Notice of Designation 34-36 King Street East Village of Omemee

Design and Physical Value
34-36 King Street has design and physical value as a representative example of an Italianate commercial building in Omemee and one of the oldest extant commercial buildings in the village. Constructed around 1863, it displays typical characteristics of the Italianate commercial style which was the most popular style for downtown commercial architecture in the second half of the nineteenth century, including three-storey brick construction with a flat roof; division into bays; pilasters; decorative brickwork and a retained Victorian storefront. It is an important example of a commercial building with a cast iron storefront.

Historical and Associative Value
34-36 King Street has historical and associative value in its historic role as a commercial building and general store. Often identified as McPherson’s General Store, its second commercial iteration, it was originally constructed as a general store by William Beatty before being taken over by Thomas A. McPherson in 1883. McPherson’s General Store, which operated until the second half of the twentieth century by McPherson and members of his family, grew to become a prominent and well-known business in Omemee and the surrounding area in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It has direct historical relationships with the historic commercial and economic development in Omemee, being constructed during a period of rapid economic development between about 1860 and 1880, and in its role as a general store, it provides information regarding the economic growth of the community throughout the second half of the nineteenth century.

Contextual Value
34-36 King Street East has contextual value as part of the historic streetscape of downtown Omemee. It helps maintain and support the character of the commercial core of downtown Omemee as one of a range of nineteenth century commercial buildings extant along King Street East. While the majority of the commercial buildings in downtown Omemee predate 1900, it forms one of a small collection of commercial buildings that pre-date the early 1890s when several significant fires destroyed most of the downtown core and which are primarily located at the eastern end of the downtown. It is physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings as part of the village’s downtown streetscape.

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 August 1, 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.

More information regarding the property can be found in 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