society for the study of architecture in canada

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE IN CANADA
SOCIETE POUR L'ETUDE DE L'ARCHITECTURE AU CANADA
Volume/Tome 8
February/fevrier 1983
Number/Numero 1
2
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
For the past three years the SSAC Bulletin has been
edited by Susan Algie in Edmonton. In October a change
of employment caused Susan to tender her resignation
as editor of the Bulletin. On behalf of the SSAC I want to
thank Susan for her valuable contribution to the society
in her capacity as editor and to wish her well in her new
position.
With Susan's resignation as editor the Bulletin has
moved to Winnipeg where it will be under the charge of
its new editor, Don Lovell. Since Don will be setting the
course of the Bulletin during the coming year I feel it is
appropriate that he should receive something of a formal
introduction to our membership.
Don was born in London, Ontario and received his
post- secondary education at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, and at Royal Military College, Kingston,
where he graduated with an Honours B.A. in Canadian
history in 1974. After receiving his commission with the
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry he served in
Calgary with the 1st Battalion of the PPCLI until 1979. In
that year he left the service and enrolled as a graduate
student in architecture at the University of Manitoba. He
hopes to graduate this May with a Master of Architecture degree.
Don's interests in architecture centre on the conservation and restoration of heritage architecture, and the
retro-fitting of older buildings. He has been a member of
the SSAC since 1978 and a member of the SSAC board
since May 1982.
As editor of the Bulletin Don faces a difficult and
time consuming task, as any of our previous editors will
readily attest. However, we can all render assistance to
him by notifying him of events, meetings, conferences
and publications which may be of interest to SSAC
members. Let him know of any interesting research pertaining to architecture in Canada of which you may become aware. Consider, too, submitting a short article on
an aspect of Canadian architecture, or, if you are actively involved in research prepare a brief report of your
work and send it to Don for his consideration. The Bulletin needs your input if it is to function in its intended
role within the society.
At the same time that Don accepted the board's invitation to take over as editor the board voted to publish
the Bulletin on a quarterly basis rather than on a bimonthly basis as was done previously . This step was
taken in recognition of the difficulties of adhering to a bimonthly publication schedule when working with an all
volunteer staff. The cost of mailing has increased dramatically over the past year and it was felt that the
SSAC could best employ its resources using the quar-
terly format, with additional special issues if, and when,
warranted.
Finally, I want to extend an invitation to all our members to join us at the forthcoming SSAC annual meeting
which will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland in late
July this year. Gerry Pocius and Shane O'Dea have organized what promises to be one of our most exciting
meetings; one which will offer something to all interests
in the field of architecture. I am sure that this meeting in
Newfoundland will be one which few of us will want to
miss.
Next year the SSAC will be meeting in Guelph in
conjunction with the Learned Societies conference. The
time of this meeting has not yet been definitely established but I expect it will be held in the first week of
June. When further details are known they will be published in the Bulletin and mailed out to you. Make plans
to join us-both in Newfoundland this year and in Ontario in 1 984.
Sincerely
John C. Lehr
President, SSAC
Editor's Desk
To all SSAC members I extend my thanks for the
appointment as Editor of the Bulletin. You will notice that
the format has remained unchanged and this reflects the
adage: if something works leave it alone. I would like to
echo the President's words by extending my appreciation to Susan Algie for the very successful execution of
her task as Editor. The momentum has been created and
it now has to be maintained. The Bulletin serves not only
as a forum for architectural debate but also as a newsletter keeping each member in touch and up to date on
events in Canada. Thus I encourage every reader to view
the Bulletin as their notice board and to actively participate in its effectiveness.
The editorial comment on page 3 is a reflection on
the conservation movement in Canada. The principle article for this issue concerns the commercial buildings of
downtown Montreal and is written by Denis Lessard and
Pascale Beaudet. Additions to archival collections, book
reviews and regional events are intended as regular fea tures.
Issues are planned for May, August and November,
1983 with deadlines for contributions being 4 April, 4
July and 3 October, 1983. I look forward to your correspondence.
Don Lovell
COVER:
One of a series of drawings of Toronto Old City Hall. From the "Toronto Collection" Series A: Landmark Buildings. Drawn and
composed by OPUS. For information write to Opus Associates, 125 Trinity St., Toronto, M5A 3C7 .
3
EDITORIAL
Architectural HeritageA Three Dimensional Statement of Culture
Of all North American traits the pre-occupation with
newness has been most significant in the formation of
our culture. This desire stimulates invention, exploration, growth, conquest of the elements and the attempt
to dominate nature. The positive and negative aspects of
this pull-down and build-over mentality have left their
mark on all areas of our country whether urban or frontier. The decade past has witnessed a turn around in
public thinking and perception of things old. Age now
represents quality, of times gone by, where craftsmen
and pride in one's work produced products of value.
Such attitudes have lead to an unheard of appreciation
of old buildings and a fostering of conservation, preservation and restoration movements.
Nevertheless the value of the built environment as
cultural heritage has not been well understood. In fact
the recent Applebaum-Hebert Committee on Canadian
Culture was content to examine cultural manifestations
across Canada in the way Canadians write, sing and
dance . Indeed their initial publication made no mention
of architecture in any sense. Over its tenure the committee faced twenty-six groups who made presentations
asserting the importance of architecture in the formation
of Canadian art and culture. Phyllis Lambert of the Canadian Centre for Architecture pointed out that the architect shapes material like a sculpture or as a choreographer develops a dance . Architectural solutions, then, are
testaments to the technical and creative abilities of
society.
