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JUNE 2009
ROMANCE
RAILS
OF THE
Both Real and Imagined.
Main Street June 2009
1
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Main Street June 2009
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Page 4
Coming Summer
& Fall 2009
Friday, July 31st
Highland Yard 10K, 5K and 2K
Family Walk in Minden
www.amicicharity.org
Saturday, Aug. 22nd
CarrotFast 5K and 2.5K
Family Run/Walk in Bradford
www.carrotfast.com
RaceWorks has built a reputation of hosting top-notch
running races throughout York Region and the GTA.
Check out our events –
we offer everything
from Half Marathons
to 2K Family Walks.
Sara Sterling, Race Director • sara@raceworks.ca • 905-887-0766 office
4
Main Street June 2009
Saturday, Sept. 26th & Sunday Sept. 27th
The Creek 5K & The Mill 5K At Toronto
and Region Conservations Areas
in Pickering and Stouffville
www.run4conservation.com
Sunday, November 1st
Angus Glen Half Marathon in Markham
www.angusglenhalfmarathon.com
www.raceworks.ca
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CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
Editor’s Notes ..............6
Upcoming Events ........8
FEATURES
ROMANCE OF THE RAILS
10
Our fascination with trains can be
satisfied with local heritage train routes
and the presence of a first rate hobby
store in Markham.
10
16
MARKHAM HERITAGE ESTATES
Our rich architectural heritage is
lovingly preserved on a stately street
in Markham.
16
Visit
our website!
www.mainstreetnews.ca
Past Issues
Coming Events
Links to Advertisers
Main Street June 2009
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EDITOR’S NOTES
With the advent of June,
the muchanticipated improvement in the weather seems to have coincided
with a cautiously hopeful view of the economy moving forward. Our
last issue focused exclusively on the impact of the recent downturn
on Markham. Many opinions we heard were optimistic and in a
short couple of months, momentum seems to building, albeit slowly,
towards a rebound.
In this issue of the magazine, our cover feature by Anthony
Dayton is about our love affair with trains. Whether they take the
form of metal monsters or detailed models, we Canadians have a
particular fascination with trains, as they have been an integral part
of our recent history. One important development in Markham’s
history was the introduction of a rail line many years ago. It was a
change that heralded new industry and a larger population, which
brought a great deal of prosperity and change to Markham. We are
also particularly fortunate to have vintage trains running in our
neighbourhood and “George’s” model railroad store for the true blue
rail fanatic. I hope you enjoy the article.
We continue with a little nostalgia in our next feature as
contributor Sue Kanhai takes an up close look at the Markham
Heritage Estates, a beautiful neighbourhood just west of Markham’s
Main Street north of 16th Avenue. A walk down this street is a walk
into the past. It is the location for a number of heritage homes that,
because of the initiative of the Town of Markham in 1988, have been
relocated over the past few years rather than be destroyed as
neighbourhoods were redeveloped and new roads constructed. Many
different styles of homes dating back as far as 1825 have been
conserved, reminding us of where we have come from and what we
have accomplished.
It is hard to believe that with this issue, Main Street will have
completed its 7th year of publishing in the Markham community. If
you are reading us for the first time, or revisiting our publication, we
would love to hear your comments on our magazine and any
suggestions you may have to make us better. If you have any story
ideas, please let us know and if you have your own contribution by
way of a story or an opinion you would like to put forward on some
local issue or life in general, we would love to publish it in a future
issue. Drop us a note to the address in our masthead, contact us at
our website at: www.mainstreetnews.ca or send us an email at:
editor@mainstreetnews.ca.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Mike Cox
ART DIRECTOR
Dave Beharrell
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Ed Law
AD CREATION DESIGNERS
Dave Beharrell, Jacki Bowyer
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Keith Jasper
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Sara Sterling
CONTRIBUTORS
Anthony Dayton, Sue Kanhai
Website: www.mainstreetnews.ca
Main Street Magazines are published by
Main Street Unionville News Inc.
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Email: advertising@mainstreetnews.ca
TELEPHONE
(905) 477-6558
Toll Free: 1-866-772-0006
FACSIMILE
(416) 607-5828
Copyright 2009
by Main Street Unionville News Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article,
photograph, or artwork without written permission
of the publisher is strictly forbidden.
