Regenerating Historic Landscapes through Stewardship

Todmorden Mills

Zeynep EkimHeritage Conservation & Sustainability

Sustainable Heritage Case StudyDecember 1,2014

Lessons Learned

The Todmorden Mills is an ongoing restoration project that started in the late 1960s for the commemoration of the Canadian bicentennial with the restoration of two heritage structures on an industrial site in the Don Valley in Toronto, Ontario. The project changed in scale in the early 1990s when a group of community members looked beyond the historic structures and took on the work to recreate an ecological habitat. This shift in perspectives and approaches for understanding sites of historic importance from restoring individual “objects” or buildings to reinstating the value of the surrounding context established a “cultural landscape” model for the site.

Lessons

Today, the Todmorden Mills is not only a place where the architectural heritage is protected, but also the surrounding landscape is enhanced through cultural and natural community stewardship activities. The new rehabilitation projects on site adaptively reused some of the existing historic buildings into arts and education facilities, contributing to the civic engagement and social sustainability of the area. Guided walks and educational workshops on environment restoration create not a healthy recreation opportunity as well as contributing to the well being of the landscape.

The Todmorden Mills Rehabilitation Project demonstrates an exemplary achievement of community engagement and stewardship for the regeneration of a cultural heritage landscape through continuous cultural and natural layering.

Description

- Set in the Don Valley, just north of downtown Toronto.

- 15 hectares of green space, 9.2 of which is a wildflower preserve.

- Relationship on the site with the Don River.

Location Map:67 Pottery Road, Toronto, ON

Stakeholders

Owners, occupants: The City of Toronto is the Communities of Interest: Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve in collaboration with the City of Toronto and their sponsors.

Timeline (of the Place)

-1700: Established by Isaiah and Aaron Skinner-1793: Saw milling industry started by the Skinners-1821: Establishment of the Helliwell Family Brewery and distillery. The family named the area after their hometown in England. -1847: Fire destroyed the brewery-1901: Robert Davies acquired the property. -20th century: used as stables for the brick works and as a small prisoner-of-war camp. -1930 to 1967: Horse riding academies and accommodations quarters of the Brick Works.

Timeline (of the Project)-1967: Restoration of the Terry and Helliwell Houses. -1991: the wildflower preservation was undertaken by a group of citizens that led by Charles Sauriol and Dave Money (Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve)-1993: Schollen and Company Inc: rehabilitation plan and wetland enhancement consultation -2005: Conversion of the paper mill to a theatre and an art gallery by Alar Kongrats Architects and E.R.A. Architects. -2012: Repairs on Terry and Helliwell Houses by E.R.A.

Restoration of the paper mill chimney by George Robb Architects MHBC Planning Ltd. Improvements to the visibility, security and

circulation of the site & scheme for wetland enhancements.

Heritage Values

- Cultural heritage landscape within the Don Valley, along with historic features such as the Don Valley Brick Works and the Don River itself.

- A significant archaeological resource as an undisturbed example of an early Upper Canadian industrial community, displaying an important example of how such settlements developed over time.

- Structures on the site are noteworthy and of historical significance.

- An important natural resource and contains a number of conservation zones.

Heritage Values

– Five original structures are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

– The landscape itself is designated by the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority as “a site of outstanding heritage value” within the Don River Watershed.

Sustainability

– Environmental: ecological restoration, plantings, invasive plant control, multi-step approach to ecological restoration(regeneration).

– Socio-economic: employment opportunities within the facilities, enhancement of ecological goods and services.

– Socio-cultural: community engagement, guided tours, educational activities, healthy recreation opportunities, newsletters and outreach publications, cultural activities.

Ecological Restoration: Environmental Sustainability:(www.hopscoth.ca)

Community Engagement: Social Sustainability(www.hopscoth.ca)

Tourism + New Employment Opportunities:Economic Sustainability(www.blogto.ca)

Bibliography

BOOKS:

City of Toronto.(2010). The Paper Mill Theatre at the Todmorden Mills (Brochure). Toronto: City of Toronto Arts and Culture.

Darke, E. (1995). A Mill Should be Built Thereon: an early history of the Todmorden Mills. Toronto: East York Historical Society.

Herzberg,L. et.al. (1999). Don Valley. In Roots,B. et.al., Special Places: The Changing Ecosystem of the Toronto Region (pp. 283-285). Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: UBC Press.

Parks Canada and Canadian Parks Council. (2008). Principles and Guidelines for Ecological Restoration in Canada's Protected Natural Areas. Gatineau, Quebec, Canada: Parks Canada.

DOCUMENTS:

Peter Stokes Consulting Restoration Architects. (1966). Restoration of the Helliwell House, Todmorden Mills. Toronto, ON: Peter Stokes.

Peter Stokes Consulting Restoration Architects. (1966). Restoration of the Parshall Terry House. Toronto, ON: Peter Stokes.O’Malley,L.L. (1997). The Restoration and Operation of Two Historic House Museums at Todmorden Mills. University of Toronto Graduate Department of Civil Engineering, Toronto.

WEBSITES:

Bonnell, J. et.al. “Don Valley Historical Mapping Project”. University of Toronto Libraries. 2009.Web. 31 Oct. 2014. https://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/todmorden.html

Land Stewardship Centre. “Ecological Goods and Services”.n.d.(Web).Retrieved November 20,2014. < http://www.landstewardship.org/ecological-goods-and-services/>

Riddell, C. (2013) What the Don Valley Brick Works might have been . Retrieved November 203, 2014 from Torontoist: http://torontoist.com/2013/03/what-the-don-valley-brick-works-might-have-been/

Thorpe,J. “Todmorden Mills Museum”. ERA Architects. Web. 31 Oct.2014. http://www.eraarch.ca/project/todmorden-mills-museum/

Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve. (2014). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve: http://www.hopscotch.ca/tmwp/index.html

"Todmorden Mills-Statement of Significance." City of Toronto- Explore Toronto's Historic Sites. City of Toronto. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portalcontentonlyvgnextoid=e17c82426db62410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=d5ed2271635af310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD>.

White, M. (2014). A model for naturalists' actions: Todmorden Mills Wildflower Preserve. Retrieved November 20, 2014 from Richmond Hill Naturalists: http://www.rhnaturalists.ca/2014/09/a-model-for-naturalists-actions-torontos-todmorden-mills-wildflower-preserve/