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Heritage Conservation Districts |
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St. Lawrence Area, Phase 1
The historical origins of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood date back to the late 18th century when the Town of York (forerunner to the City of Toronto) was established as the capital of the Province of Upper Canada. Under the direction of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, a ten-block townsite was laid out between present-day Front Street East, George Street, Adelaide Street East and Berkeley Street.
The townsite quickly outgrew its original boundaries, and expanded westward beyond Jarvis Street. St. James', the Anglican cathedral, was established on King Street, the community's principal artery, with the Courthouse Square to the west and Market Square on the south. In 1797, a New Town was created between Victoria and Peter Streets, where the streets were extensions of the grid pattern introduced in Old Town. When the Town of York was incorporated as the City of Toronto in 1834, the boundaries were set at Front, Bathurst, Dundas and Parliament Streets, with Old Town remaining the commercial nucleus and most densely populated area of the community. Landmark buildings constructed during this era included the Bank of Upper Canada (1827) and the Fourth Post Office (1834) at 252 Adelaide Street East, the Second City Hall (1844) at 91 Front Street East, and the City Buildings (1841) at 107-111 and 125 King Street East. Important examples of commercial warehouses from the 1860s and 1870s survive, including the Dixon Building at 45-49 Front Street East with its distinctive cast iron facade.
Considering the heritage aspects of the area, on September 28, 2005 City Council identified the area generally bounded by Yonge Street, King Street East, George Street and the railway tracks as the St. Lawrence Heritage Conservation District study area. The study will be conducted by local volunteers and a professional heritage consultant, who will be engaged by the City and supervised by Planning staff. Public participation and consultation with the area's property owners and residents will occur throughout the study process.
The study format would include a statement of the objectives of the Heritage Conservation District, an analysis of the suitability of the area for designation, boundary rationale and review of existing City policies. In defining the heritage character of the area, the study will document the history of the buildings in St. Lawrence, their architectural and historical significance and the growth and evolution of the neighbourhood.
The Study will include guidelines for managing change consistent with good heritage conservation principles and development of an implementation strategy including any changes to the zoning by-law necessary to support the objectives of the designation. At the conclusion of the study, staff will report on the process, the suitability of the area for designation as a Heritage Conservation District under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act and make recommendations on appropriate guidelines and boundaries.
(Note: You will need the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF files linked on this page.) 
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