BYLAW - Historical Designation Old Post Office - 19930728 - 348193BY-LAW NUMBER 3481-93
OF THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF AURORA
BEING A BY -LAW to designate the
former Post Office being Part Lots 2
and 3. Plan 68 and known
municipally as 15213 Y onge Street
and in the Town of Aurora, Regional
Municipality of York as being of
architectural and/ or historic value or
interest.
WHEREAS Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.0.18 (as amended),
authorizes the Council of a municipality to enact by-laws to designate real property, including
all buildings and structures thereon, to be of architectural and/or historic value or interest;
AND WHEREAS The Corporation of the Town of Aurora has been notified by the Local
Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee that the lands and premises known as The Old
Post Office situated at 15213 Yonge Street, being Part Lots 2 and 3 on Plan 68, in the Town of
Aurora, in the Regional Municipality of York, more particularly described in Schedule "A"
attached hereto; and as The Corporation of the Town of Aurora has caused notice to be served
of the intention to designate the aforesaid structure on the Ontario Heritage Foundation; and has
caused such notice of intention to be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the
municipality once for each of three consecutive weeks;
AND WHEREAS no notice of objection to the proposed designation has been served on the
Clerk of the Municipality;
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Aurora enacts as follows:
1. There is designated as being of architectural and/or historic value or interest the building
known as the Old Post Office, 15213 Yonge Street, Aurora being Part Lots 2 and 3, Plan
68, in the Town of Aurora, in the Regional Municipality of York, more particularly
described in Schedule "A" attached hereto.
2. The reasons for designation are set out in Schedule "B" attached hereto.
3. The Town Solicitor is hereby authorized to cause a copy of this By-law to be registered
against the property described in Schedule "A" attached hereto, in the proper land
registry office.
4. The Municipal Clerk is hereby authorized to cause a copy of this By-law to be served
on the Owner of the aforesaid property and on the Ontario Heritage Foundation and to
cause notice of the passing of this By-law to be published in the same newspaper in
which notice of intention to designate was published once for each of three consecutive
weeks.
5. This By-law shall come into full force and effect upon the day of final passage thereof.
READ A FIRST AND SECOND TIME THISolZ2',..fDAY OF ~~ , 1993.
READ A TBlRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED TEllS$ DAY On, 1993,
LrJ.~
GEORGE. D. TIMPSON,
DEPUTY MAYOR
L. ALLISO ,
MUNICIPAL CLERK
TOWN OF AURORA
THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK
LOCATION: PART OF LOTS 2 AND 3
PLAN68
Iilli SUBJECT LANDS
WELLINGTON STREET EAST
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.. SCHEDULE ·~· TO BY-LAW NO. -3{3 /-5?3
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SCHEDULE "B" to BY-LAW 3481-93
The Old Post Office (15213 Yonge Street)
Reasons for Designation
The Old Post Office (15213 Yonge Street) is recommended for designation
for historical, contextual, and architectural reasons. It is a focal point of
downtown Aurora and a good example of the Italianate style of architecture
which was popular during the second half of the nineteenth century and the
early years of the twentieth.
Historical:
Since its opening on 24 November 1915, the Old Post Office has played
an important part in the life of Aurora. Its clock, manufactured by
J. B. Joyce and Company of Whitchurch, England, and installed in 1916, has chimed
the hours and told the time for three generations of Aurora's citizens. The
steps and broad sidewalk in front of the building were the scene of important
local events, including the welcoming addresses for soldiers returning home
from the First and Second World Wars. Before the days of home mail delivery,
the Old Post Office was a focal point for meeting and socializing with
neighbours and colleagues.
Contextual:
The old Aurora Post Office and its prominent clock tower are focal points
for the historic core of Aurora. They form the centrepiece of the downtown
business block which runs from Wellington Street south to Mosley Street
Architectural:
The Old Post Office was designed by architects in the Department of Public
Works, Ottawa, under the supervision of Chief Architect David Ewart. It is
a good example of the Italianate style, featuring round-arched window and
door openings on the first floor and a Tuscan campanile-like clock tower with
round-arched louvered openings below its clock face and corbelled brick arches
above. The tower is capped by a low hipped roOf clad in metal and ornamented
by exposed rafter ends below the eaves.
