The Great Canadian Heritage Restoration Thread

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[SignalHillHiker]

October 24, 2015

The Colonial Building, our former Parliament, is coming along. The street leading to the entrance has been restored to its original stone and grade, the lantern (ornate skylight) has been rebuilt, and the decades-old addition of extra windows and removal of the double door on the front have been reversed.





(I should point out that it's a bit bigger than it looks from the front, , forgot to take a pic from an angle that shows the full depth) :



Quite a few of the buildings up in that part of town are being restored at the same time.

[itom 987]

^ They should have incorporated the Colonial Building into the new legislature, it would have made it look like a legislature rather than a glorified high school.

[SignalHillHiker]

I'm torn about that. I hate the new one, of course. It's one saving grace is the way it's lit up at night. The spire (lol) has lights inside it. Doesn't read as a high school at night.

But also kind of glad we didn't lose any of Bannerman Park to expand the Colonial Building. And I'm not sure I'd like having the government so close to downtown. Not sure why I guess that's just what I'm used to now, like having trees behind houses but not in front lol

[Trevor3]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I'm torn about that. I hate the new one, of course. It's one saving grace is the way it's lit up at night. The spire (lol) has lights inside it. Doesn't read as a high school at night.

But also kind of glad we didn't lose any of Bannerman Park to expand the Colonial Building. And I'm not sure I'd like having the government so close to downtown. Not sure why I guess that's just what I'm used to now, like having trees behind houses but not in front lol

I actually love the way that the New Brunswick legislature is worked into downtown Fredericton. It's not much bigger than Colonial Building and the additions/adjacent buildings to either side are attarctive and not very intrusive either. The whole thing kind of functions as a green space and marks the east end to the downtown commercial area.

Seeing what they have and what we have, I can't help but think that Confederation building is over-the-top and much bigger than we should need.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.9598081,-...4QdJyHRzCXQFw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[SignalHillHiker]

That is beautiful.

Also: Confederation Building is only a fraction of our provincial government's space. There are numerous separate buildings throughout the city, including the West Block adjacent to the Confed.

[Andy6]

I like how the NB legislative assembly puts out its trash at the curb in two household blue bins. Could we find drafts of the latest cabinet minutes in there?

[MonctonRad]

Castle Manor in Moncton is being refurbished into condominiums, while keeping the exterior intact.



There will be 14 units ranging in price from $275,000 to $400,000

Because they are leaving the exterior intact (and not modifying the interior structures significantly, this will lead to some interesting floor plans for the condo units. Here's the premiere unit on the fourth floor:



One of the third floor units will be on two levels:



Website - http://castlemanorestates.ca/index.php

This is a most welcome project, as this 108 year old building very nearly met with the wrecking ball. There was considerable outrage in the city over this, as the "castle" has a prominent location on a hill with a parklike area out front on Mountain Road, one of the main thoroughfares in the city. Many people in Moncton have great affection for the castle.

[SignalHillHiker]

Very cool, MonctonRad. What's the location like for that building? Is it close to Main Street?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Very cool, MonctonRad. What's the location like for that building? Is it close to Main Street?

Corner of Mountain and Universite, about five blocks from Main Street. It's very close to the old CBC Building (they've moved), and the Dumont Hospital.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I'm torn about that. I hate the new one, of course. It's one saving grace is the way it's lit up at night. The spire (lol) has lights inside it. Doesn't read as a high school at night.

But also kind of glad we didn't lose any of Bannerman Park to expand the Colonial Building. And I'm not sure I'd like having the government so close to downtown. Not sure why I guess that's just what I'm used to now, like having trees behind houses but not in front lol

I think I'd also be torn on these things.

There's something great about an intact old building in intact surroundings.

On the other hand, it's better to have the current govt employees all in the same (presumably central) location as the old one.

The FL capitol is a good example of what you likely would've had with the legislature in Bannerman Park.





It's impossible to take a picture of that nice classical 1840s building without having the new capitol tower photobombing it. Which IMO —.

[lio45]

I prefer this



without this behind it:






No need to photoshop the Confederation Building's tower behind the Colonial Building to imagine the result. (Florida State Capitol pic.)





And if the new government building isn't tall, then it has to be sprawling, which is even worse in a (presumably) central, urban area.

[SignalHillHiker]

I prefer their modern building to ours, though. But agreed overall, yeah.

The Confed is looking better now that it's been reclad, though. Pic from today:

https://flic.kr/p/AcMnMw

EDIT: And thanks for the love.

[lio45]

BTW, I love your Colonial Building.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I prefer their modern building to ours, though. But agreed overall, yeah.

The Confed is looking better now that it's been reclad, though. Pic from today:

https://flic.kr/p/AcMnMw

Huh, I think the reclad's made it worse...

And it REALLY looks like it's in the middle of nowhere. Provincial Liberal decision...?

[someone123]

It's a bit large but I thought this photo was interesting. It's of excavation work that is happening along the Shubenacadie canal in Dartmouth. The stonework in the image dates to the original 1820's construction but the machinery was added later when the canal was used by nearby factories (this one was for Starr Manufacturing, which was the first factory to mass produce skates, starting in the 1860's).

The canal linked up Halifax with the Bay of Fundy. You can still follow it along its course and see some of the old locks.

Original article: http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/201...l-dating-from-1800s-being-excavated.html

Here's the course that the canal followed. Lake Banook is an artifical lake that filled in after the canal was created.

Source

There was also the Chignecto ship railway, which was meant to allow ships to cross the isthmus of Chignecto from the Bay of Fundy to the Northumberland Strait: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chignecto_Ship_Railway

Unfortunately, it was never completed. It was started in 1888 but the backers became insolvent (there was a financial panic in 1890) and the project stalled.

[Hali87]

Updated rendering for the restored/renovated Green Lantern Building on Barrington:


Source

[someone123]

As is common in a lot of cities, many of the heritage buildings in Halifax have been seriously neglected and adulterated over the years. The Green Lantern building has cheap-looking plywood and metal storefronts. It'll be great to see them removed.

A block or two away, the Pacific Building is also being restored. It has a white terra cotta facade and originally had a recessed entrance with columns that was filled in at one point. If enough of the original material is there they'll probably restore that was well.

The NFB facade is also being rebuilt as part of a condo development and three or four other buildings have heritage funding pending. There will be half a dozen or so restoration projects in the next couple of years.

Hopefully this is just the beginning of a trend and more buildings will be fully restored. A lot of them have lost cupolas, spires, clocks, etc. It would be great to see some of those rebuilt. The old law courts and post office (art gallery now) both had prominent cupolas.

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[FrAnKs]

Wonderful manor !