Architecture as culture is the way people relate to
each other socially, intellectually and indeed in every
aspect of life. Buildings are a search for expression of
human thought and this expression becomes distinctly
national. Jacques Dalibard of Heritage Canada defines
our built heritage as the uniquely Canadian juxtaposition
of structures often derived from other cultu res. Architectural heritage becomes a Nova Scotia fishing village, a
small Saskatchewan town with grain elevators or the
warehouse district of Winnipeg. Not simply the part but
the sum of the parts. These become the cultural landscapes of our Canadian built environment. The value of
cultural landscape has been recognized. Professor Fitch,
of Columbia University, cites several examples where
this importance has been met by saving entire areas,
Charleston, the Chartres Cathedral and its old village
and Salt Lake City temple area. Canadians have also
responded; Vancouver' s Gastown, Victoria's Market
Square and Old Quebec are examples.
Today the economics of expensive energy, high cost
for money, unemployment and increased material expenses are encouraging the reuse of old. Interestingly,
the Government has responded to this in part by their fall
1 981 budget by modifying the section of the Income Tax
Act which previously gave developers a financial incentive to demolish buildings. The tax revision states that its
intent is to "lend support to the preservation of historic
buildings."
It would appear that the campaign to establish conservation as a viable option to new construction has
been won. In the eighties the question will increasingly
be what to preserve and why. Concerns exist as to the
cultural implications of retrofitting older buildings for
new use. Philosophies must be developed as to the criteria for evaluation of culturally significant buildings . The
dialogue to establish a foundation for national and regional conservation approaches is underway and the
SSAC BULLETIN might well serve as one forum for this
debate.
CANADIAN ARCHITECTURE
STAMP SERIES
Steve Otto, a member from. Toronto, has drawn attention to a series of U.S. stamps which commemorated
significant American architectural works. Buildings by
Wright, Gropius, Saarinen and Mies van der Rohe were
examples of the subject matter chosen. Any SSAC
member interested in proposing a similar theme issue to
the Canadian Post Master General should contact John
Lehr, SSAC President, Dept. of Geography, University of
Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
PRESERVE AND PROTECT
The Ontario Association of Architects has prepared,
with the assistance of Geoff Hunt an SSAC member
from Toronto, a document encouraging the preservation
and protection of architectural records and drawings.
The brochure answers such questions as to; why archi tectural records are important, what materials should be
preserved and the practical benefits to those involved.
The trace is an important step by a provincial architectural organization and certainly a lead for other provinces
to follow. Copies are available from the Ontario Association of Architects, 50 Park Road, Toronto, Ontario,
M4W 2N5 phone (416) 929-0623.
4
Edifices Commerciaux du centre-ville de Montreal,
1920-1935: un resume
par Denis Lessard et Pascale Beaudet
Peel Street, 1931, one of the main areas of commercial architectural development in Montreal.
Le Centre-ville de Montreal en 1931. Secteur Peel-Sainte-Catherine.
C'est par souci d'elargir Ia notion de patrimoine que
nous avons entrepris une etude sur !'architecture commerciale montrealaise des annees 20 et 30. II s'agit d'un
domaine encore tres peu fouille mais particulierement
digne d'interet. Notre travail s'est developpe non pas a Ia
maniere d'un inventaire exhaustif, mais sous Ia forme
d'une analyse pratique et multidirectionnelle. En effet, Ia
documentation assemblee a permis de degager des conclusions sur les plans socio-economique, technologique,
stylistique, urbanistique et ideologique. 1
Selon Ia quantite de renseignements disponibles,
!'interet des motifs ornementaux et des structures architecturales, 57 batiments encore existants ont ete retenus pour fins de recherche. Notre categorie d'analyse
comprend les types d'edifices suivants: banques, boutiques, edifices a bureaux ou a fonction mixte, epiceries,
garages, grands magasins, marches couverts et sieges
sociaux de compagnies. A cela s'ajoutent quelques immeubles du secteur des communications: batiments des
services du telephone, imprimeries, bureaux lies a Ia
production d'un journal.
Notre territoire etait borde par les rues Atwater,
Sherbrooke, Amherst et Viger-Vitre, ce qui correspond
au centre-ville de Montreal. Ce secteur s'est evidemment beaucoup developpe entre 1920 et 1935, periode
equivalant grosso modo a l'entre-deux guerres.
Le present texte donne un aperc;u tres general
de nos decouvertes, a partir d'exemples tires de ce qui
constituera notre rapport de recherche.
En 1919, pour Ia premiere fois, le Canada signe un
traite international a titre individual: le traite de Versailles. Auparavant, Ia Grande-Bretagne avait toujours
servi de chaperon a ses "dominions". 2 Les annees
1920 a 35 marquant !'emancipation politique du Canada et le debut de Ia domination economique par les
Etats-Unis. Le capital britannique, dominant le marche a
53% en 1920, cede devant le capital americain: il ne
represente plus que 36% des investissements etranges
en 1930. 3 Durant ces memes annees, les economies canadienne et quebecois connaitront une evolution dictee
par leur voisin et par Ia situation internationale: depression (1919-25), prosperite, jusqu'en 1930, reprise lente
en 1933.
En 1921, le Quebec a passe le cap de I' urbanisation.
Montreal, metropole canadienne incontestee, abrite le
principal port du pays, est le point de fonction des grands
reseaux ferroviaires et le siege des deux plus importantes banques du Canada: Ia Banque royale et Ia
Banque de Montreal. Le centre-ville voit s'edifier un
grand nombre d'edifices. Une recrudescence des activites de construction dans les annees 1928 et 29 resort
de I' examen de notre corpus. Durant les quinze annees
de notre etude le Quebec, est-il besoin dele rappeler, est
domine economiquement par une grande bourgeoisie anglophone qui controle Ia construction (en 1910, 2.4%
des membres de Ia grande bourgeoisie canadienne sont
francophones; en 1930, 4.6%. 4 En 1920, le centre-ville
montrealais avait un visage nettement plus anglophone
qu'aujourd'hui. Pendant que les Canadiens-anglais s'occupaient de nos affaires, les Quebecois francophones
obeissaient au clerge qui leur prechait Ia soumission;
quant aux gouvernements, le moins qu'on puisse dire est
qu'ils geraient sans imagination. Quelques exceptions
d' envergure com me Lionel Groulx tentaient de secouer Ia
torpeur du Quebec.
