Heritage designation for Bay building sent back to start line

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This article was published 21/01/2019 (2166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A procedural error has forced the City of Winnipeg to reboot its heritage designation process for the iconic downtown Hudson’s Bay building.

Members of the executive policy committee were set to vote on the designation of the six-storey department store structure Tuesday, when Coun. Brian Mayes announced there was a problem with the original vote that had kick-started the movement.

Mayes (St. Vital) said he cast a vote at the Nov. 22, 2018, meeting of the historical buildings and resources committee in support of the designation — something councillors are prohibited from doing.

“That won’t happen again,” Mayes told his fellow EPC members. “Due to an abundance of caution, perhaps, we’re going to restart the process back at” the historical buildings committee.

That committee consists of three members of city council and several professionals from the fields of engineering, architecture and planning. It considers recommendations from the city’s heritage planner, but the bylaw establishing the committee allows only the volunteer professionals to vote on proposals.

Its recommendations are next considered by the property and development committee, whose approval would make the designations official — unless the building owner objects, which then requires the designation to be decided by a vote of council.

The Hudson’s Bay Co. has repeatedly opposed a historical designation for the 93-year-old building, saying the identified heritage-character defining elements would be too costly to maintain and, in some instances, replacement parts are not available.

The building’s designation was supported by the property and development committee at its meeting Jan. 7, and was headed to council next week, before Mayes raised his concern.

He said his early vote might have jeopardized the validity of the entire process. However, there is no public record of who, among the committee members, had voted on the designation.

Mayes told the Free Press he recused himself from voting when the issue arrived at the property and development committee (which he chairs), adding the initial vote caught the attention of civic administration, which recommended the process be restarted.

Meanwhile, the heritage status of two other Winnipeg buildings remains uncertain.

EPC members narrowly defeated — in a 4-3 vote — the recommendation to designate the property at 245 Notre Dame Ave., known as the Christie Block.

Voting against the designation were Mayor Brian Bowman and Couns. Sherri Rollins, Scott Gillingham and Mayes. Voting in favour were Couns. John Orlikow, Cindy Gilroy and Matt Allard. The proposal goes to council next week.

A vote on the 114-year-old, red-brick Manitoba Club building (194 Broadway) was postponed to allow the club an opportunity for further discussions with the planning department.

The property had initially been recommended for heritage status by the historical buildings committee in February 2018, but the club objected.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca