After the Flood

editor, RETROactive

First Steps in the Recovery of Alberta’s Flood-Damaged Historic Buildings

Cleaning up in the Elbow Park Neighbourhood (July 5, 2013)
Cleaning up in the Elbow Park Neighbourhood (July 5, 2013)

As the floodwaters in southern Alberta recede, we must take care to preserve the integrity of our historic resources. It is very important that old and historic buildings dry slowly. Accelerated drying will warp, twist or split floors, doors and paneling; draw salts through stone and plaster, leading to blistering and exfoliation; and painted surfaces will flake and peel.

Historic buildings are particularly vulnerable to damage from inappropriate remedial work after the floodwaters recede. This can lead to unnecessary removal and loss of significant finishes and fittings as well as use of unsuitable materials for repairs. Building conservation is concerned with retaining original historic fabric and cleaning or repairing it sensitively with the least impact, even in the aftermath of a flood.

The slow and gentle process required to save irreplaceable historic fabric may take several months and involves a number of steps.

Consult with Emergency Services

Ensure that the building’s electrical, gas, water and waste lines are safe and operating normally and that the building is structurally sound. 

Document the Damage

Take photographs or videos and make notes about the damage to your historic building to assist with future planning for repairs and restoration.

The white staining indicates the high water mark (Elbow Park, Calgary, July 5, 2013)
The white staining indicates the high water mark (Elbow Park, Calgary, July 5, 2013)

Reinstate Drainage Systems

Clear debris and open blocked underground and surface drainage systems to help remove water from the building and its foundations. Use sump pumps or temporary pumps to help remove water from basements, although if water continues to rise pumping should be postponed. In that case, the water table is still high and the difference in pressure between the waterlogged soil and the water-less basement could damage foundation walls.

Identify Moisture Reservoirs

Debris, insulation, and piles of earth can prevent moisture from draining or evaporating. Identify current or potential moisture reservoirs to help specialists determine positions for localized drainage and through-the-wall ventilation that will allow long term drying and prevent decay of vulnerable materials.

Remove Only Non-Historic Furnishings, Fittings, Carpets, and Rubbish

Consult with your Heritage Conservation Adviser about damp historic materials such as plaster, brick, masonry, floors or finishes. Most historic materials are inherently durable and resistant to flooding and can often be carefully dried and restored.

Clean Mud, Dirt and Debris from Surfaces

Mud and debris deposited during the flooding can be removed with clean water and is more easily removed while still wet. Do not use high-pressure water to clean historic materials: pressure-washing historic material can do more damage than the flood itself.

Drying Out Slowly

Remove moisture gradually. Use natural ventilation to slowly dry the structure and historic finishes, particularly plaster and wood. Do not use mechanical dehumidification or heaters to accelerated drying. Fans may be used to circulate cool air. Open windows and doors to assist with ventilation. Install security protection and screens on windows and doors that will be open for an extended period of time.

Interior Finishes

Carefully remove water soaked gypsum board, which can trap mold spores. Do not remove plaster or wood finishes and consult with your Heritage Conservation Advisor about strategies to dry and stabilize historic finishes.

Elbow Park, Calgary. The cleanup will take time. (July 5, 2013)
The cleanup will take time. (Elbow Park, Calgary, July 5, 2013)

Plan for Repairs and Restoration

As the drying process takes place, observe any long term damage to historic fabric and initiate discussions with your Heritage Conservation Advisor and qualified specialists to plan repairs to your historic building and restoration of its historic materials.

For more information contact your Heritage Conservation Advisor:

Calgary Region: Sandy Aumonier (403-355-4544) and Stefan Cieslik (403-297-4074).

Southern Region: Fraser Shaw, office: (403) 297-4088 and cell: (403) 921-8139.

These numbers are toll-free by first dialing 310-0000.

Written by: Eileen Fletcher, Heritage Conservation Adviser.

M.D. seizes an Opportunity to Survey its heritage

Michael

The M.D. of Opportunity contributes to the Alberta Heritage Survey

St. Leon Le Grande church
St. Leon Le Grande church in the Hamlet of Calling Lake

The Municipal District of Opportunity is a large rural municipality located north of the Athabasca River. I don’t get the opportunity chance to travel to north-eastern Alberta very often, so I was excited to visit the Hamlet of Calling Lake in May. I found that yes, there are indeed trees and lakes outside of our Rocky Mountains.

I was in Calling Lake to facilitate a daylong workshop for local volunteers preparing to survey the M.D.’s potential historic resources. The Municipal Heritage Partnership Program granted funds to help the M.D. add a few hundred sites to the Alberta Heritage Survey Program. Like so many municipalities before it, Opportunity will use the information to learn more about some of the potential historic resources within its boundaries.

What’s a survey? Essentially, a community identifies properties over a certain age or ones that appear to have historical or architectural interest. A volunteer from the survey team visits each site, taking photos and noting the design and construction of any buildings or structures. Information collected during the site visit is supplemented through historical or architectural research. The results is recorded on a Site Form (one form per site) and recorded in the Alberta Heritage Survey Program’s database. (You can learn a great deal about the survey program by reading Identifying Historic Places, Part 1–Conducting a Municipal Heritage Survey.)

The survey of the M.D. of Opportunity is quite interesting because it will focus on buildings, structures and trails from the settlement period around the Hamlets of Wabasca, Calling Lake, Red Earth Creek and Sandy Lake. This area has a rich aboriginal and Metis heritage and was an important fur trapping and trading area. It is also the first municipal survey to focus on sites related to aboriginal people.

During the training, we actually went to one of these sites: the St. Leon Le Grande Roman Catholic Church. It was built by the Oblates. Unfortunately the roof collapsed last winter. The survey will allow for it to be recorded for posterity—and perhaps provide the information necessary to designate it as a Municipal Historic Resource and to rehabilitate it in the near future.

Stay tuned, I will keep you updated on this project as it develops.

Written by: Michael Thome, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Historic Places and Communities Affected by Unprecedented Floods

Matthew Francis
Downtown High River - June 21, 2013
Downtown High River – June 21, 2013

We know from receiving calls from many people that several historic places have been affected by the catastrophic flooding in southern Alberta. Historically, communities in Alberta were often built close to rivers – sources of water to accommodate trade and travel. Needless to say, these low-lying areas where our communities grew up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are also floodplains. We know that there are a total of 75 Provincial and Municipal Historic Resources within the evacuated areas of the City of Calgary alone.

The Town of High River is one of the communities that has been devastated, and is still in a state of emergency evacuation. Over the past year,  the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program has been working together with the Town on the second phase of an Inventory Project to evaluate the community’s significant historic places. It will remain to be seen how many of these places will survive the floods, and the extent of the damage. Other communities are in similar situations.

At this point, still early on the recovery efforts, there are still more questions than answers. Some owners of designated historic places that have been flooded are wondering what they should do. Once the emergency needs for safety and the basics of life are provide for – what are the first steps in safeguarding and stewarding these historic places?

The Historic Resources Management Branch has staff that are available to talk with owners of historic places, and to provide technical advice and support. We know that a major clean-up and conservation effort is now only beginning. We encourage owners of designated Provincial Historic Resources and Municipal Historic Resources to contact the Heritage Conservation Adviser for their region. Let us know how you are doing, and the current state of your historic property. We can help you to prioritize steps and make plans to help conserve your historic place for the future.

Calgary Region: Eileen Fletcher, her office number is (403) 297-4074 and her cell number is (403) 618-4180.

Southern Region: Fraser Shaw, his office number is (403) 297-4088 and his cell number is (403) 921-8139.

Municipal and community officials can contact Matthew Francis, Manager of Municipal Heritage Services at (780) 438-8502. Their office numbers are toll-free by first dialing 310-0000.

Above all, we hope everyone stays safe as we work together to create a future for Alberta’s historic places.

2013 Forum Registration Now Open!

Matthew Francis

Forum 2013 - Header Image

Registration is now open for the 2013 Municipal Heritage Forum: The ABC’s of Conservation.