The publisher can assume no responsibility
for unsolicited material.
Main Street is published 4 times a year by
Main Street Unionville News Incorporated
with a mailing address of:
178 Main Street, Unionville, Ontario L3R 2G9
Main Street is an independent community
publication designed to inform residents
of issues and events of interest.
It is sent to 25,000 select households
in Markham and Unionville.
6
Main Street June 2009
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EVENTS CALENDAR
JUNE – AUG 2009
DATE
EVENT
PHONE/WEBSITE
June 5-7
40th Annual Unionville Festival
(see ad on page 21)
www.unionvillefestival.com
June 14
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
Heel ‘n’ Wheel-a-thon at Toogood Pond
416-920-5035
www.heelnwheelathon.com
June 19-20
Markham Village Music Festival
905-472-2022
www.markham-festival.org
June 19-20
Canadian Cancer Society
“Relay for Life” at Markham Museum
905-294-5925
www.cancer.ca
June 27-28
7th Annual ‘Taste of Asia’
Festival
905-946-1137
www.culture-canada.ca
July 1
Canada Day Celebrations
Milne Park
www.markham.ca
Canada Day Celebrations
Main Street Unionville
www.unionvilleinfo.com
Family ‘Camp-Ins”
at Markham Museum
905-475-4731
www.markhammuseum.ca
Markham Rotary Ribest and Musicfest
at Markham Fairgrounds
www.markhamribest.com
Unionville Celtic Festival
Main Street Unionville
www.unionvilleinfo.com
July 1
July
July
Aug
Aug
3-4
17-18
14-15
28-29
July 10-12
July 11-12
Aug 14-16
Markham Jazz Festival
Aug 19
Markham Stouffville Hospital
Foundation Golf Tournament
At York Downs Golf Club
905-472-7373 x 6904
www.msh.on.ca
Doors Open Markham
55th Reunion
www.doorsopenmarkham.ca
Aug 22-23
8
Main Street June 2009
905-471-5299
www.markhamjazzfestival.com
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Page 9
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Main Street June 2009
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Page 10
ROMANCE
RAILS
OF THE
Both Real and Imagined.
BY ANTHONY DAYTON
In the middle of the night, or maybe
just as it gives way to a grey pre-dawn sky, comes the long,
mournful sound of a distant train wailing. You stir in your
sleep while somewhere out there in the dark an engineer
leans on the throttle, his train outward bound; at the same
time another heads home for the morning. Train whistles
pierce to the very depth of our souls. Whistles, chuffs, huffs
and clickety clacks – like no other mode of transportation,
train sounds are sounds of mystery and romance.
No gentle lover, up close trains are beasts; massive, as in
weighing more than 250 tons for diesels and half again as
much for the old steamers: pure brute power with each
diesel engine capable of generating upwards of 2,000
horsepower. Wound out, they thunder along two slivers of
silver rail, all that keeps the trains from hurtling into the
abyss, or you, should you ever stand alongside the track as
the loco splits the very air you breathe. Like deer by the
roadside paralyzed by car lights flashing by, we stand
transfixed in awe of the machine and the men who harness
its might.
Few people describe this better than Buffalo resident
10
Main Street June 2009
and avid photographer Karl Jostler relating his 1970’s
Toronto to Niagara Falls holiday steam train trip:
One day I took the kids to experience a real steam
locomotive; I remember seeing the engineer, he looked
older than the engine, and I thought “Well, no excitement
today.” As expected, we took a slow ride about 20 miles out
into the country, and I knew the kids were thinking
“What's the big deal?” Then the old engineer stopped the
train, and let anyone off who wanted off for a photo run by.
I got off with the kids, and the old engineer backed the
train up about a half mile, and then accelerated towards us.
I don't know the technical terms for what was happening,
but you could have told me I was at the gates of hell and I
would have believed you. Black smoke billowing straight
up out of the smokestack,white smoke and steam coming
out the sides, indescribable noise, the ground shaking, and
above it all, the steam whistle wailing away, with the old
engineer leaning out the window, a look on his face that
said “This is how we used to do it.”
There is indeed this sense of ‘shock and awe’ of the
behemoth that is the locomotive; yet perhaps it also creates
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Page 11
within us a subtle sense of longing for the excitement and
adventure that trains have come to symbolize. Should you
discover it within, you just might have the potential to be
what is termed, a railfan.
