London Heritage Awards 2023

Architectural Conservancy Ontario – London Region
&
Heritage London Foundation

are proud to present the 16th annual London Heritage Awards

Congratulations to the 2023 honourees!

Heritage Professional Award – Dawn Miskelly

Dawn Miskelly is the Executive Director of Fanshawe Pioneer Village. In addition to her full-time job, Dawn has devoted many hours to the Chapel Project, going beyond her regular duties to facilitate the relocation of the Fugitive Slave Chapel to the Village. Dawn has happily taken on the extra work of writing grant applications, following up with donors, and holding regular meetings with the Steering Committee where she has offered guidance in several areas. She has also navigated bids for various aspects of the move, organized media opportunities related to fundraising, and negotiated community contributions. Dawn fully understood the importance of including the Black community in the process and made certain that this approach was shared with the staff of the Pioneer Village. Alongside board chair Tom Peace, Dawn is ensuring that the museum’s governance structures and policies are revised to enable the Pioneer Village’s stewardship of the building to be known as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as developing the effective interpretation of London and Middlesex’s Black history.

Heritage Hero Award – Carl Cadogan

During the final phase of the momentous move of the historic Fugitive Slave Chapel to Fanshawe Pioneer Village on November 22, 2022, Carl Cadogan was a leading voice for the Black community during a period of transition and uncertainty. Working with other groups interested in the chapel’s cultural history, he employed his skills from years as chair and treasurer of the Black History Coordinating Committee, formed in 2002. (Carl was named to the Mayor’s New Year’s Honour list this year to acknowledge his work.) With others on the Black History Coordinating Committee, Carl has organized the annual celebration of Black History Month each February and has formed partnerships, not only with London’s diverse Black population, but also with local community groups that support or reflect that population. In short, his wealth of ideas and valuable connections have been crucial to the success of the Chapel Project Steering Committee in facilitating the chapel’s relocation to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. The chapel building will be known as the African Methodist Episcopal Church and its restoration will be started in the spring of 2023.

SMALL-SCALE RESTORATION AWARD – 801 Waterloo Street

HEATHER BUDD & DREW HARDEN
Bardawill Victorian Restoration
Peter Gelinas

This house, located at 801 Waterloo Street in the Bishop Hellmuth Heritage Conservation District, was constructed in 1904. Drew Harden and Heather Budd purchased it in 2018 and took on the challenge of restoring it inside and out. Renovation quickly started on the inside of the house, and in 2021 work began on the exterior, which had been covered in aging brown aluminum siding. The project included restoration of the central and side gables to their Queen Anne origins. Drew and Heather were aided by an original picture of the home from a previous owner that they used as a design guide — and they were even able to track down salvaged materials from that era for the renovation. The dentils and other woodwork were replaced in 2022 by Bardawill Victorian Restoration using salvaged materials. The house is now much more appealingly integrated into the heritage character of the neighbourhood.

RESTORATION AWARD – 82 Albion Street

NANCY WARDEN

Designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, this modified Ontario Cottage with its London doorway and its unusual bay windows has undergone several changes of colour over the years. Nancy Warden returned to 82 Albion Street in 2020 after renting the house for several years to a series of tenants. Somewhere between 2014 and 2019 her tenants had “red-washed” the cottage in a bold and unsympathetic red, which blanketed the delicate features of the façade. When she returned to live in her home Nancy set to work to repair the damage and spent countless hours throughout 2022 to complete the exterior restoration. Her creative use of different colours to highlight the charming ornamental details on the façade has resulted in the striking and attractive appearance of the cottage today.

RESTORATION AWARD – 112 Elmwood Avenue East

ARON GANGBAR
Contractor: Andrew Cammaert, Focal Point Home Improvements
Window and Porch Railing Fabricator: PK Millwork and Trim

The owner of 112 Elmwood Avenue, Aron Gangbar, has made extensive renovations to the late nineteenth-century Italianate house. After research revealed there was originally a verandah on the house, Aron decided to re-create it. On the new verandah the curved lines of the spindles soften the tall vertical lines of the windows, and the cedar-strip ceiling completes its heritage character. Aron meticulously restored other heritage features of the house, including the unique three-over-three offset windows, and he replaced unsympathetic aluminum with matching wood storms so that the windows again reveal the rounded panes below the brick voussoirs. The transom over the elegant double-leaf door matches the style of the windows with their unusual offset dividers, successfully unifying the façade. The renovation of this historic house enhances an Old South streetscape and provides an exemplary contribution to the neighbourhood.