You are invited to attend the Forum, September 19-20th, 2013, taking place at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and at Knox Church in the Old Strathcona Provincial Historic Area in Edmonton. The agenda and information package is available below:

2013 Municipal Heritage Forum Agenda and Information Package – Final Version

This year will feature not only informative and inspiring keynote presentations from Bernard Flaman and Todd Babiak, but also hands-on demonstrations of conservation practices. RETROactive will keep you informed about Forum workshops, schedule, and details.

Space is limited, so please register online today.

We look forward to seeing you at the Forum!

All Aboard for an Alberta Architecture Adventure!

editor, RETROactive

The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada held its 39th Annual Conference in Edmonton

Opening reception at Edmonton’s City Hall
Opening reception at Edmonton’s City Hall

From May 29 through June 1 delegates from across the country (and a few from the United States and Europe) were treated to presentations, discussions and tours addressing a variety of aspects of Canadian architectural history. The conference kick-off was hosted at Edmonton’s city hall, and featured a talk and tour by the building’s architect, Gene Dub. Not surprisingly, he had many interesting anecdotes and insights to relate—including the memorable connection between the building and the Edmonton Sun newspaper’s 3rd page Sunshine Girls!

Three full days of events followed. There were 10 session featuring over 40 speakers. To fit them all in, there were always two sessions on the go. How to choose? Would you rather learn about how cities are transformed by renewal, or what trends are influencing how architecture is taught in Canada? Are you more interested in the future of historic churches, or the place of Arthur Erickson in Canada’s architectural history? Those interested in a lively Pecha Kucha format discussion of the role of government programs in the conservation and commemoration of the built environment had to forego a panel discussion entitled “Architecture and the Canadian Fabric.” For students and professionals in the architectural history field, these are difficult decisions!

Jennifer Kirchner, Planner with the City of Lacombe, showed us around main street.
Jennifer Kirchner, Planner with the City of Lacombe, showed us around main street.

Of course, delegates also found time to socialize, make connections and catch up on all the latest work being done in the field. No conference is complete without receptions and a night on the town! The grand finale of the conference was an all-day bus tour of historic buildings and communities in central Alberta. The day was bright and sunny as the bus set off from Edmonton. First stop was the 1907 Wetaskiwin Court House, which was converted to serve as the city hall in 2006. Next on the route was Lacombe, where Roland Michener House and the Flat Iron Building are just two of the Provincial Historic Resources the delegates visited in the city’s historic main street area. After an excellent lunch, the group continued on to Stettler and boarded the Alberta Prairie Railway Excursion’s train for Big Valley.

SSAC members departing Stettler by train.
departing Stettler on a train

The Canadian National Railways Steam Locomotive 6060—also a Provincial Historic Resource—was in the shop, but the historic train cars were a great way to set the scene. Stepping off the train at the 1912 Canadian Northern Railway Station in Big Valley was like stepping back in time. This impression was reinforced by the Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator which, though it was built in 1960, is of a type that changed little since the early 1900s. On the hill overlooking the town is the well-known “Blue Church”, St. Edmund’s Anglican.

Rowley's Grain Elevator Row.
Rowley Grain Elevator Row

The final stop on the tour was Rowley, where the spectacular Rowley Grain Elevator Row symbolizes Alberta’s agricultural heritage. After a barbeque, a wander around town, and musical entertainment by Robin Woywitka and the Super 92, it was back on the bus and heading for home. The on-board movie was “Bye Bye Blues.” Watch it if you get a chance—it was filmed on location in Rowley! By the time the bus dropped us off in Edmonton, it was after midnight. Some went directly to their Whyte Avenue hotel, but on Whyte the night was just getting started, so doubtless others continued their Alberta adventures into the wee small hours!

I’d like to thank the people and organizations who contributed to the success of the SSAC 2013 Edmonton conference. It’s impossible to name them all, but special thanks go out to:

delegates pose in front of the Big Valley station.
delegates pose in front of the Big Valley station.

I look forward to seeing you all next year.

Written by: Dorothy Field, Heritage Survey Program Coordinator

Paint Analysis for Historic Buildings

editor, RETROactive

“Hey, that’s a neat old building. I wonder what it looked like new?”

