Heritage Ottawa supports the position of the Centretown Citizens Community Association regarding the deconstruction of the Justice Annex building

Heritage Ottawa supports to the position of the Centretown Citizens Community Association in regards to the deconstruction of the Justice Annex building. Designated as a Recognized building by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office, the Justice Annex is the last remaining of the temporary buildings constructed in the National Capital Region during the 1940s to house an expanded wartime public service. Built entirely of wood, including old-growth cedar, the Justice Annex is representative of the ‘temporaries’ that were constructed across the country.

Heritage Ottawa appreciates the thorough efforts of Public Works and Government Services Canada in finding an alternative use or owner for the building, and recognizes the difficult economic reality of maintaining a building with limited function. While opposed in principle to the demolition of any heritage building, Heritage Ottawa notes that in the absence of any other viable alternative, such actions may be acceptable so long as careful recording and the recycling of materials are undertaken. In this regard, Heritage Ottawa is regretful but supportive of the deconstruction of the Justice Annex building.
 
Leslie Maitland, President, Heritage Ottawa
 
 
 
 
Sunday, October 23, 2011

Good afternoon,
 
The Centretown Citizens Community Association (CCCA) is an enthusiastic group of individuals who live or do business within the Centretown area. Our objectives include improving the residential character of Centretown; improving interaction between Centretown groups and individuals; and monitoring and assisting in the implementation of the proposals of the Centretown Development Plan.
 
The CCCA has recently become aware of the decision to demolish the Justice Annex at 259 Wellington Street. The Justice Annex was designated as a Recognized federal heritage building in 1988 by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office as a result of its architectural significance, historical associations and its relationship with its surrounding environment.
 
The Justice Annex was one of a number of temporary buildings constructed by the Department of Public Works in the 1940s to house the rapidly growing wartime public service. Like other “temporaries,” the Justice Annex was built quickly on a simple and efficient plan, but it also included atypical features such as the two storey portico on the front elevation, making it an exceptional example of this category of structure. The Heritage Character Statement for the Justice Annex states that “because the Justice Annex is a last survivor of its type, it is doubly important that these features be protected and retained.”
 
While we understand that Public Works and Government Services Canada has thoroughly studied alternatives for the re-use and removal of the Justice Annex and has determined that deconstruction is the most viable option, we regret that the building cannot be conserved in its current state and location as a symbol of wartime ingenuity and sacrifice on the part of the public service in Ottawa.
 
We are also concerned that a federal heritage building in the Parliamentary Precinct was left vacant and allowed to deteriorate for so many years. The decision to demolish a Recognized federal heritage building reminds us that it is necessary for our federal government to remain committed to conserving our past and maintaining the integrity of the safeguards that exist to protect our cultural heritage. It is regrettable that this lesson must be relearned at the cost of this building, which is the last remaining example of its type in the National Capital Region and an important symbol of its history.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss this important issue.
Jordan Charbonneau
CCCA Interim President
210 Gloucester Street, Suite 101, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2K4
www.centretowncitizens.ca
president@centretowncitizens.ca
 
To: John Baird, MP (john.baird@parl.gc.ca)
Paul Dewar, MP ( paul.dewar@parl.gc.ca)
Rona Ambrose, MP (rona.ambrose@parl.gc.ca)
 
CC: Diane Holmes, City Councillor ( diane.holmes@ottawa.ca)
Yasir Naqvi, MPP (ynaqvi.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org)
Victoria Angel, Federal Heritage Building Review Office (victoria.angel@pc.gc.ca)
Ian Doull, Federal Heritage Building Review Office (ian.doull@pc.gc.ca)
CCCA BOARD (centretown-board@googlegroups.com)