Railfan? A train buff; enthusiast. Serious railfans listen
to the transmissions between dispatcher and train crew,
know what a consist is, can tell an EMD GP40-2 from an
Alco PA. You can’t? Doesn’t matter: If you’ve ever been
stopped by a freight train at a level track crossing and found
that instead of fuming for not having made it over you
watch in fascination, maybe even count the cars, you have
the makings of a railfan.
Something about trains and their locomotives, perhaps
more than ships or planes, engulfs the imagination,
becomes the stuff of legends, of movies, ballads. Recording
artist Gord Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,”
written way back in 1967, a ballad in the true sense of the
genre, celebrated the railroad and the lives of the “navvies,”
the men in the early 19th century who worked and died
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun
Laying down track and building the bridges
Bending our backs til the railroad is done…
We have opened up the soil
With our teardrops and our toil
building
the
Canadian
railroad:
http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/music/topics/74
3-4651/
The significance of this accomplishment is vastly
under- appreciated: the railroad was built to entice British
Columbia to enter Confederation, thus joining east coast to
west coast. In a very real sense the railroad defeated
geography, distance and weather, making possible the
politics that would unite Canada and provide much of its
future potential as a nation stretching from ocean to ocean.
Railroads also reflect the calamities of our history. It’s
fairly well known that during The Great Depression hobos
“rode the rails” in search of work, fleeing the grimness of
closed factories and the suffocating sense of decay. Over a
quarter of a million youths are estimated to have travelled
the rails, hobo fashion, filling the gnawing of their empty
stomachs with the food of friendship and adventure. At
approximately 8%, unemployment today is nowhere near
the more than 30% of the Depression era. And far from
riding the rails, today’s youth continue to attend post
secondary institutions in ever-increasing numbers. We
might be experiencing economic turmoil, but don’t try
convincing anyone who lived through those epochal days
that ours are their equivalent.
Maybe that is why today’s romance of the train is also
more tame. The sweaty, throbbing steam locomotive has
long since given way to the scent of diesel oil. True, long,
muscular freights still crisscross the country, but their place
in our consciousness has given way to the tourist train of
the family outing. We engage, not through the necessity of
survival or national dream, not by the commerce of moving
oil and wheat, but through tourist train day trips. Blogger
Geoff Sowrey, who watched steam locomotives out of
Oakville as a child, writes of his adopted homeland in
Alberta, “Today the [railroad] lines are mostly abandoned.
The main lines still run, but the short tracks are
mostly gone…the old railroad beds are weeded over and
forgotten.”
Tame or not, the tourist trains are recapturing some of
those weeded over lines. Near the stunning Forks of the
Credit, just an hour’s drive from Markham, there’s a rail
line that travels south to connect with the CPR mainline in
Streetsville. But there at the Forks, the track runs in a long,
slow curve sweeping across a trestle bridge high above the
Credit River before merging into the dense trees of the hilly
Niagara Escarpment. Originally completed in 1879 and
owned by the Credit Valley Railway Company, for years it
has been travelled by hikers and lovers walking arm in arm
along the track.
Since 2000, however, their preserve has been preempted by the Credit Valley Explorer Tour Train. Leaving
from Orangeville, the three hour round trip
covers 74 km in all seasons, including the
snows of winter, rewarding the
comforted traveler with several
stunning views. Tame and highly
commercialized it may be, but that’s
a real GP-9 diesel generating 1750
horsepower pulling up to five
passenger coaches, and passengers
are back riding the rails. What’s to
complain? Well, maybe one thing:
because of automation, there’s no need
for a caboose, not even on the freights;
old timers miss that reddish orange car
with the cupola on top. Maybe they should
run one just because…well, just because!
Tour trains cater to families: adults bring the kids for
an enriching experience much as Karl Jostler did with his
two sons so many years ago. But observe the fathers on
▼
▼
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ROMANCE
these trains closely to see who’s actually gawking, and then
decide who the real kids are.
The same dynamic is evident in a model train store.