Gathering paint samples for analysis
Gathering samples for analysis

I recently had the good fortune of attending a course at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Natchitoches, Louisiana on paint analysis for historic buildings. The Town of Natchitoches is in northern Louisiana and is situated around historic cotton plantations. The movie “Steel Magnolias” was filmed in Natchitoches during the late 1980’s.

The course, Paint Analysis for Historic Buildings, was taught by David Arbogast. Mr. Arbogast is a renowned architectural conservator and paint specialist from Davenport, Iowa. During three intensive days we learned a great deal about the history of applied finishes (paints, stains, and clear coatings), architectural paint chemistry, the proper technique to restore deteriorated window mechanisms, how to collect field samples and analyze them in a laboratory and how to write up the findings.

Analyzing a paint sample to identify the paint layers and colours
Analyzing a sample to identify layers  and colours

During the second day, we collected 43 paint samples from the nearby Old Courthouse Museum. Most of our samples were smaller than the diameter of a pencil—more than enough for laboratory analysis. Using an optical stereo microscope, we examined each one. From these tiny specimens we were able to determine the number of layers of coatings applied to a particular area, and the colour of each layer. Observing the microscopic lines of atmospheric deposits (mostly soot and dirt) we established how frequently the building was painted. We documented each colour identified according to the Munsell System of Colour, a standardised colour palette book that does not change with time and fashion. It was amazing to see that such tiny samples could offer so much information about how a building evolved over its life.

It was a very intensive three days, but what I learned will be invaluable to my work as an architectural conservator or to anyone interested in knowing the evolution of coatings and colours used on their historic building.

Written by: Jim Nakonechny, Senior Restoration Officer

Help us put on a great forum!

Michael
Strathcona Branch, Edomonton Public Library
Strathcona Branch, Edomonton Public Library

The 7th annual municipal heritage forum is coming up fast. We strive to present relevant and useful information for the municipalities we work with. Here in Old St. Stephen’s College, Matthew and I are busy planning two intensive, information-filled days.

The forum is the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program’s signature event. Many past participants have used what they’ve learned to improve their own municipal heritage conservation programs. We hope to build on that success.

We were wondering if you could help us? We’d like to hear a little about what you hope to learn at this year’s forum. Please take a few minutes to participate in our online survey. The information you provide will help us organise the best forum yet.

Take Our Survey.

Written by: Michael Thome, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Alberta and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

rkelland
Queen Elizabeth II in coronation robes
Queen Elizabeth II in coronation robes. © Cecil Beaton, 1953.

Last Sunday (June 2nd) was the 60th anniversary of  Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. She had been Queen for over a year at the time. (She ascended to the throne upon the death of King George VI, her father, in February 1952.) The timing allowed for a period of mourning for the late King and to organise the pomp and ceremony of a coronation.

Canada marked the occasion by naming a large mountain range in Jasper National Park for our new Queen. Many places names in Canada have been inspired by members of the Royal family. To learn more about this you could revisit our post on the Royal Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II and Place Names.

Written by: Ron Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer and Geographical Names Program Coordinator.

Drumheller: From Coal to Cool

editor, RETROactive

There’s more than dinosaur fossils in ‘em hills.

Early discoveries foreshadowed Drumheller’s evolution as a community. In 1884, geologist Joseph Burr Tyrrell discovered huge coal outcrops and a 70-million-year-old dinosaur skull in the Red Deer River Valley.
In 1884, geologist Joseph Burr Tyrrell discovered huge coal outcrops and a 70-million-year-old dinosaur skull in the Red Deer River Valley.

Drumheller’s history is strongly linked to its wealth of natural resources. More than 130 coalmines operated in the valley between 1911 and 1979. Though Drumheller has since become world-renowned for dinosaur fossils, it was the abundant coal deposits within the surrounding badlands that gave life to the community.

The town received its name when entrepreneur Samuel Drumheller (behind the whee cira 1910l) won a coin toss against homesteader Tom Greentree over whose name the site would bear. (Glenbow Archives NA-2389-20).
Samuel Drumheller (behind the wheel circa 1913-15) won a coin toss in 1910 against homesteader Tom Greentree over whose name the site would bear. (Glenbow Archives NA-2389-20).

