‘It’s a tricky balance’: Heritage, modern standards considered in Schomberg Community Hall renovation project

Historic hall upgraded to be fully accessible

Yorkregion.com
April 11, 2023
Laura Broadley

Over 100 years ago, when the first nails were being hammered in and the first walls were going up, is where this story truly starts.

A bustling destination for seekers of fresh produce, Schomberg farmers were able to maximize the opportunities afforded to the town with the arrival of the Aurora & Schomberg Railway Line in 1902.

The produce market was so successful it outgrew its first home in a building known as the Music Hall. The newly-formed Schomberg Market Association built a community hall just five years after the arrival of the railway line, according to the King Heritage and Cultural Centre.

That community hall, built 116 years ago, remains a fixture on Schomberg’s main street thanks to the efforts of residents and township staff who saw the value in heritage while also acknowledging modern standards.

Erika Baird, supervisor of heritage and culture at the KHCC, has been asked throughout her career about the balance between heritage conservation and upgrading a building to modern standards.

“I think it depends on what the intent of the building is and what could be the different potential outcomes. I think we have to be realistic that there isn’t enough funding for heritage to go around to keep everything in perfect historical context and in perfect historical shape,” she said.

The $1-million renovation of the Schomberg Community Hall at 325 Main St. was first approved by council in May 2019 to restore all areas of the building and add an elevator.

Council approved a budget of $1.5-million for the project in 2022 because, according to a staff report, the hall needed several upgrades to meet building codes and to improve accessibility, energy efficiency and usability of the facility.

“Balancing adaptive reuse with where we can preserve heritage elements, it typically, with buildings like the Schomberg hall for example, is the exterior that people remember and are going to be looking at the most. Those are also the parts, from a designation standpoint with Ontario Heritage Trust, that are designated with most buildings,” Baird said.

The community hall is still a part of Schomberg, being a go-to place for gatherings and celebrations.

“One of the things in the hall is an elevator and accessible washrooms. That just means more people can enjoy the building. That’s something to keep in mind too, making sure that there’s a purpose to these buildings and they’re not just standing there as artifacts unable to be touched, while still respecting elements of heritage,” Baird said.

The township was granted occupancy for the hall in December 2022 after most of the renovations were finished. Renovations include “a complete demolition of interior finishes, an upgraded building envelope to meet current energy efficiency standards and a fully accessible space designed to the current accessibility standards,” according to the township, as well as elevator installation, automatic door openers and LED lighting.

The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada was created through a collaborative effort of federal, provincial and territorial governments to establish a Canadian benchmark for heritage conservation across the country.

It offers 14 general standards for preservation, rehabilitation and restoration for conservation of heritage, including guidance on conserving the heritage value of a historic place and maintaining character-defining elements.

The guidelines states that any intervention on something of historic value should “use the gentlest means possible” and “repair rather than replace character-defining elements.”

“It’s a tricky balance. There isn’t a right answer and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. You have to look at each building and each artifact on a case-by-case basis,” Baird said.

The hall is available for rent by contacting facilitybooking@king.ca.