Item - 2026.PH27.16

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1497 Queen Street West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 1497 Queen Street West (Entrance Addresses 1499 Queen Street West and 1497A Queen Street West) (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (January 7, 2026) from the Director, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1497 Queen Street West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance which includes a description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject property at 1497 Queen Street West is located on the south side of Queen Street West, mid-block between Dowling Avenue and Beaty Avenue to the west of Jameson Avenue in the South Parkdale neighbourhood. It contains an early-20th century, 3-storey main street commercial block. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property are found in Attachment 2.

The property at 1497 Queen Street was constructed between 1924 and 1925, with a third storey added between 1925 and 1926 for the Lakeside Recreation Club Ltd. With its main street commercial block form, and unified architectural expression that incorporates Edwardian Classical elements, the property contributes to the early 20th-century main street character of Queen Street West in South Parkdale between Fuller Avenue and Beaty Avenue. The rear of the first storey and the second and third storeys housed the Lakeside Recreation Club facilities, which included bowling lanes and a billiards room. The Lakeside Recreation Club, subsequently known as Lakeside Recreation Academy and Lakeside Bowling & Billiards, would operate at this location for fifty-five years between 1925 and 1980.

The property has value for its association with the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC), which has been continuously providing supportive programming to members of the Parkdale community at this location since its opening in 1980.

Staff have determined that the property at 1497 Queen Street West has cultural heritage value and meets 5 of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

The subject property was first identified as having cultural heritage value through the West Queen West Planning Study (2020) and was included on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register in December 2020. The properties at 1501 Queen Street and 194 Dowling Avenue are both adjacent to the subject property, and are both designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) is advancing the redevelopment of its properties at 1497 Queen Street West and 1501 Queen Street West to expand supportive and deeply affordable housing and to enhance community space.  This report is being advanced at this time in coordination with the City’s Priority Development Review Stream, a program that aims to expedite the approval of key development projects, including affordable housing, student housing, long-term care homes, and manufacturing facilities. 

At its meeting on January 19, 2026 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB39.1 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (January 5, 2026) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1497 Queen Street West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance which includes a description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject property at 1497 Queen Street West is located on the south side of Queen Street West, mid-block between Dowling Avenue and Beaty Avenue to the west of Jameson Avenue in the South Parkdale neighbourhood. It contains an early-20th century, 3-storey main street commercial block. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property are found in Attachment 2.

The property at 1497 Queen Street was constructed between 1924 and 1925, with a third storey added between 1925 and 1926 for the Lakeside Recreation Club Ltd. With its main street commercial block form, and unified architectural expression that incorporates Edwardian Classical elements, the property contributes to the early 20th-century main street character of Queen Street West in South Parkdale between Fuller Avenue and Beaty Avenue. The rear of the first storey and the second and third storeys housed the Lakeside Recreation Club facilities, which included bowling lanes and a billiards room. The Lakeside Recreation Club, subsequently known as Lakeside Recreation Academy and Lakeside Bowling & Billiards, would operate at this location for fifty-five years between 1925 and 1980.

The property has value for its association with the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC), which has been continuously providing supportive programming to members of the Parkdale community at this location since its opening in 1980.

Staff have determined that the property at 1497 Queen Street West has cultural heritage value and meets 5 of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

The subject property was first identified as having cultural heritage value through the West Queen West Planning Study (2020) and was included on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register in December 2020. The properties at 1501 Queen Street and 194 Dowling Avenue are both adjacent to the subject property, and are both designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) is advancing the redevelopment of its properties at 1497 Queen Street West and 1501 Queen Street West to expand supportive and deeply affordable housing and to enhance community space. This report is being advanced at this time in coordination with the City’s Priority Development Review Stream, a program that aims to expedite the approval of key development projects, including affordable housing, student housing, long-term care homes, and manufacturing facilities.