IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO
HERITAGE ACT
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND
CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
1497 QUEEN STREET WEST
(ENTRANCE ADDRESSES 1499 AND
1497A QUEEN STREET WEST)
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE
THE PROPERTY
TAKE NOTICE that Council for the
City of Toronto intends to designate the property, including the lands, buildings
and structures thereon known municipally as 1497 Queen Street West (entrance
addresses 1499 and 1497A Queen Street West) under Part IV, Section 29 of the
Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18, as amended, as a property of
cultural heritage value or interest.
Reasons for Designation
The property at 1497 Queen Street West is worthy
of designation under Part IV,
Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its
cultural heritage value, and meets Ontario
Regulation 9/06, the provincial criteria
prescribed for municipal designation, under the
categories of design/physical,
historical/associative, and contextual value.
Description
The property at 1497 Queen Street West is
located on the south side of Queen Street West, mid-block between Dowling and
Beaty Avenues, west of Jameson Avenue, in the South Parkdale neighbourhood. It
contains a three-storey commercial block constructed between 1924 and 1926.
The subject property was identified as having
cultural heritage value through the Queen Street West Planning Study (2020) and
was included on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register in December 2020.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
The property at 1497 Queen Street West has
design and physical value as a representative example of an early-20th century
main street commercial block. Its wide, three-storey rectangular massing,
featuring multiple at-grade storefront openings and unified architectural
expression that incorporate Edwardian Classical elements are hallmarks of this
typology in Parkdale.
The property has value for its direct association with the Parkdale
Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC), which has been continuously providing
supportive programming to members of the Parkdale community from the property
since its opening in 1980.
The property has contextual value as it is
important in defining, maintaining, and supporting the early 20th-century main
street character of Queen Street West between Fuller Avenue and Beaty Avenue.
Along with the adjacent Part IV designated properties at 194 Dowling Avenue and
1501 Queen Street West (which together form a symmetrical, mirrored pair), the
property contributes to a collection of early-20th-century structures on the
south side of Queen Street West between Dowling Avenue and Beaty Avenue. Constructed
during the urbanization of Parkdale in the early-20th century as a main street
commercial block, the property is physically, functionally, and historically
linked to its surroundings.
Heritage Attributes
Design and Physical
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the design and physical value of the property at 1497 Queen Street West:
·
The scale, form, and
massing of the structure with its rectangular plan, three-storey height, and
flat roof
·
The principal (north)
elevation, featuring six equal, rhythmically arranged bays framed by seven
two-storey pilasters, each featuring a large storefront opening at the first
storey, paired rounded-arched window openings at the second storey, and a
single wide window opening at the third storey.
·
The principal (north)
elevation's red brick cladding including pilasters, soldier course at the first
storey, voussoirs at the second storey, and parapet
·
The principal (north)
elevation's decorative stonework detailing including the pilaster bases and
capstones, keystones, windowsills, stringcourse at the second storey, flattened
cornice at the third storey, and parapet coping
Contextual
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the contextual value of the property at 1497 Queen Street West:
·
The scale, form, and
massing of the structure with its rectangular plan, three-storey height, and
flat roof
·
The principal
elevation's red brick cladding, stone detailing, and six full-height storefront
openings at the first storey
·
The siting and
orientation of the structure on the south side of Queen Street West, mid-block
between Dowling Avenue and Beaty Avenue, reinforcing the early 20th-century
main street commercial character and contributing to the symmetrical, mirrored
composition formed by the adjacent corner buildings.
Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate
Notice of an objection to the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property may be served on the City Clerk, Attention:
Registrar Secretariat, City Clerk's Office, Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor West,
100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2.; Email: RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca within thirty (30) days
of February 4, 2026, which is March 6, 2026. The notice of objection to the
Notice of Intention to Designate the Property must set out the reason(s) for
the objection and all relevant facts.
Getting Additional Information:
Further information in respect of the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property is available from the City of Toronto at:
https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.PH27.16.
Dated at the City of Toronto on February 4, 2026.
John D. Elvidge
City Clerk