Item - 2027.PB1.5

The Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 19 Don Ridge Drive under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 19 Don Ridge Drive (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1, to the report, October 28, 2026, from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, 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 19 Don Ridge Drive 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 19 Don Ridge Drive, known as St. John's York Mills Anglican Church, an active Place of Worship, is located on the west side of Yonge Street, north of York Mills Road, within the York Mills neighbourhood of North York. The property also includes several structures related to the church, including the Lodge (Napier Simpson, 1958); the Dawson Lychgate, the Kay Gate, and burial grounds. The 1844 church has been the subject of additions since construction, including the Parish Hall and Auditorium (1939, 1949), and the McCollum Wing (1968). The focus of this report is the original 1844 church structure, not any of its later additions, auxiliary structures, or the adjacent burial grounds.

A location map and current photograph of the heritage property are included in Attachment 2.

The property known as St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church is a buff brick Gothic Revival church reflective of the work of the architect John George Howard and his application of a restrained Gothic style to ecclesiastical commissions through the 1840s in Upper Canada. Built as the second iteration of St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church, the present structure comprises the original 1844 church with additions from 1939, 1949, and 1968. The primary (west) façade faces southwest towards Yonge Street, and while largely obscured by mature trees today, was at one time highly visible from the valley below. While the 1844 church has been the subject of extensive additions and alterations, the integrity of John Howard’s Gothic Revival design remains intact and visible from each elevation. The additions have been designed using complementary materials, and have not subsumed the church in their scale, form, or massing, ensuring the legibility of the 1844 church from various perspectives and vantage points.

The congregation of St John’s York Mills Anglican Church traces its history back to the establishment of the Town of York in 1793, and the arrival of United Empire Loyalists to York soon after. Originally founded in 1816, the church and its original parishioners, many of whom are interred on the grounds, have deep roots within York Mills.

Today, though much of York Mills' rural character has been replaced by suburban development, there remain several area heritage properties that share a similar period of construction with St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church. These include the C.W. Jefferys House (1833; Part IV) at 4111 Yonge Street, the John Street Worker's Cottages (1860; Listed) at 4150 Yonge Street, St. John's Rectory (1878; Part IV) at 174 Old Yonge Street, the York Mills Baptist Church Manse (1850, Listed) at 106 York Mills Road, and the Jolly Miller Tavern (1857; Part IV) at 3885 Yonge Street. Collectively, and alongside the remaining natural features including the ridge and western branch of the Don River, these properties convey the history of colonial settlement and religious practice within York Mills through the nineteenth and into the twentieth centuries and are valued by the present-day community of York Mills and North York.

The subject property at 19 Don Ridge Drive was listed on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register on September 27, 2006.

This property is one of eighteen pre-1870 listed properties citywide which have been identified as candidates for designation through the City's implementation of Bill 23 amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act and its ongoing prioritization strategy for listed properties that must be designated or removed from the Heritage Register by January 1, 2027.

Part of the strategy for the review of listed properties on the Heritage Register includes the procurement of qualified heritage consultants to research, evaluate, and prepare heritage evaluation reports for a subset of listed properties prioritized for designation. City Planning retained the services of Alex Corey Heritage Consulting ("the Consultant") to research and evaluate a citywide group of eighteen pre-1870 listed properties which includes the subject property at 19 Don Ridge Drive. The Consultant evaluated the subject property and determined that it meets the provincial criteria.

The Consultant's research on the subject property is included in Attachment 3 of this report. The research, analysis, and evaluation contained within Attachment 3 reflect the Consultant's professional expertise and opinion. Staff have independently reviewed the Consultant's research and heritage evaluation and concur with the determination that the property at 19 Don Ridge Drive has cultural heritage value and meets five 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.

In accordance with 3.1.6.50 of the Official Plan and the City's Protocol for the Identification and Review of Heritage Places of Worship, Heritage Planning staff consulted members of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to determine if any of the heritage attributes identified in the Statement of Significance and in a future designating by-law were liturgical elements, and therefore not subject to regulation while the property remained in use by the congregation. The Anglican Diocese of Toronto confirmed that while the structure is used for liturgical purposes none of the identified attributes were liturgical elements.

Designation enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.

There are no financial implications resulting from the recommendations included in this report in the current budget year or in future years.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.