Rethinking Historic Designations

"Heritage preservationists are slowly raising awareness of the fact that commercial and institutional buildings of the 1960s qualify as heritage structures. (Witness the lengthy fight to save the former Riverdale Hospital, built in 1963.) But that effort will be nothing compared with the coming one to save examples of residential architecture."

"Believe it or not, there are a great many single-family homes, multi-unit apartment buildings and even whole neighbourhoods that will hit the radar of preservationists in the next few decades."

"Of course, there will be lots of interest in anything by Toronto 'names' such as Mr. Parkin, Peter Dickinson, Irving Grossman, Raymond Moriyama, Ron Thom or Jerome Markson. But as I was reminded in a seminar by Janet Wright, a historic sites planner in Calgary for Parks Canada, preservation is more often about conserving the 'typical' rather than the 'outstanding.' In other words, in 2075, it will be more important to see an intact Don Mills streetscape than a one-off custom residence designed for a wealthy client."

"The very real problem today, however, is convincing owners of those seemingly ordinary 1950s and '60s split-levels that forming a heritage conservation district would benefit our great-grandchildren. Any such move, they'd reason, would limit what they could do to the exteriors of their homes. If a homeowner's wood siding is rotting, the problem rattles around in his head with a hundred others. How ridiculous, then, to suggest that his home and street might, one day, be an art gallery of sorts, and to mandate that he use higher-priced wood siding rather than cheaper, maintenance-free aluminum."