Download 2004PDP028 - Attachment 4

Attachment 4
Heritage Planner’s Summary of Historical and Architectural Information
HERITAGE PLANNER’S SUMMARY OF HISTORICAL
AND ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION
BUILDING NAME AND ADDRESS –
Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury
9722-102 Street, Edmonton
Register of Historic Buildings in Edmonton – “B” List
RECOMMENDATION
The Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury is recommended for designation as
Municipal Historic Resources because of its historical and architectural significance.
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY
Style/Type
The Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury is a semi-mill constructed brick
warehouse that was originally built in 1914 to house the horses and wagons that made deliveries
for the Hudson Bay Company (HBC).
Design
Originally an L shape building with the south wing as the wagon house and the east wing as the
stables. The two wings were separated and accessible to each other by a large fire door on the
ground floor and a small fire door on the upper level. The wagon house contained harnessing
and maintenance areas, while the upper level of the south wing served as storage space. The
stable area in the lower level of the east wing, with large double doors at the north end, was
divided into several horse stalls with mangers lining the exterior walls. Above the stables was
the hayloft, accessible by a large loading door and pulley lift at the north end. The floor of this
loft was open at the exterior walls to allow hay to be dropped into the mangers below. At the SE
corner of the building (the "heel" of the L-shaped plan), a hoist, approximately 7' x 11' in size,
was housed under the framed penthouse, which is faced with metal siding on the exterior and
paneled in the interior with vertical board siding. The building is now U-shaped as the northern
wing was added under the Ministry of Defense’s ownership in 1941. The building sits on a
concrete base (visible foundation)
The main (east) façade, was attractively designed to include 8 brick pilasters that divide the
façade into several bays of unequal size (though the building is symmetrical with an off centre
door). Over the upper windows an attractive brick dentil course surmounts each sandstone lintel.
The sills are sandstone. The top of the present wall is now trimmed with the original cornice
brick band. Originally, this was the base of an attractive brick and sandstone parapet containing
carved sandstone cartouches above the main entrance, the central bay (the Hudson Bay Company
coat of arms) and the northern. The pilasters originally carried up to the parapet level and helped
frame the cartouches. The windows were aligned such that at the parapet level they were
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Heritage Planner’s Summary of Historical and Architectural Information
‘capped’. The cartouches were located above the triple windows and simple raised brick
parapets above the double windows. All the windows are recessed within their bays and are
either double or triple double hung timber sash windows with 4 over 1 configurations.
Originally the windows from the centre to the north were smaller but were enlarged later
probably around 1940 to match the larger ones. They will remain as they are.
The entrance was remodeled but originally had an arched brick lintel with a feature stone
keystone and 2 stone skewbacks (supporting beveled stones at the arches base). The doors
would have 2 been large full height wooden doors framed with vertical board. Plans indicate
that they may have had glazing at the top portion.
The other exterior walls of the building are generally unaltered and have brick and concrete sills
and brick and metal lintels. Only the east façade had any significant decorative qualities. The
Ortona Armoury is the only remaining horse stable of this design in Edmonton.
Construction
Load bearing brick masonry walls upon a concrete foundation. Wooden trusses span the interior
The roof pent-house is clad in pressed sheet metal.
Architect/Builder
Hudson’s Bay Company – blue prints provided by Western Woodworks of Calgary
The addition when owned by the Dept. of National Defense; Architect: C.R. Sutherland,
contractor: E Litchfield
CULTURAL HISTORY
Historical Importance
On June 2, 1914, a building permit was granted to the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) to erect
new stables on the lots. The estimated cost was $25,000, and the architect and contractor were
both noted as being the owners. When the structure was a 2 storey ‘L’ shaped brick building of
fire-resistant semi-mill construction. The building was a wagon house and stables (with staff
living quarters located over the wagon house) until 1924, when the company began using trucks.
In May, 1924 several employees of the Edmonton City Dairy left to form the Edmonton Pure
Butter Company. A Dane, C.E. Christenson, who had been in charge of butter making for the
Edmonton City Dairy, managed the new company. The Company leased the building until 1927.