Trois bureaux d'architectes reviennent plus souvent
5
au sein de notre corpus: Ross et MacDonald (grand magasin T. Eaton, 1925-27 et 1931; hotel Mont-Royal,
1921-221. Barott et Blackader (siege social de Ia Bell
Telephone, 1927- 29) et H. L. Fetherstonhaugh (immeuble University Tower, 1929-30). Ces architectes appartiennent a Ia minorite anglophone du Quebec et entretiennent ·des accointances avec le milieu architectural de
Toronto. ' Certains bureaux torontois comme celui de
John M. Lyle ont d'ailleurs ete charges de contrats a
Montreal; le magasin Simpson (1929-30) est construit
par les torontois Chapman et Oxley. Les architectes francophones sont beaucoup mains nombreux dans le secteur commercial : leurs activites etaient surtout liees aux
constructions residentielles et institutionnelles. Tires de
notre corpus, citons neanmoins Ernest Cormier, Henri S.
Labelle, A. H. Lapierre ...
La preponderance des anglophones - architectes,
entrepreneurs, financiers - se retrouve naturellement
dans Ia documentation d'epoque sur !'architecture montrealaise. Les revenues torontoises - Construction,
Contract Record and Engineering Review, The Journal,
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada - ont le haut du
pave. Ces publications sont remarquablement impermeables aux experiences contemporaines en Europe et aux
Etats-Unis. En architecture, le ton est donne par Ia
metropole ontarienne. L' epoque est marquee par une
serie de developpements pan-canadians, notamment
dans le cas des banques et des grands magasins qui
ouvrent des succursales a Montreal et dans d'autres
villes du pays.
Entre 1920 et 35, !'aspect du centre-ville de Montreal est deter~ine par les differentes lois de zonage qui
· reglent Ia hauteur des edifices. Ce n'est qu'apres 1929
que le nombre d'etages peut augmenter jusqu'a douze. 5
La legislation influence meme Ia structure architecturale
puisque I' on recommande de construire les edifices en
hauteur selon le principe des volumes en retrait, pour
donner une forme de ziggourat. Les immeubles Beaver
Hall de Ia Bell Telephone, University Tower, Dominion
Square ( 1929 ou 1930) et Aldred ( 1929) suivent cette
configuration. La vocation commerciale des edifices
donne souvent lieu a des structures avec entree donnant
sur un coin de rue, a Ia jonction d'arteres importantes. II
en resulte un plan tronque: cette caracteristique n' est
pas nouvelle, mais elle se retrouve souvent a l'interieur
de notre corpus. On peut mentionner les edifices de Ia
Dominion Oil Cloth and Linoleum (1929 ou 1930), le
marche Saint-Jacques ( 1931), I' edifice E. Archambault
( 1930). les pastes Lancaster ( 1924). Wilbank
(1927-28) et l'immeuble Beaver Hall de Ia Bell, les immeubles Confederation (1927-28) et Aldred.
Certaines innovations techniques apparaissent au
cours de Ia periode etudiee. On developpe des methodes
de coulage du beton et de construction pendant l'hiver,
par exemple pour les edifices Crane (1921-22). University Tower, Confederation et Railway Exchange
(1927-28) . On s'efforce aussi d'ameliorer Ia rapidite de
construction. II est cependant remarquable de voir que
les progres techniques n' empechent pas le conserva-
tisme dans les styles architecturaux. Ainsi, l'immeuble
de Ia compagnie Canada Cement ( 1921-22) est le premier a etre construit en beton arme au Canada, et le
premier a offrir un garage souterrain a Montreal; pourtant, I' aspect exterieur de I' edifice est d'une ordonnance
toute neo-classique.
L' examen de notre corpus suggere des secteurs de
developpement determines par des voies de transport.
Nous en detinirons deux, en precisant que nos delimitations ne sont pas etanches: le secteur Peei-Ste-Catherine
et celui de Ia Place Phillips.
II taut d'abord mentionner que Ia rue Ste-Catherine,
durant I' entre-deux guerres, eta it deja I' artere commerciale Ia plus importante du centre-ville. C' est pourquoi
nos deux secteurs se rattachent pour moitie a cette rue.
En 1920, Ia rue Peel revet une importance particuliere: deja au Xlxe siecle, Ia rue alors nommee Windsor
donne son nom a Ia gare; les hotels s'etablissent done a
proximite. De plus, jusqu'en 1930, l'axe Windsor-Peel
menait directement au pont Victoria, seule echappee
vers le sud. 6 La rue Sherbrooke est Ia continuation de
l'autoroute 2. II n'est done pas etonnant que nous retrouvions une concentration d'hotels dans ce secteur:
hotel Mont-Royal, hotel Berkeley (1928).
Durant les annees qui nous interessent, Ia Place Phillips joue un role important dans Ia vie economique de
Montreal: c'est le coeur du centre-ville; elle est reliee au
quartier des affaires par Ia Cote du Beaver Hall. La prosperite profite a Ia place, qui voit plusieurs edifices s'elever dans les annees 20: immeubles DubrGie ( 1920),
Canada Cement, Crane.
'
Le rapport de recherche contenant les fiches descriptives de notre corpus avec illustrations et textes de synthese sera diffuse dans les principales bibliotheques
montrealaises, aupres des organismes qui s'interessent
a Ia conservation et a I' etude du patrimoine architectural,
ainsi qu' aux bibliotheques nationales du Quebec et du
Canada. Des extraits seront envoyes aux proprietaires
des edifices les plus menaces, dans une optique de sensibilisation et de mise en valeur de ce patrimoine plus
recent.
II s'agit done d'une premiere etape de travail. Nous
comptons ensuite approfondir les differentes avenues
degagees par Ia recherche et explorer les autres categories d'edifices construits a Montreal durant Ia meme
periode.
