Heritage Designation of 39-43 Colborne Street, Village of Fenelon Falls

Notice: Designation of Property under the Ontario Heritage Act

Take Notice that the Council of the City of Kawartha Lakes, on January 30, 2024, passed By-laws 2024-014 and 2024-015 to designate the following properties under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.18, as properties of cultural heritage value or interest:

39 Colborne Street, Village of Fenelon Falls
PT LT 1 N/S FRANCIS ST AND W/S COLBORNE ST PL 17 FENELON AS IN VFF3536 EXCEPT R119073,  S/T VFF3536, R431524; KAWARTHA LAKES

43 Colborne Street, Village of Fenelon Falls
PT LT 1 N/S FRANCIS ST AND W/S COLBORNE ST PL 17 FENELON AS IN R119073, S/T & T/W R119073, S/T R431524

Statement of Reasons for Designation

Design and Physical Value
39-43 Colborne Street has design and physical value as a representative example of Italianate commercial architecture in Fenelon Falls. The building, which was constructed in 1884 as a replacement for an older commercial block that burned down earlier that year, demonstrates the key features of this architectural style which was the most popular architecture style for commercial construction in Ontario in the second half of the nineteenth century. It is representative of the execution of this style in Fenelon Falls between about 1870 and 1890 when it was at its height of popularity and the commercial core of the village was developing rapidly from its pioneer beginnings to an established Victorian community.

Historical and Associative Value
39-43 Colborne Street, also known as the Jordan Block, has historical and associative value as a commercial block constructed in Fenelon Falls during its peak of nineteenth century prosperity. Near the end of the nineteenth century, the community underwent a period of rapidly increasing prosperity that attracted new businesses, residents and investment into the community. This property is a subject of that period of prosperity and yields information regarding Fenelon Falls’ economic growth near the end of the nineteenth century. More specifically, the property has historical value as a bank, which has been located in the southern half of this property since 1902, first as the Bank of British North America and later as the Bank of Montreal. Its role as a bank building yields information regarding the development of banking and local financial services in Ontario communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. 

Contextual Value
39-43 Colborne Street has contextual value as a contributing feature to the historic commercial streetscape of downtown Fenelon Falls. The property is visually and historically linked to its surroundings as part of the continuous commercial streetwall along the west side of Colborne Street, maintains and supports the historic commercial character of the village’s downtown area which is characterized by its collection of Italianate commercial architecture dating primarily from the 1870s and 1880s. The downtown area includes a variety of late nineteenth century Italianate property executed in a similar style, size and massing to the subject property which, taken together, form a cohesive downtown landscape of which 39-43 Colborne Street is a contributing feature.

Further information respecting the designation is available at the City’s Economic Development Department. Interested parties may object to the designating by-law to the Ontario Land Tribunal. Any objection to this designation must be filed within 30 days of February 7, 2024 and include the reasons for objection to the designating by-law and the fee charged by the Tribunal. Objections should be directed to: Cathie Richie, Clerk, City of Kawartha Lakes, P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay, ON K9V 5R8.

The by-law will come into effect on the day following the last day of the notice period.

For further information on the property, please consult its Heritage Evaluation Report.

Any inquiries may be directed to:

Economic Development Officer- Heritage Planning
City of Kawartha Lakes,
180 Kent Street West, Lindsay, ON  K9V 2Y6
(705) 324-9411 ext.1366
eturner@kawarthalakes.ca