Peter Fidler encountered pronounced coal seams by the Red Deer River at Kneehills Creek while surveying the area for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1793. After Samuel Drumheller bought local land in 1910 and sold it to Canadian National Railway for further development as a townsite, Drumheller’s coal rush began. The community’s first mine, Newcastle, opened in 1911. Several mines were subsequently founded before Drumheller’s incorporation as a village in 1913, as a town in 1916 and as a city in 1930.

By 1920, Drumheller’s main street was bustling with businesses, horse drawn wagons, cars and pedestrian traffic—a result of a flourishing coal industry and a rail line. (Provincial Archives of Alberta A15275).
By 1920, Drumheller’s main street was a bustling centre of a growing community. (Provincial Archives of Alberta A15275).

At its peak, this “Wonder Town of the West” was a booming coalmining mecca with over 30,000 residents and once among the fastest growing municipalities in Canada. Some of the valley’s mines lasted for decades. When the region’s last closed in 1979 amid oil and natural gas expansion, it marked the end of the valley’s coalmining era. In the vacuum created by a fallen coal industry, plans to construct a world class museum were put into motion. The Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology opened in 1985.

Atlas Mine after restoration. The last wooden tipple standing in Canada, it now endures as a National Historic Site and one of the region’s star attractions.
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site: the last wooden tipple standing in Canada.

Today, Drumheller celebrates its unique heritage as a modern hub of the Red Deer River badlands. This is the place where many of the world’s most extraordinary dinosaur specimens are excavated and showcased, and where some of Western Canada’s greatest coal production occurred. Drumheller Valley is one of Alberta’s best known tourism destinations. Here, you can explore both ancient and modern landscapes.

Written by:  Jeff Sterr, Historical Places Research Assistant.

Can’t Touch This!

carlolaforge

Misunderstandings about alterations to designated historic resources

Now and again, I receive a call or a question from someone who appears to be under the impression that their Provincial or Municipal Historic Resource cannot be “altered” and that it must be “preserved” as is.  That is not entirely true.  Under Alberta’s Historical Resources Act, “no person shall destroy, disturb, alter, restore or repair any historic resource…without the written approval from the minister (Section 20-9)” if the site is a Provincial Historic Resource.  For Municipal Historic Resources, the written approval must come from “the council or a person appointed by the council for the purpose (Section 26-6).”  To obtain a written approval, the proposed alteration must be evaluated under the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Place in Canada.

The Standards and Guidelines is a pan-Canadian document that is used as a tool to evaluate and sometimes enforce certain principles in the conservation of our historic resources.  There are four major components to the document: the conservation decision-making process, the conservation treatments, the standards, and the guidelines – with each component going into more and more detail.  The most critical of these is the “conservation decision-making process”.  This process involves three stages that I like to refer to as the acronym U.P.I. (pronounced whoopee!) or Understanding, Planning, and Intervening.

The designation of a historic resource implies that we are trying to conserve it for future generations as part of our shared heritage.  Understanding why a designation was put in place is the first step in determining what can and can’t be touched.  This is summarised in a Statement of Significance (SoS).  Each designated historic resource has one.  If you do not know what the SoS for your designated building contains, you can search for it on the Alberta Register of Historic Places.

Planning is the most important part of any project and for historic resources it is critical in order to avoid mistakes and the potential damage or loss of heritage fabric – usually listed as character-defining elements within a SoS.  As a Heritage Conservation Adviser, it is part of my job to help you understand and plan (and subsequently recommend approvals for Provincial Historic Resources) for projects that will affect your historic resource before any intervening occurs.  When someone indicates to me that they will be going straight to an intervention (i.e. actual physical alteration to a historic resource) without any understanding or planning having taken place, I will tend to react like the guy in this video clip.

Ok, well maybe on the inside.  Suffice it to say, that intervening without understanding or planning is not recommended.  Although I did find the guy in the video’s treatment of the new homeowner’s lack of respect for their heritage building interesting – would you agree?!

Written by:  Carlo Laforge, Heritage Conservation Adviser.