One of our favorite events each year is the Heritage Toronto Awards. As I mentioned last year, these awards are an important morale booster as sometimes we can be under the impression that Toronto does a poor job in heritage preservation. It’s good to be reminded there is huge community in the city who cares about this kind of thing, something many other places just don’t have. As well, the William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture has become one of key public lectures on Toronto. This year Heritage Toronto is hosting a fundraising reception before the awards so they can continue doing their good work(s) like the free heritage walks Spacing was pleased to be media sponsor for this past year. The list of this year’s nominees are after the fold or go to the Heritage Toronto site and see pictures of each and order tickets. The event is at the Carlu, the best place in Toronto to feel like you’re in The Shining.
Heritage Toronto is pleased to announce the nominees for the 34th Annual Heritage Toronto Awards. The Awards celebrate outstanding contributions by individuals and community organizations, as well as industry professionals and associations, in promoting and conserving Toronto’s history and heritage landmarks. Award recipients will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, October 27th at the historic Carlu.
This year, nominations were solicited from the public in four categories: the William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship Award; Book; Media; and Community Heritage. Independent juries reviewed the nominations and recommended the award recipients. In each category (except the Community Heritage Award, which is a cash prize) there are two possible levels of award: Award of Excellence (the highest) and Award of Merit.During the evening’s festivities Mr. John Campbell, President & CEO, Waterfront Toronto will deliver the William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture – A Shore Thing: The Future of Toronto’s Waterfront.
Tickets are now available:
Members and Heritage Partners – $25
General Admission – $30
Special pre-event Mayor’s Reception fundraiser – $100 (includes admission to awards)
Nominees for the 2008 Heritage Toronto Awards
WILLIAM GREER ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP CATEGORY
This category honours projects that have restored or adapted buildings or structures that have been in existence for forty years or more. In addition to the quality of craftsmanship, appropriateness of materials, and the use of sound conservation principles, the jury considers how well the project meets current needs while maintaining the integrity of the original design vision.
Regal Road School Portico, 95 Regal Road
Commissioned by: Regal Heights Residents’ Association and the Toronto District School Board
Architect: E.R.A. Architects Inc.
Crafts Person/Contractor: Limen Group
Wesley Building, 299 Queen Street West
Commissioned by: CHUM Limited
Architect: E.R.A. Architects Inc.
Crafts Person/Contractor: Clifford Restoration Limited
Kingston-Lambton United Church, 85 The Kingsway
Commissioned by: Kingston-Lambton United Church
Architect: Black & Moffat Architects
Crafts Person/Contractor: D.J. McRae Contracting Limited; CRS Masonry
Canadian Volunteers Memorial, Queen’s Park Cres. West
Commissioned by: City of Toronto – Culture Division
Architect: Spencer R. Higgins Architect Inc.
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Trevor Gillingwater (Conservator); Colonial Building Restoration; Heather & Little Ltd.
King Parliament Square, 340 King Street East
Commissioned by: King George Square Properties Inc.
Architect: PDA Architects
Crafts Persons/Contractors: Halcrow Yolles; Zakss Construction; Colonial Restoration; and others
Breden Galbraith House, 22 St. Leonards Avenue
Commissioned by: Blaine Rust and Linda Pellowe
Architect: Renex Custom Builders
Crafts Persons/Contractors: JAG Creative Cabinetry; Harmony Stained Glass; and others
BOOK CATEGORY
This category recognizes well-written non-fiction books published in 2007 that explore Toronto’s archaeological, built, cultural and/or natural heritage and history.
Rifke: An Improbable Life
Author: Rosalie Wise Sharpe
Publisher: ECW Press
Historical Distillates: Chemistry at the University of Toronto since 1843
Authors: Adrian G. Brook and W.A.E. (Peter) McBryde
Publisher: The Dundurn Group
Concrete Toronto: A Guidebook to Concrete Architecture from the Fifties to the Seventies
Authors: Michael McClelland and Graeme Stewart (editors)
Publisher: Coach House Books and E.R.A. Architects
Mean City – From Architecture to Design: How Toronto Went Boom!
Author: John Martins-Manteiga
Publisher: Key Porter Books Ltd.
The Great Adventure: 100 Years at the Arts & Letters Club
Author: Margaret McBurney
Publisher: The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Author: Karolyn Smardz Frost
Publisher: Thomas Allen Publishers
My Life in Crime and other Academic Adventures
Author: Martin Friedland
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Toronto Sprawls: A History
Author: Lawrence Solomon
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
MEDIA CATEGORY
This category salutes non-fiction projects such as videos, websites, exhibits, magazines and other publications that educate the public about aspects of Toronto’s archaeological, built, cultural and/or natural heritage and history.
“What Lies Beneath,” The National Post, Post Homes
Author/Director: Scott Weir
Producer: Shari Kulha, Editor, Post Homes
Distillery District Heritage Website
www.distilleryheritage.com
Author/Director: Sally Gibson
Producer: Thane Lucas, Lucas Digital Art
COMMUNITY HERITAGE AWARD
This award is open to one volunteer community-based organization in each of the four Community Council areas as defined by Toronto City Council. The organization must be currently active, and have either initiated and/or completed a significant activity that promotes, protects and/or preserves cultural and/or natural heritage in its specific Community Council area. This is a cash award and no organization is eligible to receive it more than once every 5 years.
O’Connor Irish Heritage House
North Toronto Historical Society
Scarborough Historical Society
Kensington Market Area National Historic Site Designation Working Group
Cabbagetown/Regent Park Community Museum
The Draper Street Residents Association
Photo by Astro Photo.