Enter George’s Trains Markham store and you are hard
pressed to find a child, at least those of the under-thirty
variety. Richard Olieux, owner of George’s says, “Kids of all
ages are fascinated by trains whether it’s their power, size or
even their noise.” He suggests that as adults, they return to
that childhood experience trying to recapture it. They
might become railfans, or they might become hobbyists - as
LOCAL
HERITAGE RAILWAYS
1. York Durham Heritage
Railway at Uxbridge
One of 3 RS type diesel locos.
Approx. 2 hour round trip from Uxbridge to
Stouffville, with heritage passenger cars from 1919
and 1957, baggage cars and even a caboose.
2. Tottenham,
South Simcoe Railroad
One of 4 locos (2 steam 2 diesel);
just under an hour round trip
Open Sundays and holiday Mondays from
Victoria Day to one weekend after Thanksgiving
3. Halton County Radial
Railway Museum
Trolleys instead of trains ride along 2 km of track
Many types of restored trolleys with unlimited
rides on any that are operating that day.
in becoming George’s Train’s customers, “And of course,
some are both,” adds Olieux.
A Toronto fixture on Mt. Pleasant for years, George’s
Trains is closing its downtown location and moving stock
into the expanded Alden Rd. store. In what has to be the
ultimate location for a model railroad store, George’s Trains
is adjacent to the CN. Through the picture windows above
a ten foot stretch of model train track, customers can watch
the large freights pulling by, while up in their cabs, the
engineers return the waves of staff and customers who
12
Main Street June 2009
always stop to watch and salute. (See the picture of the
model loco running on George’s track and notice the black
oil tank cars as a long freight passes by just beyond the
parking lot.)
Whereas model boats need a lake and model planes
need a field, model trains require only a small indoor space,
the typical HO layout fitting on a 4x8 piece of plywood.
Although specialized models can cost thousands of dollars
for a collector’s edition, Olieux reassures, “You can buy a
simple train with a basic oval layout for as little as $60 to
$70. It’s a good hobby for the recession. For less than the
cost of dinner, a family can stay home and spend evenings
together running the model train set.” Olieux adds another
advantage, creativity: “A railroad is yours. There are no
rights or wrongs. Some people name the railroad with their
family name and letter it on buildings while others build a
prototype layout, down to exact details of the real thing.”
Whatever path you choose, there are enormous
opportunities in train modeling to indulge your inner
railroad tycoon.
Still others want the real, ‘real thing.” Dedicated
railfans volunteer money, time and expertise to restore and
operate these powerful relics of our past, these symbols of a
bygone era which, though relatively recent, is already
shrouded with the advent of newer technology.
Unfortunately, many steamers as well as some of the early
diesels that replaced them -for want of money and
manpower - lie rusting and crumbling in woodsheds,
behind factories, even in parks, across North America.
Sowrey is one of those who mourns the passing of steam.
He writes, “The warm chuffing of Mikado, Hudson,
Consolidation, and Mountain steam locomotives has fallen
to the droning roar of AC4400s, SD40, and FP7 diesels.
The romance is mostly gone.”
One such steam wreck is found outside of
Cooperstown N.Y., well known of course as the home of
baseball’s Hall of Fame. But on a stretch of abandoned track
along a nearby road called Railroad Avenue there’s an old
station belonging to a rail line long since defunct; its rolling
stock consists of a few cars and an old, rusting steam
locomotive with its coal tender. There is nothing special
about this particular loco – it was built to U.S. army specs
and its 060 wheel configuration means that it was likely just
a common workhorse used mostly as a yard switcher. Not
even rating second stringer status to baseball in
Cooperstown’s tourist brochures, the loco waits patiently
through hot summers and icy winters, occasionally visited
by passing cars that stop for a few minutes to disgorge kids
who buy ice cream cones from a nearby stand and pose for
pictures with the engine in the background before
continuing on their way. And all the time, rust insidiously
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Page 13
entrenches itself in the loco’s iron skin, while dirt and
pollution fill its stack: where once the stack belched hot
steam, now weeds whimsically grow from it.
A little imagination and computer magic provides
some dignity to the 060, returning it to a more noble time
in its life, but it is unlikely to find a savior in real time, one
like Harry Homes, the engineer who galvanized enough
railfans to restore CN engine 6060, his beloved Bullet
Nosed Betty, to its original glory. This is the engine that
Geoff Sowrey writes about, and when Karl Jostler took his
children for that train ride some 35 years ago, the
locomotive that thundered past him was the very same
6060, Bullet Nosed Betty. You’ll find it yet again here if you
look closely at the model on George’s Trains’ test track.
