Heritage house nominated for historic site

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This article was published 20/02/2024 (576 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 118-year-old Queen Anne-style house could be Brandon’s next historic site if council picks up a recommendation from the city’s heritage committee at tonight’s meeting.

At a Jan. 23 meeting of the municipal heritage advisory committee, members voted to nominate 318 11th St. as a municipal heritage site.

Built in 1906, the home was first occupied by former city alderman John McDonald. Harry Cater — who served as mayor from 1915 to 1918, 1922 to 1931 and 1934 to 1937 — and his family lived in the house for almost 60 years.

The co-chair of the committee, Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4), said Friday that he and his fellow members have had the chance to speak with the homeowners, who reached out last fall to apply for historic status.

“It matches a lot of the character of that time, the early 1900s,” Cameron said. “A lot of what we’re hoping to preserve … is both the exterior and the interior character.”

He said during a tour of the house, he and his colleagues got to see a unique staircase and rooms, a chimney, fireplace and some light fixtures that are original to when the house was first built. Where some of the original elements have changed, Cameron said the owners are “very committed” to trying to bring back the character of the time period.

A report attached to the agenda for the council meeting also mentions wood-framed windows, some featuring stained glass, Ionic columns in the main hall and some original flooring.

There is evidence that the building once sported a second-storey porch, but it was removed by a previous owner except for a “stump balcony” on the south side.

The report said the current owners have expressed interest in restoring the porch on top of addressing other deteriorating elements of the exterior. The interior of the home is said to be in a better state.

When assessing whether to grant a building historic status, the committee gives it a grade for its architectural or historical significance. If a building scores 90 points or higher, it’s an indication that it is worthy of preservation. This particular building scored 154 points.

To help a building get a heritage designation, Cameron said it’s important for the committee and the owners to partner together.

By earning that designation, the owners of a historic site will have some responsibility to report on the status and progress to the committee, but it in turn provides them access to funding through municipal and provincial preservation programs.

“It gives them access to a little bit of funding that can potentially help ensure that heritage is preserved, but also it allows the city to be able to tell that story as well, and that there’s a commitment to preserving these properties in our community,” Cameron said.

While Cameron wasn’t sure how his fellow councillors would vote on giving the building a historic designation, he expressed hope that they would support the committee’s recommendation.

If there are any other property owners in Brandon interested in pursuing heritage status for a building, Cameron recommended that they visit the committee’s website at heritagebrandon.ca for more information on the process.

“We want to ensure that we’re having a discussion and finding a way that we can properly recognize … the heritage of their properties without being overly restrictive or onerous,” Cameron said.

Also at tonight’s meeting, council will hold first reading of a bylaw that would establish a program that would incentivize developers to build market-rate housing in downtown Brandon. This is one of several initiatives the city is proposing to implement to receive funding from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.

Rounding out the agenda are votes on appointments to several municipal committees and positions, a presentation from the Brandon Condominium Corporation about taxes on waste removal, a report from the city’s vision zero task force and a report about the recent board meeting of the Brandon General Museum & Archives.

A special meeting providing an update on the development of a new city plan has been scheduled to take place at 6 p.m.

Council meetings take place in chambers on the second floor of Brandon City Hall at 410 Ninth St. Regular meetings start at 7 p.m. and are livestreamed on the city’s YouTube page and aired on WCGtv.

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