Notes
1. Cette recherche etait parrainee par le departement d'histoire de l'art
de I'Universite de Montreal, et subventionnee par le Ministere des
Affaires culturelles du Quebec, dans le cadre du programme " Connaissance du patrimoine", 1981 - 82.
2. Lacoursiere, J., Provencher, J., et Vaugeois, D., Canada-Quebec:
Synthese historique, Montreal. Renouveau Pedagogique, 1970, p.
491 .
3. Linteau, P.-A., Durocher, R. et Robert, J.-C., Histoire du Quebec
contemporain; De Ia Confederation a Ia crise, Montreal, Boreal Express, 1979, p. 385.
4 . Ibid., p . 462.
5. Construction, Vol. 22, no 4 (avril1929), pp. 117- 118.
6 . The Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Vol. 35, no 7
(juillet 1958). p. 245.
.6
National Architectural Archives: New Acquisitions
Archives, "Over the next year archivists hope to interview architects who worked with the firm and record
these interviews on tape."
In a few months' time the John and Joseph Power
Collection of architectural records will be available for
consultation at the Public Archives of Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa .
The Z. Matthew Stankiewicz Collection
Power & Son "Proposed Whig Office for F. J. B. Pense, Esq. to
be erected on King Street. " 1894. Public Archives of Canada,
National Map Collection, John and Joseph Power Collection,
81203/ 19.
The John and Joseph Power Collection
The Public Archives of Canada announces the recent
donation of the John and Joseph Power Collection of
architectural records by Mill & Ross Architects of Kingston, Ontario.
Contained in the collection are approximately 775
projects ( 15,000 sheets of drawings) for buildings in
Kingston and for many other cities along Lake Ontario.
These are plans for fine late nineteenth-century
churches, houses, prisons, schools, orphanages and a
variety of other buildings. The collection contains drawings of the dome added to Kingston City Hall in 1 908 and
plans for additions to St. George's Cathedral in 1891.
John Power established an architectural practice in
Kingston in 1846 and was joined in the business by his
son Joseph in 1880. The firm's name changed several
times over the years to include the names of Colin
Drever, who joined in 1919, Harry P. Smith who entered
the firm in 1945 and Neil K. Maclennan, who joined
briefly from 1971 to 1973. In 1975 Smith entered into
partnership with Thomas Mill and Michael Ross. Since
1980 the firm has been registered as Mill & Ross. It is
believed to be the oldest continuing architectural practice in Canada.
Upon their arrival at the Public Archives, the drawings were brittle from having been kept rolled for so
many years. Conservators at the Archives had to flatten
them before they could be processed by the archivists.
Now each drawing has been assigned a unique number
and finding aids are being prepared. Ultimately the
collection will be microfilmed and according to Dorothy
Ahlgren, responsible for the National Architectural
The Public Archives of Canada announces the recent
acquisition of the Z . Matthew Stankiewicz Collection.
Stankiewicz was born in Wilno, Poland on 3 January
1926. In 1949 he graduated from the School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, England. After several
years in private practice he immigrated to Canada, securing employment with the Department of Public Works
and the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission.
In 1958 he began a private architectural practice in Ottawa, achieving a reputation as one of that city's leading
designers of private residences. His buildings appear
primarily in Ontario and New Brunswick. He became
Ottawa editor for the Canadian Architect magazine
in 1959. In 1965 he won a national award for his design of a house. Along with architects R. Robbie and P.
Schoeler, Stankiewicz designed the Canadian Government Pavilion for Expo '67 and was Chairman of the jury
which selected the design for the Canadian Pavilion at
Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. He died in 1979.
The Stankiewicz Collection consists of architectural
plans and drawings for 167 projects, including vacation
homes, office buildings, single and multiple-family residences, restaurants, the Ukrainian Museum in Saskatoon, the Polish embassy and buildings at Carleton
University in Ottawa. In addition to the plans and drawings, the collection includes financial records, project
correspondence and a number of 35mm slides used by
Stankiewicz for teaching purposes.
The H. L. Fetherstonhaugh Collection
The records of the architectural practice begun in
Montreal by H. L. Fetherstonhaugh in 1922 have been
donated to the Public Archives of Canada by Michael
G. C. Ellwood. The firm continued as the partnerships of
Fetherstonhaugh & Durnford ( 1934-1945); Fetherstonhaugh, Durnford, Bolton & Chadwick ( 1946-1954);
Durnford, Bolton & Chadwick (1955); Burnford, Bolton,
· Chadwick & Ellwood ( 1956-1964); Bolton, Chadwick,
Ellwood & Aimers (1964); Bolton, Ellwood & Aimers
(1964- 1969); Ellwood Aimers & Henderson (1970);
Ellwood & Henderson (1971-1980); and Michael G. C.
Ellwood from 1981 to the present.
At this time only the records created before 1960
have been transferred, but they represent some 350 projects. The collection consists of approximately 10,000
drawings, with related specifications, correspondence,
7
office files and photographs. Subsequent records will
continue to be transferred systematically every five
years.
Included are more than one hundred private residential projects, apartment buildings, churches, university
buildings (Bishop's College, McGill University, Memorial
University of Newfoundland). office buildings and
industrial projects. Most of the private residential projects are dwellings built in Westmount, and country
homes constructed throughout the province of Quebec
for many Westmount families. One major client, the Aluminum Company of Canada, commissioned a vast num-
Fetherstonhaugh & Durnford. "South elevation Arvida Inn,
Aluminum Co. of Canada Ltd., Arvida, PO. " 1939. Public
Archives of Canada, National Map Collection, H. L. Fetherstonhaugh Collection, 81203/ 1, project 835, item 6.
c 95384.
ber of projects over the years, many for the town of
Arvida.
The H. L. Fetherstonhaugh Collection is an extremely important addition to the National Architectural
Archives.
The J. Austin Floyd Collection
The Public Archives of Canada is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of the J. Austin Floyd Collection.
