Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Guelph’s work to conserve the heritage of the Waterworks Engine House Pumping Station has been recognized with the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation.
Emily Stahl, a manager in Environmental Services, accepted the award on behalf of city staff and Baird Sampson Neuert Architects.
“I’m excited and proud to receive this award for their work to restore a part of Guelph’s history,” Stahl said during the ceremony.
Completed in 1879, the Guelph Waterworks Pumping Station Engine House at 29 Waterworks Place was intended to provide water for fire protection. During construction the purpose expanded to provide water for residential use. The building had most recently been used for storage purposes and had fallen into disrepair.
Conservation efforts focused on preserving elements of the Italianate architectural style and restoring the scale and grandeur of the space by removing a mezzanine level added in the 1970s to expose the cathedral ceilings. The conservation and adaptive reuse of the building now provides vibrant and fully accessible administrative space for City staff.
“A Future-Ready Guelph includes making strategic investments to conserve our built heritage,” said Jayne Holmes, Guelph’s deputy chief administrative officer of infrastructure, development and enterprise services. “We’re pleased this beautiful landmark building is being recognized with such a prestigious award.”
The Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards are annual juried awards administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust to recognize remarkable achievements in heritage conservation. These inspirational achievements signal the important role that heritage conservation plays in Ontario’s communities. This year the award ceremony took place virtually as part of the trust’s annual Heritage Week celebrations