East Gwillimbury looks to create heritage conservation districts in Sharon, Mount Albert

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 10. 2022

The history almost seeps off Leslie Street in Sharon. At the south end it is marked by the Sharon Burying Ground which is the burial location for Children of Peace founder David Willson. The north end features the crown heritage jewel of the area, the Sharon Temple.

Ward 2 Coun. Tara Roy-DiClemente is one of those seeking to preserve some of the historical aspects of Leslie Street as the spectre of big development looms.

“There is a strong heritage character in the downtown core,” she said. “I love Sharon. I love the uniqueness.”

Roy-DiClemente has long wanted that stretch in Sharon to made into a heritage district. When she made the motion before the 2018 election it didn’t get much traction at council. That changed last year after she made a motion at council and the town is getting set to undertake a heritage conservation district study.

And while Sharon is the jumping-off point, David James, chair of the town’s Heritage Advisory Committee, said something similar is in the works for Mount Albert.

“Mount Albert will be right behind Sharon,” he said.

James has served on the committee for the past eight years. As a descendant of David Willson he has a unique perspective on preserving the heritage of the area. He said heritage conservation has been used by many communities across Ontario. “I think it really is to maintain the heritage integrity of the community,” he said. 

A Heritage Conservation District is a defined geographical area within a municipality that is protected under a local bylaw to ensure conservation of its existing heritage character.

The focus of this type of designation is on the prevailing character of an area, including the variety of buildings and how they interrelate, the physical attributes including trees, landscapes, building setbacks, roads, street furniture and lighting. A district designation will allow a municipal council to manage and guide future change in the district by adopting a district plan with policies and guidelines tailored to the area.

Sharon is the first village area to be addressed by the town because the development pressure is the greatest there. Last year, there was outrage in Sharon when a proposal came forward for an eight-storey, mixed-use condominium proposal for the northwest corner of Leslie Street and Manor Hampton.

An eight-storey building at the gateway to historic Sharon didn’t sit right with many residents like Denise Tennant. “This would set up a dangerous precedent for future development along Leslie Street,” she said. Tennant wasn’t the only one. More than 1,000 residents signed a petition against the proposal. 

At the Shaun Tanaka, vice-president of the Sharon Temple Board said there is a visual historical landscape on Leslie Street from the Sharon Burying ground, past Walnut Farm to the Sharon Temple.

“What is being proposed is not only architecturally in opposition to the surrounding residences, but would sit prominently in the middle of our historic main street,” she said. “These seemingly innocuous proposed amendments completely change the landscape and the historical integrity of the entire community."

That historic feel of the community is something Roy-DiClemente is out to preserve. She said while there are a number of heritage homes on Leslie Street they are currently on septic. In the future when those homes can hook into the sewer the properties on large lots will be prime for redevelopment.

She said residents enjoy areas where heritage is preserved like Unionville and Main Street Newmarket. A heritage conservation district will give the town more authority to dictate the esthetics of the neighbourhood. “I have been asking for this for years,” she said.

Residents wonder how this modern condo application can be allowed in the historic area of the town and it’s because we don’t have measures like these in place, Roy-DiClemente said.

The study begins later this year and will involve public consultation/meetings with residents.