Floyd was a renowned Canadian landscape architect
who died in Toronto in 1981. Born in 1910 in New
Brunswick, he received his education at the University of
Manitoba (B.Sc.A.) and Harvard University (M .L.A.) in
1946. He was Assistant Director of the Toronto Planning
Board from 1948 to 1954, when he entered into the
partnership Dunington-Grubb, Floyd & Stensson landscape architects. In 1956 he established his own business. For many years he was a lecturer at the University
of Toronto School of Architecture. He was a member of
the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, acting as
President in 1953-54 and a member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. In 1982 the OALA
distinguished achievement award was conferred upon
him posthumously.
Of the many commissions he received during his career, some of the most oustanding are the garden of the
Sheraton Centre Hotel, the "Fragrant Garden" of the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and the "Enchanted Garden" of the Ontario Crippled Children's
Centre, all in Toronto . In addition to institutional gardens
he designed a number of provincial parks, botanical gardens, university and residential landscaping projects.
The collection, which consists of drawings, photographs and slides, correspondence and tree samples,
was donated by James Floyd of Floyd and Gerrard, landscape architects of Toronto. It will be processed by archivists over the next few months and will be available
for research use by spring of 1983.
Arthur W. Wallace Collection
The National Architectural Archives of the Public Archives of Canada has recently acquired the Arthur W.
Wallace architectural collection . Wallace, graduating
from McGill University in 1926, worked for architectural
firms in New York during the late 1920s and in England
during the 1930s. Throughout most of the war he
worked as an architect for the British Eighth Army in
North Africa. From the late 1940s to the late 1960s he
practised in Hamilton in the firm of Husband and Wallace. For the last few years of his life he worked chiefly
as a consultant on restoration and historical projects. Mr.
Wallace died in 1978 at the age of 76.
Even as an undergraduate Mr. Wallace was involved
in the recording and preservation of buildings of architectural merit. He practised restoration work for most of his
career - his largest preservation project was Dundurn
Castle in Hamilton - and contributed information and
illustrations to numerous historical projects and publications. A fine publication of some of his work, entitled An
Album of Drawings of Early Buildings in Nova Scotia,
was published by the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia and
the Nova Scotia Museum in 1976.
The collection includes material from all aspects and
periods of Wallace's career. It consists of photographs,
letters, sketches, maps, blueprints and drawings, as well
as an indexed vertical file of some 20,000 articles, clippings and photographs relating to architectural styles
throughout the world. The collection is a rare and valuable source for architectural research; there are few of
its size and nature in public institutions in Canada. The
National Architectural Archives began as a formal programme in 1970 and since then has acquired nationally
important architectural records for permanent preservation.
Continued on page 8.
-s
Archives Architecturales Nationales
Nouvelles Acquisitions
La Collection John et Joseph Power
Les Archives Publiques du Canada sont heureuses
d'annoncer que Ia societe d'architectes Mill & Ross
Architects de Kingston (Ontario) leur a recemment fait
don de Ia Collection John et Joseph Power.
La collection comprend quelque 775 projets d'architecture ( 15,000 feuillets individuals) pour des edifices
devant etre construits a Kingston et dans d'autres villes
situees le long dulac Ontario. II s'agit de plans d'eglises,
de maisons, de prisons, d'ecoles, d'orphelinats et
d' autres magnifiques edifices de Ia fin du dixneuvieme
siecle. On y trouve aussi les plans du dome ajoute en
1908, a l'hOtel de ville de Kingston, et ceux de parties
ajoutees a Ia cathedrale St. George en 1891 .
John Power ouvrit son cabinet d'architecture a
Kingston, en 1846, et fut rejoint par son fils Joseph, en
1880. La societe changea plusieurs fois, au cours des
annees, en fonction des nouveaux associes: Colin
Drever, en 1919; Harry P. Smith en 1945 et Neil K. MacLennan en 1971 qui quitta Ia societe des 1973. En 1975,
Smith devient I' associe de Thomas Mill et de
Michael Ross; depuis 1980, Ia societe porte le nom de
Mill & Ross; elle passe pour etre le plus ancien cabinet
d'architecture au Canada.
Les plans qui arriverent aux Archives publiques
etaient fragiles parce qu'ils etaient demeures e(lrouh~s
pendant des annees; Ia premiere tache des restaurateurs
consista done a les derouler avant de les confiE:lr .aux
archivistes. On attribua ensuite un numero unique a chaque planet I' on est en train d'en faire Ia description da_ns
des instruments de recherche. II est entendu que toutes
les pieces de Ia collection seront finalemenf microfilmees; mais "notre ambition ne se limite pas Ia", nous
dit Dorothy Ahlgren, responsable de Ia conservation des
archives architecturales nationales; au cours des prochaines annees, les archivistes esperent pouvoir interviewer les architectes qui ont travaille pour le compte de
cette societe et enregistrer leurs propos sur bande.
D'ici quelques mois, Ia collection de documents
architecturaux John and Joseph Power pourra etre consultee par le public aux Archives publiques du Canada,
au 395, rue Wellington, Ottawa.
La collection Z. Matthew Stankiewicz
Les Archives publiques du Canada annoncent
qu' elles ont fait recemment I' acquisition de Ia collection
Z. Matthew Stankiewicz.
M . Stankiewicz est ne a Wilno (Pologne) le 3 janvier
1926. En 1949, il obtient son diplome d'architecte de
Z. M. Stankiewicz "Ukrainian Museum, Saskatoon, Sask.
Perspective, site plan." 1977. Public Archives of Canada,
National Map Collection, Z. M. Stankiewicz Collection,
80103!47, Project 7702.
