Public Notice

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.