influenced by Arts and Crafts styling and stands as a local landmark.
Background
Annette Street Baptist Church Description
The property at 200 Annette Street is worthy of designation under Part IV, Section 29 of
the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value, and meets the criteria for
municipal designation prescribed by the Province of Ontario under the three categories of
design, associative and contextual value. Located on the northeast corner of Annette
Street and High Park Ave, Annette Street Baptist Church (constructed in 1888, with
subsequent additions) is a single-storey church building. The site was listed on the City
of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties in 1998.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
Annette Street Baptist Church is an institution of historical importance to the West
Toronto Junction community. The area was developed in the 1880s after the Canadian
Pacific Railway opened its West Toronto freight yard, which attracted industry,
residential subdivisions, and institutions including churches. Following the incorporation
of the Village of West Toronto in 1884 (which became the Town of West Toronto
Junction, the Town of Toronto Junction and the City of West Toronto prior to its
annexation by the City of Toronto in 1909), Annette Street Baptist Church opened in
1889 and served the spiritual and social interests of the community for nearly a century.
While Annette Street Baptist Church incorporates elements of the popular architectural
styles of the late 1800s, particularly features from High Victorian Gothic Revival and
Romanesque Revival, its overall character recalls the Arts and Crafts influences of the
late 19th century. While local builder John Turner is credited with its construction, the
design of Annette Street Baptist Church resembles one developed for small-scale
churches by Toronto architect Edmund Burke and published in The Canadian Baptist
magazine in 1886. The exaggerated pitch and flared eaves of the roof were retained in
the design when the structure was extended to the west (1906), with the west entrance
(1920) displaying complementary Arts and Crafts detailing.
Contextually, as a church placed on a corner lot at a major intersection in the
neighbourhood, Annette Street Baptist Church is a landmark in the West Toronto
community. It is an integral part of the collection of churches that contributes to the
character of Annette Street as an institutional corridor where Annette Street Baptist
Church is historically, visually and physically linked to its surroundings.
Heritage AttributesThe heritage attributes of the property at 200 Annette Street are:
200 Annette Street – Alteration to a Heritage Property, Intention to Designate, Part IV, Section 29,
Ontario Heritage Act and Authority to Enter Into a HEA 10
The church building
[caption id="attachment_7147" align="aligncenter" width="363" caption="Historical photograph of Annette Street Baptist Church, prior to 1906 when the building was extended to the west and altered (Source: The Leader and Recorder (Winter 1996), 8)"]
[/caption]
The scale, form and massing of the rectangular plan that rises one extended storey
above a stone base with window openings, the application of red brick cladding with
brick, stone and wood detailing
The steeply-pitched gable roof with the flared eaves, gabled dormers and, at the
northwest corner, an extended brick chimney
At the southwest and southeast ends, the corner towers with pyramidal roofs, flared
eaves and, on the west tower, brick finials (which have been altered)
The east tower (1888), which contains the original entrance to the church and has
segmental-arched openings with decorative hood moulds
The round-arched openings, many of which are organized by brick buttresses and
contain leaded glass windows
The distinctive round window on the west façade
On the west façade facing High Park Avenue, the single-storey entrance porch with
its steeply-pitched gable roof with flared eaves, oversized wood brackets, halftimbering,
and monumental round-arched entry
The datestone, labelled “A.D. 1888 & 1906” (at the base of the west tower)
The placement and setback of the building on the corner lot
full report
