April 11, 2021
Amica retirement facility proposed for former Brandon House property in Ancaster
By Bob Maton, AVHC (April 11, 2021) Hamilton staff have already said they will not support six storeys, and this is seven. “City staff have already stated during a formal consultation with the owners September 2020 the proposal for a six-storey building is “out of character and not consistent” under the Ancaster Wilson Street Secondary Plan. The report stated the application “will likely not be supported by staff” as presented in the “concept plan.”
By Kevin Werner, Ancaster News (April 10, 2021)
Over a year after the Brandon House was demolished, the owner of the Ancaster property at the corner of Wilson and Rousseaux streets is proposing a seven-storey, 170-unit retirement facility that will be operated by Amica Senior Lifestyles.
Full story at hamiltonnews.com: https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/10370752-amica-retirement-facility-proposed-for-former-brandon-house-property-in-ancaster/
April 11, 2021
It takes a village – to create a traffic problem
By Bob Maton, AVHC (April 11, 2021) This story originally published 10 years ago, but what has changed? It’s worse now than then, reputed to be the busiest intersection in the Region. It is dangerous. An Amica development of 170 units filled with seniors, many having cognitive and mobility problems, living at possibly the busiest intersection in the City, on the side of a long, fairly steep hill? Is that good planning? The developer needs to stick to the Ancaster Wilson Street Secondary Plan bylaws and zoning.
By Jon Wells
Some still call it Olde Ancaster, with the extra ‘e’. Most call it the village. After exiting off Highway 403, you drive into town, past a throwback wooden welcome sign, on a street named after Jean Baptiste Rousseaux, who bought the saw mill in 1794 where Ancaster was founded.
April 6, 2021
Ancaster group appeals council’s townhouse decision for 15 Church Street
By Bob Maton, AVHC
As the article (below) by Kevin Werner says, AVHC is now beginning a fund-raising campaign to fund our Local Planning Appeals Tribunal appeal of the over-development at 15 Church Street. This is a beginning step in our efforts not only to mitigate this development, but to preserve heritage buildings and control over-development in Ancaster.
We are officially incorporated, and have government oversight of our banking account. Please donate as much as you are able to our TD Meadowlands account. Money transfers from your bank will be received at this account: [email protected]. Cheques can be made out to Ancaster Village Heritage Community and can be sent or delivered to me at my address.
I am:
Bob Maton, President
Ancaster Village Heritage Community
330 Lodor Street
Ancaster, ON
L9G 2Z2
905-304-0932
[email protected]
Thank you!
Ancaster News: Ancaster group appeals council’s townhouse decision for 15 Church St.
March 23, 2021
Campaign kickoff images
To kick off our campaign to overturn approval of the proposed development at 15 Church Street, and to help us fund our LPAT appeal we took nearly 70 photos of supporters in front of the endangered property.
GRIFFIN HOUSE – NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE OF CANADA
At 733 Mineral Springs Road in Ancaster: Built in 1827, this home is associated with Black settlement in British North America during the first half of the 19th century. Purchased in 1834 by Enerals Griffin, a Black immigrant from Virginia, it remained in his family for 154 years. More elaborate than most residences of Black settlers in this period and situated within a predominantly Euro-Canadian area rather than in an organized refugee community in southwestern Ontario, this house conveys the diversity of the Black settler experience. Griffin House is also a rare surviving example of residential vernacular architecture typical of Upper Canada in the early 19th century.
Find out more about the Griffin House
March 14, 2021
Community meeting (virtual)
(March 14, 2021) There will be a ZOOM Meeting of everyone concerned about approval of the development at 15 Church Street – and the massive amendments to bylaws and zoning in Ancaster which it potentially entails – this Thursday, March 18 at 8 pm. Please be there!
The Link will be sent out before the meeting. We are appealing City approval of the plans for 15 Church Street because it is a precedent that threatens all neighbourhoods in Ancaster and throughout the City.
