IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO
HERITAGE ACT
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND
CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
65 HEWARD AVENUE
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 65 Heward Avenue 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 65 Heward Avenue (including
entrance address at 87 Heward Avenue) is worthy of designation under Part IV,
Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value and
meets Regulation 9/06, the provincial criteria for municipal designation.
Description
The property at 65 Heward Avenue (including
entrance address at 87 Heward Avenue) is located on the east side of Heward
Avenue, south of Eastern Avenue, between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. The
property contains the former purpose-built Canadian Ammonia Company
factory/warehouse comprised of two buildings constructed in 1913, varying from
one-storey to two-storeys in height, each with one and two storey
portions. In 1987, Cine Village, one of
Canada's largest all-in-one production centres at the time, modified the
property by connecting the two factory/warehouse buildings with an addition,
which was further altered in 2019.
The property was included on the Heritage
Register on March 26, 2025.
Statement of Cultural
Heritage Value
The property has design and physical value as a
representative example of an early 20th-century industrial factory/warehouse
building type. The structure's brick construction, regularly spaced window
openings, and varying height, scale, and massing reflecting specific functions
are hallmarks of this typology. Constructed in 1913, the property is amongst
the earliest examples of this typology in the area.
The property has historical value for its direct
association with the industrialization of Leslieville and its later transition
to a focus on film production throughout the area. This is evident in the
property’s original development in 1913, and the establishment of Cine Village
in 1987, one of Canada's largest all-in-one production centres at the time,
that brought film and television activities together in one location. The
establishment of Cine Village, which included the subject property, helped stimulate
growth of Toronto’s east end film industry, prompting the construction of
additional studios in the surrounding area of the South of Eastern Area of
Employment.
Contextually, the property is valued as it
maintains and supports the early industrial character of the neighbourhood
south of Leslieville on Eastern Avenue. 65 Heward Avenue contributes to the
collection of early to mid-twentieth century industrial buildings and complexes
situated along Eastern Avenue, which share a common material palette, similar
lot layouts, and massing that accommodates generous floor to ceiling heights
for equipment and storage.
65 Heward Avenue is physically and functionally
linked to its surroundings. The property was constructed in 1913 on the marsh
lands reclaimed through the implementation of the Toronto Harbour Commission’s
Waterfront Development Plan, and the associated development of specific
waterfront property and infrastructure to support improved access to industrial
operations. Furthermore, the industrial nature of the resulting development
created a block pattern of large parcels, including large interior volumes, not
commonly found near the urban core of a major city, making the property at 65
Heward Avenue, and other sites along the south side of Eastern Avenue, prime
sites to convert to film uses.
Heritage Attributes
Design and Physical Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property at 65 Heward Avenue as a
representative example of the industrial factory/warehouse building type:
·
The setback,
placement and orientation of the 1913 property south of Eastern Avenue on
Heward Avenue, west of Leslie Street
·
The scale, form and
massing of the one- to two-storey industrial building/warehouse with a
rectangular plan and flat roof
·
The organization of
the elevations as a series of bays, demarcated by brick pilasters with window
openings in the bays between the pilasters
·
The brick masonry cladding and architectural detailing including brick
pilasters, decorative brick lintels, and stone sills
Contextual Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property at 65 Heward Avenue as supporting
and maintaining the historic industrial character of the area and for being
functionally and historically linked to its surroundings:
·
The placement and
orientation of the 1913 property on the east side of Heward Avenue, south of
Eastern Avenue
·
The scale, form and
massing of the 1913 property set back from Eastern Avenue
Note: The two-storey studio building located on
the southern part of the property, including the elevated walkway and addition
connecting the two 1913 buildings, and the one-storey central addition located
to the front (north) elevation of the property are not included as attributes.
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 May 25, 2026, which is June 24, 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.PH30.5.
Dated at the City of Toronto on May 25, 2026.
John D. Elvidge
City Clerk