• • • 2
2
The building is faced in red brick and is set on a rusticated white
stone foundation. Stone panels above its two front entrances announce
the building's original functions as a customs office and post office. A date
stone, centred on the fa~ade, commemorates the beginning of construction, 1914.
Keystones are surrounded by radiating brick voussoirs above each of the two
front entrance doors. Voussoirs are found over the building's windows as well.
The building has a flat roof surrounded by a brick parapet capped with
white stone. A wooden flag pole rises from the roof. Below the parapet at the
front and sides are a bold entablature. A triangular pediment stands above
the entablature over the north front entrance bay. This bay projects from the
fa~ade, complementing the projecting clock tower to the south.
A brick addition, bearing little resemblance to the original part of the
building, was constructed to the rear in 1963. several years later, the building
closed as a post office. Much of the building's original interior detail was
then lost or obscured, with the exception of a fine staircase which leads
upstairs from the front entry. Exterior alterations have included replacement
of the building's original front doors, ·.entry steps and window sash, and the
removal of stone steps which once led to a mail chute centred on the ground
floor fa~ade. Also missing is the finial which once surmounted the roof of the
clock tower.
Despite these changes, however, the building is largely intact and
continues to be recognized as a highly significant Yonge Street landmark.
References: Aurora Banner, 26 November 1915.
Departmental annual reports, 1914, 1915, Public Works Canada.
Research files, Aurora Museum.
w. John Mcintyre, Chair,
Town of Aurora LACAC,
7 June 1993.
. I ' .. Document General 0 Fonn 4 -Land Reglltratlon Refonn Ac~ 1984
.
Numtie!r· o:•mmWMiJiiil+iflt!''"" ..... • .......
CERTIFICATE OF R~GISTRATION
1qq3 OCT 25 P 3: I i
f~V YORKREGIO~~
w No. 65 . r ~ NE\'IMARK£1 • Land Regtst1'3 · .. o.
~
New Property Identifiers
Exocutlons
Additional:
See
Schedule D
(1, Reglltry rn
(3) Property
ldonttfler(s)
Land Titles 0 T (2) Page 1 of .{ pages
Block Property
Additional:
See 0 Schedule
(4) Nature of Document By-law pursuant to section 29 Ontario
Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.18 (as amended)
(5) Conlfdonltfon NIL --------------------------------------
(6) D-'!>6on
Part of Lots 2 and 3
Registered Plan 68
East Side of Y onge Street
designated as Parts 1 and 2
Reference Plan 65R-441
Town of Aurora
Dollar.~ S
Regional Municipality of York
(7) Thfl
Document
! (b) Schedule for:
nil
Additional:
See
Schedule
[] C9nt11no:
(a) RedesCription
New Easement
Plan/Sketch
• Additional 0 l Description 0 Parties D Other 1Z]
(8) Thll Document provldn as folio-:
THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF AURORA, having enacted By-law 3481-93 to
designate the lands described in Box (6) herein, hereby applies for registration of
the above-noted by-law, a certified copy being attached hereto.
v
(9) Thlt Document relates to lnotrumont number( I)
(10) Party( In) (Set out Status or Interest)
Name(s)
Continued on Schedule IZJ
Date of Signature
TOWN OF AURORA
THE CORPORATION OF THE
Signature( ~. .. J ~.~ .................. ..
. :J'9J1!1 .. f1''· .¥?-YP! ............... .
Y M 0
1993! 10 iP
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~ i . ' ....... ' ..... ' ............................ . .. Vf ...................... .
Ila wr~ ~e Allison, Clerk
-~~~~ ~~ ·/';~ . . . . . '' 'i' ..
(11) Addreoo
lor Service 100 John West Way, P.O. Box 1000, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6Jl
(12) Party(loo) (Set out Status or Interest)
Name(s)
. ,· ....... ·-.................................. .
LJ ......................................... .
Signature{s) Date of Signature
Y M D
. ................................. \ ..... \ .. ,· ..
(13) Addreoo
for Sorvlce
(14) Municipal Addreu of Property
14213 Yonge Street
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 1L8
(15) Document Prepared by:
Gordon Whicher, B.A., LL.B.
Town of Aurora
100 John West Way
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 6Jl
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Form LF \J33 I l 35'
II~'' Fees and Ta>< ~ 15 Registration Fee
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