This steam engine, stunning in its livery green and
black colour scheme, was one of a class of trains built in
Canada in the 1940s that did service up to the ‘60s when
diesel finally replaced steam. Railfans, the old engineers and
other railroad people who have resuscitated some of these
engines, have, in a real sense preserved living history. The
fully restored 6060 now pulls summer tourist trains out of
Stettler, Alberta; her sister, 6069, awaits refurbishment in
Sarnia, and the 6077, last of these Canadian Mountain
trains ever built, resides in Capreol’s Northern Train
Museum, just outside of Sudbury. For more information on
this storied, made-in-Canada engine, see
WWW.6060.org.
The lifelong fascination with trains and
railroads that is common to so many people is
much more meaningful than the
condescending idea of adults
trying to regain their lost
childhood; it is also more than people yearning for a
‘kindler, gentler’ time. Yes it is these things, but it is more.
It is a form of remembering and celebrating what went
before us. Railfans engaged in reconstruction and
resurrection projects, or just remembering and sharing their
knowledge, are not only helping to preserve the past, they
are stewards of tradition and history, not just for
themselves, but for those to come. As Geoff Sowrey
recounts 6060’s engineer Harry Homes, “We serve the
future by preserving the past.”
And that’s an “All aboard” call for all of us.
Main Street June 2009
13
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Past
Preserving the
“Our cultural heritage resources tell us
who we are, where we have come from,
and what we have accomplished.”
BY SUE KANHAI
16
Main Street June 2009
Created in 1988, this 45-lot,
specially designed neighbourhood is
Canada’s first heritage subdivision. At the
time it represented a brand new way of
thinking about heritage conservation and was one of the
Town’s most innovative cultural initiatives. “Nothing of its sort
existed back in the mid-80s, certainly not in Canada,” says
Regan Hutcheson, Manager of Heritage Planning for the Town
of Markham. Today, just eleven lots remain.
Ideally, in any community, heritage buildings are able to
remain on their original site. But retention on site is not always
feasible. Here in Markham, recent challenges include the
construction of the 407, road widening, and storm water
management maintenance. So where do homes that have been
displaced go? A unique neighbourhood designed specifically to
accommodate them – a neighbourhood of last resort, it’s been
said – seemed a good solution.
The Town of Markham owns the subdivision and sells
▼
▼
When it
comes to
curb appeal, you can’t beat heritage
homes. Nowhere is this more evident
than in the unique and picturesque enclave of
Markham Heritage Estates. Located just west of Hwy. 48
and 16th Avenue, it is adjacent to the Markham Museum and
Historic Village. Neat architectural features include elaborate
verandas, gables, a mansard roof, widow’s peak, and the soaring
profiles of the Gothic Revival style.
Residents have grown accustomed to the gawking. On
weekends there is a noticeable increase in traffic on these
normally quiet streets. The area draws students of architecture,
amateur photographers, artists, history buffs, and anyone else
who’s interested in taking a peek into the past. Some residents
say it’s a bit like living in a zoo at times, though they understand
the curiosity and are glad for the interest. They welcome the
opportunity to educate the public about heritage and
restoration.
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ALEXANDER HUNTER PLACE
The McKenzie Gowland House
Gothic Revival style farmhouse.
Built in 1871. This property will be featured in
the 2009 Doors Open Markham event.
The view east on Alexander Hunter Place.
10 GOHN CIRCLE
12 GOHN CIRCLE
DAVID GOHN CIRCLE
SE corner.
18 DAVID GOHN CIRCLE
12 WISMER PLACE
The Christian Raymer House - Gothic Revival
style. Constructed by Christian Raymer in 1871.
The Raymer family is one of the most prominent
Pennsylvania German families in Markham.
Gothic Revival farmhouse. Built about 1855.
The Reesor family is among the most prominent
of the Pennsylvania German Mennonite families
who settled in Markham in 1804.
What looks to be the most recent addition to the
neighbourhood -- a house still on beams.
Main Street June 2009
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PRESERVING THE PAST
the lots below market value to owners of qualifying heritage
buildings. The concept: to offer residents financial incentive to
relocate buildings under threat of demolition.
