Item - 2010.NY35.33

North York Community Council recommends that:

1.         City Council include 79 Dawlish Avenue on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.

With its steeply-pitched roof and pointed dormers evoking French-Canadian architecture styles, 79 Dawlish has a distinctive and much-admired presence in Lawrence Park.

Built in 1928, it was designed and occupied by the notable architect Forsey Page who lived there until 1933. Page, with various partners, designed a number of houses in Lawrence Park, and the firm Page and Steele designed many landmark Toronto buildings including the Garden Court Apartments on Bayview, Benvenuto Place, and Commerce Court.  Page served as president of both the Ontario Association of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

The property is included in the Toronto Public Library Board’s Historical Walking Tour of Lawrence Park, 2007.

This property has cultural heritage value and contributes significantly to the character of the Lawrence Park area.  Inclusion on the City of Toronto heritage inventory would enable staff to monitor the property and be advised of any request for a demolition permit.

The Toronto Preservation Board at its meeting on May 28:

·           Endorsed the nomination of several properties in Lawrence Park, including 79 Dawlish, as candidates for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act, and

·           Requested the Acting Manager, Heritage Preservation Services to prioritize the review of 79 Dawlish Avenue.

The North York Community Preservation Panel (NYCPP) passed a resolution requesting designation of 79 Dawlish Avenue under the Ontario Heritage Act at its May 17 meeting.

Additional documentation with respect to the architectural and historical value of the 79 Dawlish property is attached, inlcuding:

·           a recent photograph

·           several photographs from the January 1929 article in Canadian Homes and Gardens

·           photos of several architectural drawings from the North Toronto Historical Society Archives

·           letter dated May 17, 2010 from Marta O'Brien describing the architecture of the house and giving biographical details of Forsey Page.