I'Ecole d'architecture de I'Universite de Liverpool, en
Angleterre. Apr~s ,plusieurs annees de pratique privee,
il emigre au Canada ou il travaille pour le compte du
· minjstere des Travaux publics et de Ia Commission canadienne des expositions. En 1958, il ouvre son propre
cabinet d'architecture a Ottawa et devient l'un des
grands maitres de Ia ville. II construit surtout des residences situees en Ontario et au Nouveau-Brunswick. En
1959, il' est nomme directeur, pour Ottawa, de Ia revue
Canadian Architect. En 1965, il est laureat d'un concours national que lui vaut un plan de maison qu'il a
trace. Avec le concours de deux autres architectes, R.
Robbie et P. Schoeler, Stankiewicz dessine les plans du
pavilion canadien de I'Expo 67; il est president du jury
qui a choisi le projet du pavilion canadien pour !'Exposition 70 a Osaka (Japan). M. Stankiewiecz est decede en
1979.
La collection Stankiewicz comprend des plans et des
dessins architecturaux pour 167 projets, dont des maisons de campagne, des immeubles a bureaux, des residences unifamiliales ou multifamiliales, des restaurants,
Ukrainian Museum a Saskatoon, I' ambassade de
Pologne et des edifices de l'universite Carleton. En plus
de ces plans et dessins, on trouve dans cette collection
des comptes, des brouillons de lettres et un certain
nombre de diapositives de 35 mm dont Stankiewicz se
servait pour donner ses cours .
Collection H. L. Fetherstonhaugh
Les dossiers architecturaux de Ia firme fondee a
Montreal en 1922 par H. L. Fetherstonhaugh ont ete
9
remis aux Archives publiques du Canada par Michael
G. C. Ellwood. La firme a par Ia suite ete constituee en
diverses societes:
Fetherstonhaugh
&
Durnford
(1934-1945); Fetherstonhaugh, Durnford, Bolton &
Chadwick ( 1946-1954); Durnford, Bolton & Chadwick
(1955); Durnford, Bolton, Chadwick & Ellwood
(1956-1964); Bolton, Chadwick, Ellwood & Aimers
(1964); Bolton, Ellwood & Aimers ( 1964-1969);
Ellwood, Aimers & Henderson (1970); Ellwood & Henderson (1971-1980); et, depuis 1981, Michael G. C.
Ellwood.
A l'heure actuelle, seuls les dossiers crees avant
1 960 ont ete transferes, mais ils representant neanoins
350 projets. La collection se compose d'environ 10,000
dessins et de leurs specifications, de pieces de correspondance, de dossiers administratifs et de photographies. D' autres dossiers seront transferes systematiquement taus les cinq ans.
On y trouve plus d'une centaine de plans sur des
projets residentiels prives, des immeubles a appartements, des eglises, des edifices universitaires (Bishop's
College, McGill University, Memorial University de TerreNeuva), des immeubles a bureaux et des projets industrials. Les projets residentiels portent surtout sur Ia construction de maisons dans Westmount et de maisons
d'ete dans taus les coins du Quebec pour des families de
Westmount. L'un des plus importants clients, I' Aluminum Company of Canada, a commande une vaste quantite de projets au cours des annees, dont plusieurs pour
Ia ville d' Arvida.
La Collection H. L. Fetherstonhaugh constitue une
acquisition fort precieuse pour les Archives architecturales nationales.
La collection J. Austin Floyd
Les Archives publiques du Canada sont heureuses
d'annoncer qu'elles ont recemment fait !'acquisition de
Ia Collection J. Austin Floyd.
Floyd, architecte paysagiste canadien de renom,
originaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, est decede a Toronto
en 1981. II obtint tout d'abord un baccalaureat en agriculture de I'Universite du Manitoba puis une maiitrise en
architecture de paysage de I'Universite Harvard, en
1946. De 1948 a 1954, alors qu'il est directeur adjoint
du Toronto Planning Board, il fonde avec d'autres architectes paysagistes Ia societe Dunington-Grubb, Floyd &
Stensson. En 1956, il ouvre son propre cabinet, et pendant un bon nombre d'annees il donne des cours a
I'Ecole d'architecture de I'Universite de Toronto. II est
membre de I' Association des architectes paysagistes du
Canada dont il devint le president en 1953 et 1954 et de
I' Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. En 1982,
cette association lui a decerne une distinction posthume
pour realisations exceptionnelles.
Au nombre des grandes realisations de sa carriere,
mentionnons l'amenagement du jardin du Sheraton
Centre Hotel, du "Fragrant Garden" de l'lnstitut canadien des aveugles et de I' Enchanted Garden de I' Ontario
Crippled Children's Centre, taus situes a Toronto. Outre
ces jardins, il a amenage des pares provinciaux, des jardins botaniques, ainsi que des jardins pour des universites et des residences.
La collection qui comprend des plans, des photographies et des diapositives, des lettres ainsi que des echantillons d'arbres a ete offerte aux Archives par James
Floyd, de Ia societe Floyd et Gerrard, architectes paysagistes de Toronto. Toutes ces pieces seront classees
par les archivistes au cours des prochains mois pour etre
ensuite mises a Ia disposition des chercheurs a partir du
printemps de 1983.
Collection Arthur W. Wallace
Les Archives architecturales nationales des Archives
publiques du Canada ont recemment fait I' acquisition de
Ia collection de documents architecturaux Arthur W.
Wallace. Wallace re<;cut son diplome d'architecte de
l'universite McGill en 1926 et travailla pour lecompte de
societes d'architectes a New York vers Ia fin des annees
1920 et en Angleterre au cours des annees 1930. Pendant presque toute Ia duree de Ia guerre, il travailla
comme architecte pour le compte de Ia British Eighth
Army en Afrique du Nord. De Ia fin des annees 40 a Ia fin
des annees 60, il pratiqua !'architecture chez Husband
and Wallace, a Hamilton. Pendant les dernieres annees
de sa vie, il travailla surtout comme expert-conseil en en
matiere de restauration et d'execution de projets historiques; M. Wallace mourut en 1978, a l'age de 76 ans.
Avant d'avoir obtenu son diplome d'architecture, M.
