The nuns of Maison Jeanne D’Arc had a big moving sale that lasted three days. I was there at the beginning, on the first day, and people were buying up everything … furniture, French versions of Scrabble, linens, books, table settings, crosses, Christmas ornaments, and even those wrapped clothes hangers that are so often found at church bazaars.
I brought my camera but I felt too self-conscious to use it. I didn’t want to take photos without permission and I didn’t want to ask permission, so I just held on to it as I walked around.
I was determined to buy something. I wasn’t prepared to walk away without a memento. After all, who knows how this whole thing is going to turn out.
I eventually bought two things: an old wooden office chair ($8.00! And it’s a solid piece of furniture) and one old stainless steel key.
“A key is such a mystery,” I said jokingly as I gave the bespectacled gray nun my dollar. “You’ll never know it belonged to.”
“I never thought about it that way,” said the nun. “But I can see how that’s true.”
I’m paraphrasing slightly. But that’s not important.
Emma thinks it might be the key to something valuable. Sarah is more specific. She thinks there’s a connection with a pirate treasure. Of that, I’m not so sure.
They key is beside me as I type. I have plans for it. I’m going to carry it with me for the next while.
I know that a lot of people are following this blog for updates of the Maison Jeanne D’Arc development. So here it is. The following few paragraphs are from a letter Dagne, Wallace and I wrote up for mass distribution in the coming days. If you’re on our email list you’ll be receiving a version of this info:
On January 25th, we appeared before the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC), the City committee that considers heritage applications, and were successful in our efforts. LACAC voted unanimously in favour of designating the original 1934 portion of the building as a heritage property. This confirmed the findings of the City’s own heritage planners that Maison Jeanne d’Arc is worthy of designation under provincial law.
In addition, the developer (Uniform Urban Developments) and architect (Barry Hobin) who had initially planned to demolish La Maison as part of a proposed residential development on the property, indicated in a subsequent Citizen article that they will now consider converting the original building for residential use.
However, in spite of these encouraging steps, La Maison is not yet saved. As an advisory body, LACAC can only recommend heritage designation to the City and, so far, the Planning Department has been opposed to designation. The final decision rests with the City’s Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) and City Council.
On February 13th, PEC will consider both LACAC’s recommendation as well as the developer’s request to rezone the property from institutional to residential.
If you care about saving this much loved neighbourhood landmark, it is vital that you take a few minutes to email or call the following people before February 13th and let them know you support heritage designation for La Maison Jeanne d’Arc:
Planning & Environment Committee
Councillor Peter Hume (chair) Peter.Hume@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2488
Councillor Peggy Feltmate (vice chair) Peggy.Feltmate@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2752
Councillor Diane Holmes, Diane.Holmes@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2484
Councillor Clive Doucet, Clive.Doucet@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2487
Councillor Steve Desroches, Steve.Desroches@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2751
Councillor Michel Bellemare, Michel.Bellemare@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2481
Councillor Shad Qadri, Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2476
Councillor Bob Monette Bob.Monette@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2471
Councillor Gord Hunter, Gord.Hunter@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2479
Councillor Jan Harder, Jan.Harder@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2473
cc. Councillor Christine Leadman (Kitchissippi), Christine.Leadman@ottawa.ca / 613-580-2476
cc. Nancy Schepers (Deputy City Manager), Nancy.Schepers@ottawa.ca
cc. Monique Beauregard (PEC coordinator), Monique.Beauregard@ottawa.ca
And if you can, please plan to attend the PEC meeting on February 13th at City Hall. For details about the exact time and place, check back here or visit the City’s web site. The meeting’s agenda will be uploaded to the City website here.
We have been overwhelmed by the incredible show of local support for this process and immense affection shown for La Maison Jeanne d’Arc. We are working closely with Heritage Ottawa to ensure that we stand the best chance of securing the building’s future.
Like many of you, we do not oppose redevelopment of the property; we are only seeking to protect Maison Jeanne d’Arc as a unique symbol of Westboro, Kitchissippi and Ottawa history.
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As for me and my new old key, I am bringing it with me to the Planning Committee meeting on the 13th. I’m going to keep it closed tightly in the palm of my hand as I participate in the debate, and although I don’t usually pour my faith into a talisman I have a feeling this particular one is different. I don’t need to it be the key from a pirate’s treasure or anything like that, but I do hope it’s the key to something big, like a key that could unlock a memory, an unmoving heart, or open a closed mind so it could be appreciative and receptive to a reasonable plea.
I truly hope that the members of the Planning Committee realize how important it is to keep history alive and in our midst, and that major development of this kind needs to have community input.
Why is heritage such a tough sell? Shouldn’t we all want to share something of our past with the generations that follow our own?
The Maison in itself is a key, is it not? It’s a key to our past, a key to our collective history, a key that shouldn’t be dismissed as trivial, sold, or bartered away.
What a shame it would be if it disappeared.
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