The Toronto Preservation Board met on April 24th, 2023 to discuss the inclusion of several properties in the city's Heritage Register. St. Peter's Estonian Lutheran Church, designed by renowned Estonian architect Michael Bach in 1955, was one of the buildings discussed.
The staff report found the property to have design value as a representative example of a mid-century modernist church. St. Peter's Estonian Lutheran Church was designed by Estonian Canadian architect Michael Bach in 1955. The technical achievement of Bach's design includes the use of structural laminated wood beams arranged in a crossing pattern and terminating as pillars at grade. The glulam arched beams and the wood roof decking are exposed within the interior, and the beams are visually represented in the copper-sheated roof on the exterior.
St. Peter's also holds historical value for its association with the Canadian-Estonian community. The building reflects the work or ideas of architect Michael Bach, who was also a well-known innovator and educator as a member of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto.
Several members of the congregation and members of the Estonian community in Toronto spoke in support of the building's inclusion in the Register, hoping to save it from the wrecking ball. Reet Marten Sehr represented the dissenting view, saying that she speaks for the large majority of congregation members who are concerned about the survival of the congregation, arguing that the building's inclusion in the Register would make it more difficult to sell and thus deny the source of funds for the congregation to operate.
The Board voted to accept staff recommendation to include St. Peter's in the list of heritage buildings in Toronto. City Council will still have to hold a formal vote to act on the Board's decision, but this is usually a formality.
The Preservation Board's discussions pertaining to the St. Peter's Church can be viewed below.
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
EKN's RM Sehr09 May 2023 19:13
Just listened to EKN's Reet Marten Sehr's speech to the Preservation Board. Shocked that she directly accused another speaker of lying. Is this what we expect from someone who considers herself a community leader and presents herself as such in Estonia? Why also did she find it necessary to tell the Board that her son works as a city planner at Toronto City Hall....influence peddling perhaps?
Congregation Misinformed09 May 2023 10:05
Did the church executive investigate adaptive re-use for the church? ERA preservation architects were contacted about concrete towers (e.g. Tartu College) but not churches within the community:
“Toronto has a large stock of churches that function, in part, like informal community centres. There’s an opportunity in relation to doing something proactive with a whole slew of buildings fated to close. We could emulate programs like Artscape, while at the same time striving to maintain many of the present functions of churches. It’s an E.R.A. project but Tower Renewal is another case.”*
By their own account the short answer is No. And, in the announcement of the Special Meeting in 2020**, AS IF the acclaimed architectural gem “is a building after all, and an ageing one at that”:
“Statistics do not support the illusion that increased donations are the answer. The committee consulted with various experts in real estate, construction, etc. as well as to Bishop of the ELCIC. There are no christian congregations interested in purchasing or renting a church. Our lot is too small to build around the existing church structure. The only viable solution is to sell the church and property…". This was not true. And the committee did not consult with E.R.A. architects, well known within the community, or any other preservation architects.