Wallace participa au recensement des immeubles presentant un interet architectural et a leur restauration. La
remise en bon etat des immeubles historiques ou de style
le passionna toute sa vie et sa plus grande realisation est
sans doute Ia restauration du fameux Dundurn Castle, a
Hamilton; il participa activement, en fournissant conseils
techniques et illustrations, a de nombreux projets historiques ainsi qu'a Ia redaction d'articles sur le sujet. En
1976, Heritage Trust de Ia Nouvelle-Ecosse et Nova Scotia Museum publierent conjointement un recueil des
oeuvres architecturales de Wallace intitule An Album of
Drawings of Early Buildings in Nova Scotia.
La collection comprend des documents qui nous
eclairent sur taus les aspects de Ia carriere de Wallace;
elle se compose de photographies, de lettres, de croquis,
de cartes, de bleus et de dessins ainsi que d'un ensemble
de dossiers classees et indexes contenant quelque
20,000 articles, coupures de journaux et photographies
se rapportant a differents styles d' architecture qu' on
trouve un peu partout dans le monde. Cette collection
comprend done des pieces uniques et precieuses pour Ia
recherche en architecture; il existerait peu de collections aussi specialisees et aussi importantes dans les
institutions publiques du Canada. Les archives architecturales nationales qui ont ete creees en 1970 n'ont
cesse de fa ire I' acquisition de documents architecturaux
precieux pour Ia posterite et qui, a ce titre, doivent etre
conserves en permanence.
10
Regional News - Nouvelles de Ia Societe
Toronto Historical Board
Plan a special family outing to Toronto's historic
homes . . . Mackenzie House, 82 Bond Street, or
Colborne Lodge, on Colborne Lodge Drive and The
Oueensway in High Park, to create a Valentine for ·your
loved one on the weekend of February 1 2th and 13th
from 1 :00 to 4:00 p.m.
At Mackenzie House, the gas-lit Victorian home and
printshop of William Lyon Mackenzie, printer, publisher,
politician and Toronto's first Mayor in 1834, there are
cooking demonstrations with 'Our Favorite' wood-burning stove and the special exhibition, "In Miniature", a
display of tiny things to delight the young and not-soyoung. Afternoon tea is served daily in the Gallery from
2:00 to 4:00p.m. -a mini tea with cookies costs $1.50
and a full tea with home-baked bread, jam, cookies and
fruit loaf costs $2.50.
After skating or tobogganing in High Park, visit Colborne Lodge, the picturesque Regency-style residence of
John G. Howard, architect, city surveyor, teacher and
artist, and enjoy a cup of mulled cider and muffins beside
the old wood stove in the kitchen.
All items for creating your Valentine are included
with admission ... $1 . 50 for adults and $1 .00 for children and senior citizens. Both historic homes open daily
from 9:30a.m . to 5:00p.m., Sundays and holidays from
12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
For further information, contact:
J. Moyra Haney
Public Information Officer
595-1567
Montreal
The RAIC will hold its annual convention at the Ritz
Carlton Hotel, Montreal from 25-28 May, 1983. Feature
events include Governor General's Medals for design,
Future's Trace, a symposium on computers and microcomputers in architectural practice and the annual meeting.
Manitoba
The Faculty of Architecture announces the following
calendar of events for spring term 1983, location Centre
Space, Russell Building, University of Manitoba. Further
details phone 204-474-9458.
15 Feb.- 5 Mar.
Kazuo Shinohara - Japanese Architecture Exhibition in Jury Room and Centre Space
24 Feb.
Film night - *Palladia and his influence on American
Architecture
* #2 in Manitoba Film Makers series
28 Feb.
Jerzy Soltan University
Professor of Architecture, Harvard
1 Mar.
Henwood Memorial Lecture, Winnipeg Convention
Centre
8 Mar.
Rae Affleck, Architect Lecture
10 Mar.
ZVI Miller president International Association of
Landscape Architects - illustrated lecture
17 Mar.
Professor Lu, City Planning, lecture
BOOK REVIEWS- LIVRES
Roy, Patricia E., Vancouver: An Illustrated History,
Toronto, James Lorimer & Co. and National Museum of
Man, National Museums of Canada, 1980, 190 pp.
$25.00
This book is one of The Canadian Cities Series being
sponsored by the History Division of the National
Museums of Man. While the project is described, in the
Foreword, as being intended to satisfy a demand for
popular, as distinct from scholarly publications, Professor Roy's book on Vancouver shows that there is room
between these extremes for a third category of publication. It is true that if her work were a doctoral thesis it
would have more maps, and it is possible that its 283
footnotes would contain more page citations than they
do, and it is just possible that there might be even more
notes (there are, after all, fewer than four per full page of
text). All the same, to suggest that this works falls in any
way short of scholarly standards, either in its respect for
the sources on which it draws, or in the even-handed
fashion in which it deals with the controversies that have
marked Vancouver's history, would be a gross insult to
its author. If the other books in the series reach the high
standard set by Roy, then any public library in Canada
worthy of the name should collect the entire series.
No history can be perfect. To be so, it would have to
say all about everything in a finite number of words. But
even measured against these high standards, Vancouver: An Illustrated History scores highly. As a framework
for the facts that she presents, Roy has divided the story
of the city into four periods, each with its own overall
theme: 1886-1897, "Laying the foundations"; 18971912, "The city booms"; 1913-1939; "Depression and
consolidation"; and 1939-1979, "The maturing city".
Within each of these periods she surveys developments
within five fields: economic growth and metropolitan relationships, population growth and ethnic relationships,
the urban landscape, civic politics, social and cultural
life . Though these labels provide a reasonably good
11
guide to the contents of the sections, some readers may
be surprised to find issues concerned with public health
and the provision of utilities being included under the
third.
Specialists in any field will wish that more had been
said about their favourite interest, but even specialists
will be hard pressed to find books that provide better
coverage of their hobby-horses for the full ninety-odd
years that Roy surveys.