During their brief occupancy, the butter they produced received awards across Canada,
(acclaimed by some to have been the best in the Western provinces) and they sold their butter
throughout the north, China and Japan. In 1927 the Edmonton Pure Butter Company moved out
of the HBC building.
In 1928 Joseph S. Babiuk taught classes in the building for the National Trade School Ltd. The
building was vacant until 1931, when Martin L. Rielly, an employee with Commercial Cartage,
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Heritage Planner’s Summary of Historical and Architectural Information
moved into the living quarters. In 1932 Alberta Poultry Pool Ltd. used the building. From 1933
to 1938, a variety of tenants occupied the living quarters of the building. In January 1938 the
building was used to accommodate the Boy's Department of the Youth Training School. Some
90 young men, ranging from 18 to 30 years of age attended the federally and provincially funded
rehabilitation and apprentice training facility. Funds for this job placement assistance program
were only provided during the three months of operation in 1938.
The outbreak of World War II in the summer of 1939 forced the old building into service as a
wartime training facility. Since 1923 the Naval Half-Company, a navy reserve unit, had
operated out of the Prince of Wales Armouries. By 1939 the demand for space in the various
local armouries increased to the point where the naval reserve unit (then called the Royal
Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, Edmonton Half-Company), found itself seeking permanent
quarters for their enlarged unit. The HBC assisted by selling its old stables to the Department of
National Defense for $1. In August, 1939 a building permit was issued to allow a $14,000
conversion of the old HBC Stables. The architect was C.R. Sutherland of Ottawa (likely an
employee of the Dominion Government). It is thought the north wing was added to the original
building then to accommodate offices and training facilities of the RCNVR, where they would
train recruits for wartime naval duty. As a tribute to the HBC the local naval base was named
H.M.C.S. Nonsuch when it was commissioned on November 1, 1941. The name Nonsuch,
honoured several historic Royal Navy ships carrying the title and also to the first HBC ship
“Nonsuch”. (Nonsuch sailed into Hudson's Bay in 1668 and returned to England so richly laden
that King Charles II granted a charter to the Hudson's Bay Company, allowing them to virtually
rule and hold all of Canada west of the St. Lawrence).
In 1943 Bennett and White Construction Ltd. of Edmonton completed a new drill hall facing 97
Avenue which accommodated further naval training activities and social functions for military
personnel. H.M.C.S. Nonsuch became one of Canada's top naval reserve training stations but
was closed due to Federal budget cuts in January 1964, leaving Edmonton's Sea Cadet and Navy
League Cadet Corps. to use it for the remainder the year. In 1965 the building was taken over by
the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 3rd Battalion, and was renamed the Ortona Armouries in
commemoration of a World War II battle the regiment had been engaged in. In 1977 Public
Works Canada took over the management of the property. The original HBC coat-of-arms
remained on the building until the early 1960s, when the damaged parapet was removed.
The building subsequently housed the Edmonton Folk Festival organization, the National Film
Board, the Amateur Hockey Association, along with other organizations and businesses. (In
1989 the drill hall was demolished). The property is now owned by the City of Edmonton and
now provides workspace for a variety of local community groups, artists and non-profit
organisations.
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Heritage Planner’s Summary of Historical and Architectural Information
CONTEXT
Site
The Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury is a U-shaped structure located in the
heart of Edmonton’s river valley.
Neighbourhood
The Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury is located in Rossdale, one of the oldest
neighbourhoods in Edmonton. The building sits isolated between Rossdale Road to the north and
west with open space (parking to the south. The eastern portion faces row housing and a
landscaped street (102)
Visual/Symbolic
The building provides a very significant historical link to the HBC and part of Edmonton’s rapid
development at the turn of the 20th century.
The building sits in the Rossdale Area cut off by arterial roads with street trees along 102 Street
in front of building. The Ortona Armoury is one of many historic architectural treasures and is a
significant neighbourhood landmark. The main facade is compatible with the residential
neighbourhood to the east due to its low profile, appropriate scale and interesting brick detailing.
INTEGRITY
Much of the original Hudson Bay Company façade detailing is missing and the damaged east
parapet including the HBC coat of arms was removed in 1961. However the structural features
of the building remain intact and have been largely unaltered over time and can easily be
restored.
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