Owning a property within the Heritage Estates comes
with certain responsibilities. Foremost is a commitment to
accurate restoration. According to Heritage Markham, it is
imperative to retain original or early building features and to
ensure that any new construction is complementary and
respectful. While in principle this may be easy to accept, it can
make for a long process for homeowners, as waits for approvals
can repeatedly delay progress.
Restoration isn’t confined to just interior and exterior
features. Period or historical landscaping is also included
among the expectations. A detailed heritage landscape
treatment plan from the Town offers advice on everything
from fencing to ground plantings, even outlining such specifics
as the most common fruits and vegetables that were planted
before the 1860s. Other features that make conservation areas
unique, like streetscapes and lot patterns, are also protected. An
undertaking like this is not for the faint of heart, but the
rewards are lasting and meaningful.
Joyce Nelson-Watt and her husband have the distinction
of owning the oldest home in the neighbourhood. Built in
1825, the Joshua Miller House, located at 10 Heritage Corners
Lane, is the only known local example of the Cape Cod saltbox
architectural style. The hard work of restoration is a labour of
love, she says, and takes years to complete. And she would
know. Not only is the Miller House the second heritage
property Joyce and her husband have owned, restored, and
lived in, but she also serves as Chairperson for Heritage
Markham.
A sense of community is palpable here. No one passes by
without a wave and a hello, nearly everyone takes the time to
stop to talk and catch up. A lot of the families here have
children, keeping the neighbourhood young.
Markham as a municipality certainly takes pride in its
cultural heritage. With over 200 years of recorded history, it is
one of the province’s oldest communities. In February of this
year Mayor Frank Scarpitti received the Lieutenant Governor’s
Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership in
heritage conservation and promotion. Markham was one of
four communities to win this award and took first place in the
‘population over 125,000’ category.
The Town maintains a comprehensive Register of Property
of Cultural Heritage or Interest with over 250 individual
properties listed. It’s available online through the Town of
Markham’s website and is searchable by street address, ward
boundaries, heritage district, date of construction, or
architectural style.
Residents spend a great deal of time, energy, and resources
on their restoration efforts. The benefits of this kind of renewal
18
Main Street June 2009
A SAMPLING OF
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
FOUND IN MARKHAM
Georgian (1795-1860)
The Gapper Duncan House, 6 Wismer Place
Neoclassical (1815-1840)
The John Galloway House, 4 David Gohn Circle
Regency (1820-1840)
The John Robinson House, 4 Wismer Place
Ontario Cottage (1820-1880)
The Richard Lewis House, 28 David Gohn Circle
Classic Revival (1840-1870)
The George B. Quantz House, 2 David Gohn Circle
Gothic Revival (1860-1880)
The Reesor-Jarvis House, 12 Wismer Place
Italianate (1860-1880)
Second Empire (1870-1890)
The David Leek Sr. House, 24 David Gohn Circle
Ontario Classic (1860-1900)
The John Irving Calvert House, 10 Alexander Hunter
Place
Queen Anne Revival (1880-1915)
The Wismer-Lunau House, 1 Heritage Corners Lane
Vernacular (All Periods)
The John Ramsay House, 20 David Gohn Circle
Edwardian Classical (1900-1935)
The Wilmott Brumwell House, 8 Wismer Place
accrue quickly, as investments in a town’s cultural heritage can
contribute greatly to its economic development. Spin-offs may
include bringing tourist dollars into the community, helping to
revitalize a main street, creating jobs, enhancing
neighbourhoods, and increasing property values, as well as the
municipal tax base.
Happily, houses do not always need to be moved, or
moved so great a distance. In the Greater Toronto Area,
MS June 09.qxp:09
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Page 19
Markham is recognized as having the best record for retaining
heritage buildings within new developments. A recent example
of this is in Cornell, where Hawkins House is being
transformed into an affordable Habitat for Humanity home.
The Town of Markham, Mattamy Homes Ltd., and Home
Depot of Canada are working together to transfer the 1875
farmer’s residence onto a new foundation at 41 Bittersweet
Street. Mattamy Homes had purchased the 200-acre land in
2001, under the condition that they would accommodate the
historic building in the subdivision.
