Heritage & Cultural Planning
Spotlight
Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village have been fixtures of Toronto’s Bloor and Bathurst neighbourhood for more than 60 years. The famed discount retailer, and public realm created by Markham Street’s adaptive reuse as a cultural and commercial enclave in the 1960s, evolved through the influence of the Mirvish Family and neighbourhood communities, including the Afro-Caribbean...
The Ruthven Park National Historic Site consists of one of Canada’s finest Greek Revival mansions, which sits on 1,478 acres of property along the Grand River in southwestern Ontario. ERA was retained as the heritage architectural consultant on a conservation management plan team restoring Ruthven Park. We provided detailed assessments and historical studies of the...
Coronation Park is a six-hectare, culturally significant park at the foot of the historic Fort York area. The park is a living memorial, with the groves of silver maples commemorating the service and sacrifice of Canada’s military in World War I. At over 70 years old, the original design intent of the park had begun...
Guild Park and Gardens is a regionally treasured destination park with a unique character. This 36-hectare park is layered with natural heritage systems and cultural heritage resources, set on the regionally significant landform of the Scarborough Bluffs and protected under provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act. Functioning as the heart of its local community, Guild...
The Cornell Campbell Farmstead is a local landmark and a remnant of a period of agricultural significance in Scarborough’s history. The property retains an intact farmstead with historical associations of the Late Woodland period (AD 1300-1500), and 19th to early 20th-century farming practices and settlement patterns. ERA Architects in joint venture with HOK were retained...
Ottawa’s Booth Street Complex — bordered by Booth, Norman, Rochester, and Orangeville streets in Little Italy — was acquired in 2012 by Canada Lands Company from the federal government. The conditions of the transfer required that best efforts be made to conserve the heritage character of the former federal heritage buildings, and that the spirit...
Situated in the heart of the nation’s capital on Confederation Square, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre (NAC) displays a robust Brutalist geometric form, evoking the image of a fortress for the arts. Built between 1964 and 1969 as one of the federal government’s centennial projects, the NAC was designed by Fred Lebensold of the Montreal-based architecture...
“Toronto is beginning to redefine itself through its concrete heritage – the fabric of our post-war growth – the architecture of our schools, universities, libraries and mass housing. Many are developing a cult following as a new type of landmark; and some are finding a second life through new investments and restorations. However, most...
The Fashion House Condo is located at 570 King Street West in a neighbourhood formerly characterized by factories including small retail shops, a brewer, tailor, railway switcher and carter. The project incorporates aspects of adaptive reuse conjoined with new construction: a designated heritage building that formerly housed the Toronto Silver Plate Building and new infill with...
For much of Toronto’s history, the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus has existed as a distinct area at the centre of the city. This institutional urban landscape encompasses the University, its federated universities and colleges, and Ontario’s seat of government, among other institutions. Its early establishment and patterns of land ownership have shaped the...
Trinity Bellwoods Park was formerly part of a large swath of military reserve around the nascent Town of York, founded in 1791. In 1851, Bishop John Strachan purchased the land as the site for the original Trinity College. This building was completed in 1852, and all that remains of it are the gates we see...
The Downtown Built Heritage Inventory (DBHI) is a pilot project that proposes a new, Hamilton-specific methodology to understand, characterize, and map Hamilton’s downtown heritage resources. Inspired by emerging international best practices in heritage planning, this methodology aligns with the Ontario Heritage Act and Planning Act, but also utilizes other strategies for evaluating historic resources, such...
Formerly in operation as Division 11 of the Toronto Police Services, this 1960s building is being considered for the site of a new community hub in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood. A working group of local residents has proposed to transform the space into a new centre that will provide a range of programs and services to...
Unlike many small Ontario towns, Picton maintains a compact townscape with discreet edges surrounded by countryside. Historically, settlement was centred around Picton Harbour, with waterways serving as a connection point to industry, agriculture, and transportation routes between Kingston and Toronto. While development has naturally been shaped by the local topography of hills, valleys, and shorelines,...