In their Approval Notice, City Council stated, “The public submissions regarding this matter did not affect the decision.” City Council acknowledged plainly here that the objections of over 50 citizens to this development were not taken into account in making the decision! Our professional Planner and Lawyer, both with years of experience, say they have never seen this kind of statement about the treatment of citizens before. This past Thursday we submitted our appeal through the City Clerk and will discuss the appeal and next steps on Thursday evening.
Please let me know you will be there with us!
In the meantime, best wishes to everyone!
Bob Maton, PhD
President
Ancaster Village Heritage Community
330 Lodor Street
Ancaster, ON
L9G 2Z2
905-304-0932
March 8, 2021
Hamilton’s committee of adjustment approves severance application for 15 Church St.
By Kevin Werner, Ancaster News
(March 8, 2021) Hamilton’s committee of adjustment has approved the severance application by the owner of 15 Church St. in Ancaster to allow the construction of six townhouse developments.
But residents opposed to the development, by Veloce Luxury Homes, argued in a written submission to the committee March 4 it should have waited before any appeals to the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal are completed before deciding on the future of the property.
March 8, 2021
Ford’s change to development rules is a massive overreach
By Star Editorial Board
(March 8, 2021) The Ford government used the extensive powers it already has to greenlight a development on protected land. And when it looked like that might not be enough it introduced an extraordinary new law to make sure the deal holds.
March 8, 2021
Hamilton can learn from Toronto on managing development
By Bob Maton (published online by The Spectator here)
(March 8, 2021) In March the City of Toronto begins a year-long restructuring and refocusing of its Building Department, with a view to completion by the end of 2021 or early 2022. Neighbourhoods, staff and councilors in the City of Hamilton can certainly benefit from understanding these plans and the problems they address.
Will Johnston, CEO of Toronto Building, said in a Webex meeting with resident associations on Feb. 22 that Toronto must increase the consistency of staff interpretations of bylaws and zoning across the City of Toronto. Planning teams in different areas of the city apply different standards in assessing projects for approval. Johnston also plans to raise the level of the department’s responsiveness to customers. “Customers” will be redefined to include not only developers and builders, but residents, neighbourhoods, and resident associations at a higher level of sensitivity.
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PS: If you would like a sign for your lawn, email your name and address to me ([email protected]), we will deliver a sign to your home….no charge, though if you would like to make a donation to the Ancaster Village Heritage Community let me know and I will tell you how…. Bob
“Communities will thrive and grow if we build new buildings with an eye to their long-term sustainability. Or, better yet, adapt existing buildings to new purposes. While heritage speaks to our past and augments our culture, it also becomes future-looking and future-thinking.”
Hon. Lincoln M. Alexander (C.C.)
March 1, 2021
Hamilton’s vacant property tax falls victim to parochialism
By Bob Maton
(March 1, 2021) Heritage buildings in Ancaster are left vacant, often with windows and doors open, to moulder until no longer serviceable, then the owner demolishes and builds a new structure. See 340 Wilson Street East, an 1800s building that has been left vacant now for more than seven years.
City of Hamilton temporarily without heritage planners
By Bob Maton
(March 1, 2021) The reason our Ancaster Heritage Inventory is stalled, at least for the time being… This is a good article by Joey Coleman for which I was interviewed…We’re working hard for our Heritage in Ancaster…
Full story at thepublicrecord.ca
Have you seen our signs?
The Inventory of Pre-Confederation Buildings in the Township of Ancaster
- Summer 2020
Read the report (December 1, 2020) – PDF
Ancaster Village Heritage Community steps up efforts to protect Ancaster
September 9, 2020,
Ancaster Village Heritage Committee (AVHC) is stepping up efforts to protect the core of Ancaster, one of Ontario’s oldest communities. AVHC President Bob Maton is clear “that much more needs to be done given the remarkable development pressure in Ancaster, and AVHC is doing it”
Full story: Ancaster Village Heritage Community steps up efforts to protect Ancaster
Update: Stop the Ancaster Severance
(Nov. 5, 2020) We hope that all our supporters are coping with this terrible pandemic. We want you to know that Ancaster Severance has continued operations to save the greenspace at Ancaster High School.