Local History Award – Labatt Park Tours

TOURISM LONDON AND THE FRIENDS OF LABATT PARK

Located at the fork of the Thames, Labatt Memorial Park is one of London’s premier heritage sites. It is “the oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world”, dating back to 1877 when the site was named Tecumseh Park. The fascinating history of the park has been documented and promoted over the years by Barry Wells and the Friends of Labatt Park. Thanks to the research done by Barry and many others, Tourism London created a guided walking tour of the park in 2021, to be offered on weekends throughout the summer. The tour includes the grandstand, dugout, press box, a walk through the outfield, and a visit to the original 1937 Roy MacKay Clubhouse to view historic baseball artifacts. Tourism London developed scripts, storyboards, and a
website, all with help not only from the Friends of Labatt Park, but also from the London Majors Alumni Association, Stephen Harding, Barry Boughner, and Professor Mike Dove of Western’s Public History Program.

Adaptive Re-Use Project Award – Wampum Learning Lodge

WAMPUM LEARNING LODGE – WESTERN UNIVERSITY
Tawaw Architecture Collective Inc
Architects Tillman Ruth Robinson
Arthur Lierman Landscape
Architecture with Parterre Landscape Design

The former library at Althouse College, part of a heritage-listed mid-century modern complex, has undergone a creative transformation into the Wampum Learning Lodge — a learning centre and gathering space for Indigenous people at Western University and in the wider community. The building’s original form and structure, including the mezzanine, saucer dome, canopy, and exterior gallery, have been maintained and re-imagined for its new purpose. The dome now evokes a ceremonial and teaching lodge, and its skylight has been replaced, allowing daylight to flood the space. The new design showcases many other elements of Indigenous cultures and heritage, such as the equinoxes and the four cardinal directions, as well as Thunderbirds, moss, water and sweetgrass. An outdoor ceremonial space is complemented by an Indigenous medicine garden.

Adaptive Re-Use Project Award – Metropolitan United Church

METROPOLITAN UNITED CHURCH
Design work by Kendra Fry of Creative Collisions and McMichael Ruth of Architects Tillman Ruth Robinson

A creative partnership between Metropolitan United Church and London Symphonia has enabled the church to retain its fundamental religious purpose in conjunction with a high-quality space for the performing arts. Stage design, audience comfort, acoustics, and accessibility were all considered during planning. Removal of the choir stalls made room for a fully accessible stage with new flooring. In addition, new video, sound and lighting systems, and accessible washrooms were installed. The renovation has resulted in a lighter and brighter sanctuary, the components of which can be rearranged for a wider range of uses. This adaptive re-use project ensures the future viability of this magnificent church building, one of the City’s most prominent landmarks.

Metropolitan United was designed by the Canadian architect Edmund Burke in the context of the Romanesque revival. At the laying of the cornerstone in 1895 the London Free Press referred to it as “Methodism’s magnificent temple.”

Long-Term Contribution Award – Genet Hodder

Genet is given the award for her years of hard work and leadership on many fronts. There is never a project with which Genet is not willing to help. She served as the President of both ACO and HLF; she has done pioneering work with Landmarks London (since re-named Doors Open London) and has volunteered regularly for all manner of ACO projects, from the Geranium Heritage House Tours (GHHT) to the London Doorways booklet. As one of the leaders on the hugely successful Red Antiquities Shop project, Genet sought, found, and used resources from all corners of London. Her years of unstinting work as Chair of the Fugitive Slave Chapel Preservation Project ensured that even when it faced challenges the project did not wither and die. That the Chapel found a new home at Fanshawe Pioneer Village is largely due to the groundwork laid by Genet and her team. Genet is thanked and honoured tonight by all of us who have witnessed her fierce determination and infectious enthusiasm over many years.

Congratulations to all honourees, and thank you so much for your tremendous work to keep London’s roots alive and on display. Preserving our heritage is not always an easy task, but it is always worthwhile.