Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/292860
narrow window of street frontage to Lake Ontario, re-establishing, however tenuously, the historic connection to the Lake," adds Kearns. "The forecourt to the Visitor Centre, under the Gar- diner, was designed to evoke the former edge of Lake Ontario with long grasses instead of waves, moving and flowing in the breeze. Walkways are designed like piers and jetties slightly elevated above the level of the waving grasses." John Southwood, project manager at O.P. McCarthy & Associates Inc., explains that aside from the histori- cal challenges, simply putting a build- ing in this area presented a range of technical issues as well. "[Excavating] the footprint of a building on the edge of a historical site with high poten- tial for archaeological value required extensive planning, studies and onsite explorator y digging before a con- struction shovel could hit the ground," says Southwood. "Also, the presence of the Gardiner Expressway adja- cent to the construction site required agreement from municipal bodies not only for short-term consideration, but also longer-term consideration of the space under the Expressway's canopy. Finally, the soil strength and groundwater conditions, combined with the geometry of the embanked building, required extensive drilled caisson support extending down into the bedrock." One of the most interesting aspects of the project was the archaeologi- cal aspect. "We've been working very closely with the city and the archi- tects on the project, but our role really started long before," explains Eva MacDonald of Archaeological Services Inc. "We started by doing background research, such as looking at the various maps made at the time. Then we spent two years just excavating by hand; after the project is complete, we'll go back and continue work here." MacDonald says that the site was, among other things, the location of the Fort's ordnance supply area, set up in the later nineteenth century. Among the artifacts they unearthed were remnants from one of the Battle of York's most significant events. To keep the Yankees from seizing the Fort's ammunition supplies, the British blew up the Grand Magazine, located about 250 metres away on the south shore cliff face and the resulting blast was felt at Niagara-On-the-Lake, 132 kilometres away. "Among the things we found were remains of the copper hoops from the barrels that contained the gun- powder. Copper was used because it doesn't hold a static charge, which could spark an explosion," says MacDonald. From a modest but impor t ant heritage site to a successful and civic- minded hub, Fort York is set to at last gain the respect that's eluded it for so many decades. "Until now, people haven't really been aware of just how authentic the site is," says O'Hara. "For years it has been stuck between the Gardiner and the railway lands, basi- cally in a brownfield. So now we want to make it a more respectable space. It's remarkably intact – it's a treasure." ■ LOCATION 250 Fort York Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER City of Toronto – Fort York National Historic Site PROJECT MANAGER O.P. McCarthy & Associates Inc. ARCHITECTS (IN JV) Patkau Architects Inc. / Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Harbridge + Cross Limited STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Integral Group ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT Archaeological Services Inc. TOTAL AREA 25,000 square feet TOTAL COST $25.5 million courtesy KeArns MAncini ArcHitects inc. April 2014 /63 Fort York Visitor Centre p60-63_FortYorkVC.indd 63 14-04-03 9:07 AM