Here is a short summary of what has transpired since our last update on January 16, 2020:
-February to August – everything was on hold due to the pandemic
-Sept 24th – an article appeared in the Ancaster News explaining our fight to preserve the grounds of Ancaster High School for the community. Here is the link.
– Sept 25th – met with members of the Ancaster Village Heritage Committee whose goal is the protection of heritage properties in Ancaster. They weren’t aware of the potential severance of the school grounds but have now been fully informed. They pledged the support of their membership. The head of this group is Bob Maton, an Ancaster resident, who has managed to publish several articles relating to their cause in the Hamilton Spectator. He has kindly offered to help us do the same. The more support we can get, the louder we will be heard! We offered to support their cause as both groups can collaborate to preserve the heritage of Ancaster. For those interested, their Facebook page is
www.facebook.com/groups/860710557745963
– October 2nd – Ancaster Severance had a 2 hour meeting with Lloyd Ferguson (the councillor for Ancaster) to discuss strategy to deal with any potential severance of the grounds. Councillor Ferguson is a strong believer in the benefit of having large numbers (100+) of people attend any and all city meetings to do with the severance.
– October 5th – 10th – in preparation for distribution to the Hamilton Heritage Committee members, 25 copies of a 130 page, 5th edition petition book were produced having all 11,500 petition signatures, comments from those that signed and plea letters to the school trustees
– October 16th – discussions with two lawyers specializing in municipal law. Unfortunately, because of potential future conflicts with developers the first lawyer’s firm could not take our case. After discussions with the second lawyer, their firm required a large retainer to continue talks with us. We will carry on our search for a law firm that can help us should we need them.
-October 21st- at the request of Jane Hutchinson (one of our volunteers) a document was discovered by a corporate records clerk in the Education Archives that shows the purchase of the Ancaster High School lands and the facilities built on them were meant for the school AND the community, adding to the argument the land belongs to the people and should not be severed and sold. A copy of this document can be found on dropbox here.
-October 27th – 2 hour meeting at City Hall with Drina Omazic, chief of staff of Hamilton City Mayor Fred Eisenberger to outline what Ancaster Severance is trying to achieve and to ask her help in relaying this information to the mayor. She was very receptive and said she would help in any way she could.
– October 30th – We attended the online meeting of the Hamilton Heritage Committee. This committee is waiting for a report from Archaeological Research Associates (ARA). They were hired by the City for input to advise on a heritage designation for the high school grounds. Remember, if these lands are designated heritage, they can’t be severed or sold. Lloyd Ferguson spoke to the members and asked that a motion be passed for a delay of the consideration of the ARA report until such time as delegates could attend a committee meeting in person to present their arguments for a heritage designation. The motion was passed and the tabling of this report was delayed until the third quarter of 2021 or further if the pandemic is not over. A big thank you to Councillor Ferguson!
– this means we have at least until July of next year before anything can be decided as to the fate of this land which gives us more time to gain support for our cause!
– when we are able to appear in person, in 2021, we will be calling on all Ancaster Severance supporters to join us in attending the meeting of the Heritage Committee where the ARA report will be tabled – we will keep you posted so you can have your say
– October 31st – we continue to solicit donations from community supporters and received a contribution in the amount of $1,000 from Kimberley MacLean, a sales representative for Royal Lepage State Realty
-FYI – many people have asked us about the current construction on the Ancaster High School grounds where the football field is located. Artificial turf is being installed. This land is NOT included in the proposed severance.
-FYI – with this email we welcome an additional 265 supporters. We would ask that you visit the websites below and if you are so inclined please help us with a contribution of any amount on our donation page to cover our present and future expenses.
Until our next update please stay safe and thanks for all your support!
We are available for your questions or comments at [email protected] or through messenger on our Facebook page above.
Your Ancaster Severance Team
Attacks on our heritage buildings in the Village continue
(Oct. 29, 2020 by Bob Maton, AVHC) Quite a few of our heritage buildings are currently still threatened. This is a discussion of why our society’s approach to preserving heritage is mistaken, and why we as the advocates for heritage preservation need to be aware of this and have a broader understanding of why so often we lose our heritage buildings. The problem is we tend to take a snapshot of the state of an important heritage building right now, and base our decision whether to support or oppose demolition without considering what has happened in the recent past to bring it to the condition that it is in. Further, we use the same logic in the case of buildings that seem intact and appear to be secure now, but fail to consider what the possibilities are for those buildings in the future, depending what the owner/developer does with the building.
