Built Heritage Committee moves to protect École St-Pierre from Bill 23
Posted Feb 15, 2023 03:00:00 AM.
Ottawa's Built Heritage Committee passed a notice of intention to designated the former school building at 353 Friel Street under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The former École St-Pierre in Sandy Hill was previously listed on the city's heritage registry, but changes to the Ontario Heritage Act brought on by Bill 23 required the committee to issue another notice.
The building, completed in 1906, was Sandy Hill's first French-language school. Designed by local architect Felix Maral Hamel, the building represents an excellent example of the Edwardian Classicist style, according to the committee.
The committee also noted that the former school, now a multi-unit residence, represents the changing demographics of the neighbourhood over the 20th and 21st centuries, including the repeal of Regulation 17, which restricted teaching of the French language instruction beyond grade two.
Demolition of a building at 41 Arlington Avenue was also approved at the Feb. 14 committee meeting, allowing for the construction of a three-storey, eight-unit residential building.
The new construction will support the city's intensification efforts, according to the committee.
