Back to 1998 By-laws index

        
Authority:     Administrative Committee Report No. 14, Item 1
               adopted by the former City of Scarborough Council on September 2, 1997
Intended for first presentation to Council:  June 3, 1998
Adopted by Council:  June 5, 1998
                                         CITY OF TORONTO

                                       BY-LAW No. 303-1998 

                          To designate the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant
                       Concession A, Part Lot 35, Plan 1085, Lot 1, 6-9, 16
                  Part Lot 2, 10, 11, 15, Plan 1117, Lot 17, Part Road Allowance
                         closed now, Registered Plan 64R-12780, Part 1  
          under the Ontario Heritage Act as being of historical and architectural value.

        WHEREAS the  Ontario Heritage Act,  R.S.O. 1990, Chapter  O.18 as amended,  authorizes the
Council  of  a  municipality to  enact  by-laws  to designate  real  property,  including all  the
buildings and structures thereon, to be of historical and architectural value or interest; and

        WHEREAS the  Council of the City of Toronto has caused to be served upon the owners of the
lands and premises known  as the R.C. Harris Filtration  Plant property more  particularly denoted
in  Schedule "A"  hereto  and upon  the Ontario  Heritage  Foundation notice  of  intention  to so
designate  the aforesaid real property and has caused such notice of  intention to be published in
a newspaper having a general circulation in the municipality; and

        WHEREAS the reasons for designation are set out in Schedule  B  hereto; and

        WHEREAS no notice of objection  to the said proposed designation has been  served upon the
Clerk of the municipality;

        The Council of the City of Toronto HEREBY ENACTS as follows:

        1.     The real  property, more particularly  described in Schedule   A  hereto, known  as
the R.C. Harris Filtration  Plant, is hereby designated as  being of historical  and architectural
value or interest.

        2.     The City  Solicitor is  hereby authorized  to cause  a copy  of this  by-law to  be
registered  against the  property described  in Schedule   A  hereto  in the proper  Land Registry
office.

        3.     The City Clerk  is hereby authorized to  cause a copy of  this by-law to  be served
upon  the owner of  the aforesaid property and  upon the Ontario Heritage  Foundation and to cause
notice of this by-law  to be published in  a newspaper having  general circulation in the  City of
Toronto.

        ENACTED AND PASSED this 5th day of June, A.D. 1998.

CASE OOTES,                                                                NOVINA WONG,           
        Deputy Mayor                                                                    City Clerk

(Corporate Seal)

                               SCHEDULE  A  TO BY-LAW No. 303-1998

DESCRIPTION OF LAND

Concession A, Part Lot 35, Plan 1085, Lots 1, 6-9, 16

Part Lots 2, 10, 11,  15, Plan 1117, Lot 17, Part of closed Road Allowance, closed now, designated
as Registered Plan 64R-12780, Part 1  
2701 Queen Street East, in the City of Toronto in the Province of Ontario.
TYPE
Designation under The Ontario Heritage Act.

OWNER

City of Toronto.

                               SCHEDULE  B  TO BY-LAW No. 303-1998
REASONS FOR THE DESIGNATION OF  R.C. HARRIS FILTRATION PLANT .
The  R.C.  Harris  Filtration Plant  and site  are recommended  for  designation for  historic and
architectural  reasons. The  plant is  named after  R.C.  Harris, Commissioner  of Works  and City
Engineer for the  City of Toronto from 1912 to 1945  who began planning for  it in 1913. The plant
is the largest water treatment and supply facility  in Metropolitan Toronto. When the plant opened
in 1941, it was one of  the largest water filtration plants in North America and applied  leading-
edge  technology. Its construction is a  central part of the story of Michael Ondaatje s novel, In
the Skin of a Lion. In 1992, the plant was declared a National Historic Civil Engineering Site  by
the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. 

From the beginning in  the plant s planning, it was intended to be architecturally attractive with
the surrounding  grounds to be  a public space  for leisure. It  is now a  scenic landmark on  the
Toronto  waterfront. Engineering  design was  done by  William Gore  and William  Storrie and, for
pumping  and  electrical systems,  by  H.G.  Acres. The  architectural  design  was  by Thomas  C.
Pomphrey, a  member of the staff of the  Gore, Nasmith & Storrie  firm. The R.C. Harris Filtration
Plant  is an excellent example of classically inspired Art Deco design and is the largest ensemble
of Art Deco buildings in Metropolitan Toronto. At  the time when it was constructed,  Art Deco and
Modern Classicism were popular  styles for large buildings. The buildings are characterized on the
exterior by simplified pediments  and pilasters and flattened  geometrical Art Deco  ornamentation
in  stone, brick and metal. There  are also complementary Romanesque features, e.g. rounded arches
over the door and window openings.  The interior of the Filter/Administration building has notable
Art Deco marble decor  and a striking staircase leading to  the upper level from the main  (south)
entrance.

There are  three buff brick  and Queenston limestone  buildings of architectural  interest on  the
site: the  Filter/Administration building  south  of  Queen Street,  the west  wing of  which  was
completed in 1935, the east wing in 1956 in sympathy with  Pomphrey s original design. The Pumping
Station set closest to  the lake was built  in 1935-1937 as was the Service Building  to the north
of the  Pumping Station. In addition, there  is an important  architectural landscape feature, the
Terrace and fountain completed in  1935 south of the Filter/Administration Building. North of  the
Filter/Administration  Building to Queen  Street is a large  flat open lawn area  and south of the
buildings to Lake Ontario a sloping law.

As  John Bentley Mays,  The Globe and Mail s architecture critic  stated: the R.C. Harris Plant is
Toronto s  supreme masterwork of Art Deco Building .