Buildings that are neglected or uninhabited, or whose power and heat are shut off and are opened to the elements deteriorate rapidly, and after a few years developers who own these buildings usually apply for a demolition permit, arguing that the building is now uninhabitable and infested with vermin, or has rotted beams and sills, and cannot be restored.
But, as in the case of a number of buildings that we are dealing with right now – for example 15 Church Street, 340 Wilson Street East, and 154 Wilson Street East – these buildings until quite recently were inhabited and well-maintained, and were in very good condition.
Take 15 Church Street, for example: A 1920 home in the rare arts and crafts architectural style, framed by 200-year-old boards from other demolished buildings on the site, was on the market 4 years ago in sparkling condition, gleaming pine board floors, kitchen with new equipment and cupboards, brightly lit, just a gem of a building both inside and out. Then a developer bought it, the floors and walls were ripped out, and it was gutted with fire. Which came first is not clear, but we do know that the plan is to replace it with 6×2 1/2 storey units with a footprint that is well beyond what zoning allows on that lot. Big potential profit.
Then there is 340 Wilson Street, the old Denham house from the 1800s right beside the Old Firehall Theatre, has also been uninhabited for about 7 years. There is a window broken in the back, and the back yard is weed-infested and in poor condition, an irritant to the neighbours. The owner has not formally submitted his plans yet, but when he bought it 7 years ago the occupants moved out and it was left vacant, hydro and heat were shut off, and it has been sitting rotting ever since.
We understand the owner wants to demolish that old shoemaker and cobbler’s shop and replace it with a 3-storey condo having commercial space on the first floor for a dental practice. Lots of potential profit in that one too.
The house at 154 Wilson Street is another one, a very long, narrow lot that is occupied by the boarded-up former home and surgery of a prominent doctor in town. That home is also boarded up and has been uninhabited and cut off from power and heat for a while.
The plan submitted to the City is to demolish the building and replace it with another development that is way over the allowed zoning and bylaw limits for both height and footprint.
Do we oppose these demolitions, or do we accept that the buildings have reached the end of their useful life, and attempt to limit the sometimes outrageous plans of the developer to exceed the limits of even the zoning and bylaw amendments that they are seeking?
Whatever decision we make, and the options seem limited, the current heritage approach by the Province and the City fails to anticipate the ravages of time and neglect, and the strategies of developers who have no interest in history or heritage, who are patient, and who can afford to wait for the elements to do their work.
AVHC steps up efforts to protect Ancaster
We are a volunteer community of concerned Ancasterites who have some simple objectives.
Ancaster Village Heritage Committee, AVHC, is stepping up efforts to protect the core of Ancaster, one of Ontario’s oldest communities. AVHC President Bob Maton is clear “that much more needs to be done given the remarkable development pressure in Ancaster, and AVHC is doing it”
Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson expressed concern about this pressure. In a Hamilton News interview the Councillor was clear that “Ancaster is under siege by planning developments”.
It has often been assumed that our elected representatives on city council had our best interests in mind. However the recent demolition of the treasured Brandon House at the corner of Rousseaux and Wilson Streets inspired us to discover that the bylaw allows for important decisions by staff alone. We ask that city councilors retain the power to protect important historical structures. The bylaw needs to change.
The recent growth of the community has precipitated dangerous traffic patterns, annoying motorists and homeowners alike. It is extremely important that decisions regarding any future development take into consideration the anticipated traffic implications.
We may officially be “Hamilton” now, but those who have grown up and raised families here have seen the village spirit threatened. It’s time we all stand up.