Because history never ends, the book raises two
questions to which it is unable to provide answers. 1)
Was the attempt to revive Gastown through a refurbishing of its old buildings and the preservation of its streetscape a success? 2) How was it that in the 1960s and
1970s "Vancouver residents spurned the North American passion for freeways"? Perhaps some of Roy's
readers will be inspired to take up these questions and
provide us with answers.
For those who want to know more about Vancouver
there is an excellent "Note on sources and suggestions
for further readings". To this section, members of the
Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada will
want to turn, for though Professor Roy has provided
them with approximately fifty photographs of
panoramas, streetscapes, and views of individual buildings (not to mention a number of interior views), these
provide interesting supplements to the text rather than
an extensive body of evidence documenting the changing nature of the physical structure of Vancouver.
But to end on the note of praise that the book deserves, if you want the best available survey of what
Vancouver has been, a survey that is as honest about
the ethnic discrimination and political extremism that
many Vancouverites have preferred not to recognize, as
it is about the energy and enterprise that have justified
the City's motto: "By sea and land we prosper", this is
the book to get.
Reviewed by O.F.G. Sitwell, University of Alberta
Marsan, Jean-Claude, Montreal in Evolution, MeGillQueen's University Press, 1981.
Montreal in Evolution was first published in 1974 as
Montreal en evolution. Seven years later it has been
translated exactly from the French version, with the addition of an Epilogue to touch on events which have
occurred during the intervening years. The author's subtitle for the book is an "Historical Analysis of the Development of Montreal ' s Architecture and Urban Environment". In this it is most complete, beginning with the
first voyage of Jacques Cartier to Canada in 1534, and
ending with the impact of another French national, architect Roger Taillibert and his 1976 Olympic Stadium.
The nearly four-hundred-and -fifty years between
these two events are dutifully covered in an equivalent
number of pages which provide not only an architectural
and urban design history of the city, but a social and
economic history as well. In this way the book should
have broad appeal by illustrating and explaining the
physical expression of Montreal' s cultural history. This
physical expression has two bases: the physical environment-primarily geography- and human activity.
Once the geography of northeastern North America had
determined a point of settlement, the topography of
Montreal- bounded by the St. Lawrence on the south
and east, and by Mount Royal on the north - together
with its geology and climate, determined the physical
pattern of the settlement's development and its building
forms during its first hundred years.
Thereafter (Parts II, Ill and IV of the book) human
activity as evidenced in the evolution of technical and
economic forces governed the development of Montreal's architecture and urban environment. Part II covers
the second and third hundred years (to about 1840) emphasizing the "frontier" town and pre-industrialization.
Part Ill marks the impact of the industrial revolution and
Marsan's growing involvement with the architecture of
Montreal. Although this Part covers but sixty years of
the city's development, it requires over one-third of the
text to do it. Part IV, the twentieth-century, illustrates
the change in the emphasis of the built environment from
architecture to urbanism and all the aspects of social,
economic and political awareness that that term implies.
For those with an interest in the history of architecture and urban design, Parts II and Ill with their accompanying social and economic history provide enjoyable
and enlightening reading, made all the more interesting
by the architectural and social comment provided by the
author. Part IV, Montreal in the Twentieth-Century, is
particularly relevant since many readers of this book will
be deeply involved with urban development issues in
their own communities both professionally and on a
volunteer basis. As a twentieth- century Montrealer, this
is also Marsan's forte, and he writes with a background
in architecture and urban design.
The book has few shortcomings. Although wellillustrated and laid-out, there are portions where additional illustrations would be helpful, despite the effect on
the book's thickness. More disappointing, through no
fault of the author, is the inferior cover. Although hardbound, the front and back are covered with an illustration paper which belies the quality of the text. The binding of the pages, though adequate, is covered by a flat,
rather than curved piece of board which is itself covered
with inferior cloth, with the title then appearing to be
stamped on rather than impressed into the cover stock.
The more traditional form of book-plus-dust jacket would
be preferable for such a quality book
The author considers the book to be the first study of
its kind for a Canadian city. One would hope that it is the
first of many which would do the same for every major
Canadian city. Although Montreal in Evolution encompasses a much greater period of time, it has many of the
same qualities as A. J . Youngson's The Making of
Classical Edinburgh ( 1966) which is a history, analysis
and critique of that city's development from the late
eighteenth-century to the early nineteenth-century-a
city where Marsan lived for several years while undertaking the post-graduate studies which led to Montreal in
Evolution. The author is still involved with concerned
Montrealers who seek to protect and improve their urban
environment, and one hopes that Montreal in Evolution
will inspire other Canadians to do the same in their own
towns and cities.
Reviewed by Richard G. Kilstrom, Edmonton, Alberta
The following distributors offer listings of architectural books:
The Architecture Book Store
116 Third Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 2K1 Ph. 613-233-7654
Ballenford Architectural Books
98 Scollard Street, Toronto, Ontario
M5R 1G2
New Books
Architecture civile 1: Les edifices publics, Communaute
urbaine de Montreal, Secretariat general, 2 Complexe Desjardins, 21 e etage, Montreal, Quebec,
H5B 1E6
This is the fourth volume in an excellent series documenting the architecture of Montreal. $5.00 per volume.
GUBBANY, Aline, Le fleuve et Ia montagne I The Mountain and the River. les Livres Trillium Books,
P.O./C.P. 312 (Victoria Station) Montreal, Quebec,
H3Z 2V8
The story of the development of the city from its
foundation to the present, seen through existing buildings and monuments. $15.00 per copy.
Urban Centre Books
The Villard Houses
457 Madison Avenue, ·
New York, New York .
10022 USA Ph. 212-935-3595
WE5T tiLVATIOii
Samuel Maclure 's Hatley Park "Castle" 1908, for James Dunsmuir now serves as the
administration building for Royal Roads Military College, Victoria.
ISSN 0228-0744
EditoriRedacteur D. W. Lovell, CD
265 Nova Vista Dr.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2N lGl