This one was published in the November issue of Kitchissippi Times.
Here it is in its entirety:
“In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.” – John C. Sawhill
This is a quote I’ve been carrying with me for some time, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense to me.
I’m writing to express my dismay of the proposed development of the Maison Jeanne D’Arc building and surrounding property on Kenwood and Edison Streets.
We should be working harder to preserve this lovely building.
It was built in the 1930s, and designed by Sister Marie Thomas Aquinas, founder of the Soeurs de l’institut Jeanne D’Arc. She didn’t want it to look institutional and it was built to look like a house in Britanny. The Maison been used as a boarding school, a day school, and for the training of new nuns. It also houses a chapel, which would be demolished, as owner Barry Hobin has indicated.
To quote local history professor Bruce Elliot:Â “It is an interesting and attractive institutional building unlike anything in its vicinity either stylistically or in size (when originally constructed), and as such it has always been a particular point of interest.”
Mr. Hobin plans to tear it down and replace it with 20 housing units: semidetached homes fronting on Kenwood and single-family homes along both Edison and Melbourne.
It’s disheartening. This process has become too developer-driven. And that’s probably the crux of the matter for me and for the people with whom I have spoken about this issue. How different would our neighborhood look if it was designed by the people who live here?
I do recognize the need for new housing. Infill housing prevents that environmental blight we call suburban sprawl. But new housing in Westboro does not need to push the boundaries. The City of Ottawa regulates the building of new properties, so why can’t it be a requirement that new homes meet certain design criteria? I’m tired of grandiose homes that loom large and dwarf their neighbors. Where will it end? When will it stop?
Infill housing? I can live with it. Maison de Jeanne D’Arc. We have to keep it.
Mr. Hobin is not giving us anything we need here. We don’t need 20 new high-priced homes. We certainly don’t need the extra traffic they will create. He’s doing nothing but TAKE. He’s taking away a unique old building that doesn’t exist anywhere else. He’s taking away a piece of our collective history, a piece of our past. And what is he giving back in return? Twenty new homes with double garages, each with two cars idling in front? No thanks.
I can’t help but wonder: Did Mr. Hobin do his own inspection and assessment of the building? The Kitchissippi Times quoted him as saying that it was “impossible” to renovate. The developer who stands to make monetary gain should not be the judge whether or not renovation is possible. It doesn’t make sense. There should be an independent assessment.
Apparently there was a consultation with neighbors. Who was there? When was it? Was it widely publicized?  And did they really prefer 20 housing units to condominiums? Why not consider some other alternatives? Can we turn it into a retirement home? Or a daycare? Or find some other use? Why haven’t Mr.Hobin’s plans been made public?
But perhaps this is a done deal and this letter is for nothing. If so, I challenge Mr. Hobin to give something back for change. How about choosing a different plot to develop? How about scaling back your plans? How about homes that don’t stick out like sore thumbs? How about a sizable donation to the Dovercourt Park fundraising committee to make up for the mature trees and greenspace you are replacing with bricks and mortar?
Henry David Thoreau once asked this question: “What’s the use of a fine house if you don’t have a tolerable planet to put it on?” I ask you all to consider this if and when there is another consultation about the Maison Jeanne D’Arc development.
I have been posting about this on my weblog at: http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?cat=17. I do hope concerned readers will track the issue with me. I do also welcome comments along the way.
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