Inventory of Ancaster pre-Confederation buildings goes ahead
(Aug. 17, 2020) The heritage buildings of Hamilton are the foundation of our distinctive local culture, and our unique historical identity as Steeltown – a gritty and colourful heavy industrial centre – surrounded on three sides by realms of indigenous and very early Upper Canada settlement. Ancaster, close neighbour of the City and now a delightful part of it, is the third oldest Police Village in Ontario, incorporated in 1792-3. The history and heritage of Ancaster, and its building stock, have become a vital link to the mosaic of structural and cultural evolution in the Hamilton region up until today.
The project was initiated and sponsored by the Ancaster Village Heritage Community (AVHC).
Celebrating 200 years of harmonious living in Mineral Springs
(Aug. 10, 2020 – Ancaster News) Tucked into a verdant area along what was originally a centuries-old Indigenous trail that stretched from Niagara to Brantford is the hamlet of Mineral Springs.
“Many people travel here, end up living here and staying,” said resident Patrick Bermingham. “I love it that we live in harmony with nature.”
Mineral Springs Road itself is one of a number of unusual aspects associated with the quaint hamlet that is a point of pride for residents. The road follows along a series of trails that First Nations carved out of the forest and was eventually adopted by European travellers, said Bermingham, whose family has had a connection to the area for decades.
Buzz building over protecting Hamilton’s heritage
(Oct. 20, 2020) The demolition of Brandon House — over seven months ago now — has become a flashpoint in the battle to preserve Hamilton’s heritage. It has energized the community in efforts to preserve what remains of the homes and buildings that many of us knew when we were children. There have been successes in the past: the Lister Block; Ancaster Town Hall; the Old Customs House; the James Street train station; and Auchmar (although the gate house is deteriorating rapidly). But the old city hall is long gone now, as is the Birks building with its signature clock; the streetscape along King and James streets; Eames Department Stores; All Saints Church and many others.
Another battle to save Ancaster with lots of support…
(Sept. 18, 2020) Ancaster resident Marc Bader says his fight to preserve the green space at Ancaster High School is about saving the essence of the town and its people.
“It’s important to keep the fields as they are,” said Bader. “There is a need for the community to have open space.”
He told the Hamilton-Wentworth District School board last year that the “link between this land and the community of Ancaster could not be stronger.”
Hamilton’s planning staff to review Ancaster group’s proposal to prevent ‘stealth demolitions’
(Aug. 22, 2020) Hamilton’s planning staff will examine how to make the demolition permit application process more transparent to the public and prevent historical buildings from being taken down.
The Ancaster Village Heritage Community sent a letter and document to council in July requesting that the city’s demolition application be revised to avoid buildings such as the former historic Brandon House on Wilson Street in Ancaster be demolished without a proper process.
“Demolition decisions taken by staff have resulted in the loss of important buildings and created empty lots,” stated the group. “Demolition is not a private matter. Demolition may spark development or may result in a vacant lot.”about:blankUploadMedia Library
Inventory of Ancaster pre-Confederation buildings goes ahead
(Aug. 17, 2020) The heritage buildings of Hamilton are the foundation of our distinctive local culture, and our unique historical identity as Steeltown – a gritty and colourful heavy industrial centre – surrounded on three sides by realms of indigenous and very early Upper Canada settlement. Ancaster, close neighbour of the City and now a delightful part of it, is the third oldest Police Village in Ontario, incorporated in 1792-3. The history and heritage of Ancaster, and its building stock, have become a vital link to the mosaic of structural and cultural evolution in the Hamilton region up until today.
The project was initiated and sponsored by the Ancaster Village Heritage Community (AVHC).
Celebrating 200 years of harmonious living in Mineral Springs
(Aug. 10, 2020 – Ancaster News) Tucked into a verdant area along what was originally a centuries-old Indigenous trail that stretched from Niagara to Brantford is the hamlet of Mineral Springs.
“Many people travel here, end up living here and staying,” said resident Patrick Bermingham. “I love it that we live in harmony with nature.”
Mineral Springs Road itself is one of a number of unusual aspects associated with the quaint hamlet that is a point of pride for residents. The road follows along a series of trails that First Nations carved out of the forest and was eventually adopted by European travellers, said Bermingham, whose family has had a connection to the area for decades.