Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette, By Kelly Kent
Since Almonte was established in the 1800s, many of its original buildings have stood the test of time and remain preserved as iconic and integral parts of the community. In an effort to continue the conservation of the town's heritage, the Town of Mississippi Mills has taken the first steps in establishing a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) by hosting a public information session on March 20.
The Heritage Conservation District Study for Almonte was proposed by town council in late 2013, but is subject to public support. The information session held on March 20 was the first step in the process, meant to educate the public and determine whether or not there is public support. The study will only proceed if there is sufficient want for it in the community.
Allan Teramura and Heather McArthur, architects with the firm in charge of conducting the study, Watson MacEwen Teramura, gave an in-depth presentation for a full house at the meeting, which was held at the Almonte Old Town Hall.
"The first step - the reason why we're here - is to determine if there is any public support for this study," said Teramura. "The input of the community will help us with that decision."
Teramura then gave the floor to McArthur, who took over the information session by defining the meaning of an HCD and explaining the pros and cons. She started out by showing a map of the proposed HCD area, which would encompass the downtown core of Almonte, including the majority of its oldest heritage buildings.
"Many of the buildings in the proposed area already have individual heritage designations," McArthur said, "but collectively they start to tell the story of Almonte, and that is why they need to be protected."
McArthur also explained that everything that lies within the HCD would be protected by it: buildings, landscape features, river shoreline, waterfalls or almost everything else. The idea behind an HCD, McArthur said, is to preserve and protect the existing heritage of an area, and to improve upon it until it becomes a true asset and point of pride for the community.
A Heritage Conservation District is enabled by the Ontario Heritage Act, and allows a town to formally recognize and protect an area of heritage-oriented significance. "As much as it is about preserving the heritage though," she said, "it is not about prohibiting or discouraging growth or change."
Instead, McArthur explained, it is about regulating the types of development or renovations that would be allowed in the area. Generally, HCDs designate guidelines that keep new development along a complementary theme to the existing heritage sites. It allows heritage to become one of the principal design tools and keeps the HCD area feeling the way the community has decided it should.
In order to do this, special heritage permits would be needed to develop or renovate within the HCD area, whether the project is a new building or simply exterior changes to a new one.
"I want to be clear that the HCD applies to the exterior of the building only in most cases," McArthur said, further explaining that property owners would still be free to make changes to the interior of their buildings.
"Actually, it applies mainly to the exterior that is in public sight, usually the front of the property." From there, McArthur outlined the benefits of creating an HCD.
"Almonte has done well in managing its historic buildings so far," she said, "and designating (an HCD) can help to continue that preservation going forward." She explained that the HCD would become a planning tool for the area, bringing heritage to the forefront of the community's priorities in an effort to maintain the current feel of the town.
"It allows for the area of significance to be managed as a whole," she said. "It becomes a cohesive chunk of history and can become a stronger asset by providing guidelines to avoid the creation of things out of character with the area."
She also pointed out that designating an HCD could be an opportunity to not only celebrate but also promote the area's heritage as a tourism attraction. Though there are 113 HCDs in Ontario already, there are very few that incorporate industrial buildings, McArthur said. Therefore, Almonte could become a unique attraction in preserving its industrial past as a mill town.
There are two HCDs nearby: Arnprior, which was designated in 2007, and Perth, which was designated in 2012. Both of those HCDs are thriving since their creation, McArthur said, but there are some HCDs that aren't operating up to their potential.
"However, she said, a recent study out of the University of Waterloo looked at 32 established HCDs that were created before 2003 (in order to study longstanding districts that had had a chance to effect some change) and found that in general, they are all performing well and continuing to improve the community. If the study is to go forward, said McArthur, it would be conducted in two phases: the study itself, and then creating the guidelines and principals that will govern the area from then on.
"The study portion of the process will involve an inventory of significant features; determining a thematic history of the area; defining the boundaries of the HCD; confirming findings through public consultation and finally, defining the objectives of the community.
The second half of the information session was an opportunity for the participants to voice their opinions and ask questions of the consultants with Watson MacEwen Teramura.
Everyone who attended the information session was also asked to fill out a short survey as part of the process to determine public support for the study. The public survey will also be available online, at www.mississippimills.ca, until Friday, April 4, 2014. Anyone interested is encouraged to submit their opinion, at the study will only go forward if the town see sufficient support from the community.
See the March 20, 2014 Almonte HCD Presentation below in PDF Format
