Wider boundary sought for Galt’s historic core
Cambridge Mill and Ray Electric buildings noted as important historic structures that fall outside proposed heritage conservation district boundary
CAMBRIDGE — Galt’s historic core may soon be protected with a heritage conservation district designation, but council will need to settle on a boundary first.
Members of the city’s municipal heritage advisory committee told city staff at a meeting on Thursday they worry some prominent buildings will get left out if the heritage conservation district boundary is not expanded. The committee asked council to approve funding so staff can study a wider area.
“We should be a bit stronger in our recommendations ... and include more of the heritage defining features in the area,” said committee member Michelle Goodridge. She noted the Dickson Mill, now known as the Cambridge Mill, as one example that falls outside the area proposed by city staff.
The Galt Core Heritage Conservation District Study researched 271 properties within the Galt core, in an area bounded by Park Hill Road to the north, the western shore of the Grand River to the west, Wellington Street to the east and Concession Street to the south, as a potential heritage conservation district.
“Galt Core is recognized for its unique scenic and architectural value, as a centre of industry, and as a cultural and institutional hub for the surrounding area,” the staff report said.
The study also noted several prominent buildings slightly outside this block: Areas around Main Street to the east, as well as an expanded western boundary that extends to Grand Avenue.
Goodridge is not the only one concerned to see the Cambridge Mill left out of the boundary.
City staff said three particular areas outside the proposed boundary were frequently mentioned in public consultations: Queen’s Square on the west bank of the Grand River, the Cambridge Mill and industrial buildings on the north side of Park Hill Road East, and Centennial Park and Mill Creek.
“With the current state of the Dickson Mill, I don’t think it’s in need of any designation. It’s been completely renovated and updated for reuse into an upscale restaurant,” said committee member John Oldfield.
He did point to other buildings outside the boundary he thinks could benefit from heritage protection, such as the Ray Electric building on Park Hill Road East. “What is most intriguing to me is establishing a boundary that is inclusive of all the most important features, and I think until the study is expanded we may have missed some,” Goodridge said.
The committee endorsed the expanded boundary, and also put forward a motion asking council to approve additional funding to study the properties within that expanded boundary.
Council is expected to see the report later this year and will decide whether to approve funding in order to expand the boundary.
Downtown Galt is dotted with a rich collection of 19th century and early 20th century architecture, from commercial buildings that line Main Street to residential and industrial buildings. The core’s landscape and scenic views along the Grand River are also unique and often sought out by the film and TV industry for its historic esthetic.
Stone and brick architecture is prominent throughout the core, visible in public buildings such as the Old Post Office.
The town grew to prominence through its industrial operations along the Grand River, where the city’s water-powered mills served the community’s need for flour and sawn timber, and later textiles.
Anam Latif is a Waterloo Regionbased general assignment reporter for The Record. Reach her via email: alatif@therecord.com