It’s important to remember that even within specially
designated heritage conservation districts, change will occur. As
living parts of our community, they are not now, nor were they
ever intended to be, museum sites. A commitment to
respecting each building’s individual history is just as important
as flexibility and keeping an eye toward the future.
In 1975, the Town of Markham established a local
architectural conservation advisory committee known as
Heritage Markham. Three members of Council, plus ten
volunteer representatives from the community who have an
interest in local history and architecture, form the committee.
The group advises and assists the Town on all heritage matters
and helps to promote conservation initiatives. They meet once
a month to review applications and projects.
In a town that is growing and developing so quickly, there
is bound to be conflict. Ever-increasing pressure for new
development fights with concerns about preserving precious
local history. Heritage buildings are the most fragile reminders
we have from generations past. Once lost, they are gone forever.
By creating this safe harbour of a subdivision and
introducing stronger policies to keep older buildings within
new developments, the Town has greatly reduced the threat of
culturally important buildings being lost. To call such
conservationist efforts forward thinking might seem ironic, yet
that’s precisely what they are.
DOORS OPEN MARKHAM
The annual Doors Open Markham event, held every
August, grants visitors access to places they normally
aren’t able to go. Heritage walking tours are offered
in the villages of Buttonville, Thornhill, Markham,
and Unionville. At least one home in the Markham
Heritage Estates area is usually available for touring.
This coming August it will be the McKenzieGowland House at 12 Alexander Hunter Place. The
Gothic Revival-style farmhouse was built circa 1871
and retains many of its original features.
Main Street June 2009
19
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BUSINESS REVIEW
If you’re a golfer, you’re probably aware of the
challenges in the golf business these days – particularly
for private clubs, where membership often requires a
large financial commitment. Given the current
economy, many clubs are offering unprecedented
incentives to attract new members.
Whitevale Golf Club is in a unique position in this
marketplace. With its unique equity structure and
passionate membership of avid golfers -- along with its
strong balance sheet -- the 51-year-old Club is in a
better position than others
to weather the economic
storm.
That said,
Whitevale has recognized
the need to react to the
economic realities for its
prospective new members.
If your plan was to join
Whitevale this year, the
Club wants to do what it
can to keep that plan on
track.
With this in mind,
Whitevale Golf Club is
offering full equity membership for just $3,500 down.
The balance owing on the share purchase and initiation
fee can be paid over the next three years in six monthly
payments each year, at an interest rate of Prime plus
1%. This financing arrangement does not include
applicable annual dues which, of course, would be prorated for the remainder of the season.
If the large capital outlay was the main thing
stopping you from joining a golf club, Whitevale has
made that considerably easier for you. Now, more
importantly, what about the golf course? The people?
The facilities?
Whitevale Golf Club provides a unique combination
of high-quality golf, lasting friendships and the flexibility
and value of a member-owned equity club.
The property is the perfect setting for avid golfers
to enjoy the game. Players encounter a course
designed around a natural rolling terrain with
beautiful vistas of large mature hardwoods and tall
whispering pines, complemented by the clear waters of
Duffin’s Creek – all nestled in the picturesque Hamlet
of Whitevale, only 30 minutes from downtown
Toronto.
In 2006, renowned Canadian golf architect
Thomas McBroom completed an extensive redesign of
the golf course, including
a total bunker and tee
renovation,
and
a
realignment of several
holes, giving Whitevale a
contemporary golfing
challenge and aesthetic,
underpinned by 50 years
of history and tradition.
Whitevale has a long
history of accomplished
players, but members of
all skill levels enjoy an
exceptional golf experience
whether it’s a casual round with family or friends, or the
opportunity to compete and develop their game. It’s a
comfortable place with a culture of mutual respect and
inclusiveness that dates back to 1958.
Whitevale provides quality facilities and attentive
professional service for its members and their guests to
enjoy golf, dining and other social activities. It’s a
family friendly environment where singles, couples
and junior members can enjoy the game and all the
privileges of membership.
For a new membership package or for recent share
sale prices, contact Alex Maggiacomo: 905-294-9600.
It’s important to mention that this offer, much like the
recession, is for a limited time only.
Whitevale Golf Club
www.whitevalegolfclub.com • 905-294-9600
Advertisement
MS June 09.qxp:09
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Page 21
unionvillefestival.com
Main Street June 2009
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Page 22
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Main Street June 2009
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Main Street June 2009
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