Why is this home important?

501 Vesta Drive January 7, 2020

The single family dwelling currently located at 501 Vesta Drive is the type of home which is integral to the character and history of the former Village of Forest Hill, known in modern times as the neighbourhood of Forest Hill within the City of Toronto. This letter will outline the extremely crucial need for protecting this property on the ba- sis of historical preservation of architectural styles, significant and prominent Toronto- nians, and the overall preservation of a unique and irreplaceable former independent Village municipality laden with history of the development of Canadian business and enterprise and local stories of social and professional success.

501 Vesta Drive History

The Early Years

The land now known as “501 Vesta Drive” within the municipality of the City of Toronto can be traced back to 1857. The land was originally owned by Samuel Peters Jarvis (1792-1857). Jarvis was a prominent Canadian government official, holding titles such as Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Upper Canada, and was a member of the Family Compact. After his death in 1857, the property was inherited by his daughter. The vacant land would be sold to two other individuals between 1860 and 1930, when it was purchased by the widow of Sir Frank Wilton Baillie.

Sir Frank Wilton Baillie & Lady Baillie

Sir Frank Wilton Baillie was a Toronto financier and industrialist. Educated in Toronto’s public school system, Baillie began his illustrious career in 1889 as a clerk with the Central Canada Loan and Savings Company. By 1896, Baillie became Central Canada’s Accountant, and Secretary two years later.

in 1901 Baillie would become managing director of the Dominion Securities Corporation, and the youngest man in Canadian history to run a chartered bank. Following this period, in 1903 Baillie would start his own firm, Baillie Brothers & Company, which operated on the Toronto Stock Exchange. In 1910 he founded the Canada Steel Company Limited (renamed Burlington Steel in 1914) and was responsible for the founding of the first steel-casting factory in Hamilton.

During the first World War, Baillie collaborated to set up the Cana- dian Cartridge Company Limited which would manufacture brass car- tridge cases for the British Government. A friend of Baillie’s, Joseph Wes- ley Flavelle was head of the Imperial Munitions Board. Flavelle persuaded Baillie to take a position with The Royal Flying Corps. Baillie became president of production company incorporated in 1917 known as Canadi- an Aeroplanes Limited. For his work in aviation for the war effort, Baillie was became the first ever Canadian citizen to receive a Knighthood of the Order of the British Empire, created to honour wartime service.

Lady Baillie, daughter of Aubrey White who was Ontario’s deputy minister of Lands, Forests, and Mines was an active proponent of philan- thropy in Toronto. Serving as President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and as a board member for the Home of Incurable Children in Toronto.

Sir Baillie died abruptly in 1921 as a result of a pulmonary em- bolism. He is remembered as a leader of the “second” industrial revolu- tion in Canadian history, and was one of the early 20th century’s most successful businessmen who helped to shape Canadian industrial life and reinvigorated Canada’s wartime economy.

The Home at 501 Vesta Drive

Nine years after the death of her husband, Lady Baillie would hire the services of prominent Canadian architect Douglas Kertland to design her new home at 501 Vesta Drive. Her direct neighbour to the south was Sir Joseph Ellsworth Flavelle, and across the road from him was Lady Mary Gooderham of Toronto’s Gooderham & Worts distillery. Directly to the west of Lady Baillie’s home lived Morden Neilson of the Neilson con- fectionary company. Lady Baillie, Sir Joseph Ellsworth Flavelle, and Mor- den Neilson all lived in homes designed by Douglas Kertland.

The Architect: Douglas Kertland

Douglas Edwin Kertland (1887-1982) was a Canadian Architect and Olympic bronze medalist who served as president of the Royal Archi- tectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). Kertland served in the first World War I the 126th battalion. Upon his return, he studied architecture. Initially working for John M. Lyle, designer of the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. Kertland established his own practice in 1926. In 1928 Kertland won a design competition, which led him to design the Art Deco styled Automotive Exhibition hall at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Kertland de- signed numerous homes throughout Forest Hill and Rosedale. Sadly, we have lost many historic and architecturally significant homes in the last two decades in Forest Hill.

Kertland would design the home at 501 Vesta drive for Lady Baillie in 1930.

The Architecture of 501 Vesta Drive

The home at 501 Vesta drive is a beautiful example of English do- mestic architecture with an emphasize on the Tudor style. Upon detailed examination of the exterior of the home, intricate brickwork (herringbone, and basket-weave styles) can be viewed on the chimney and south side of the home (currently covered by stucco). The home exemplifies Tudor architecture wonderfully, and 501 Vesta is a view into the prominent style that characterized the early development of the Village of Forest Hill. The exterior stone is from Credit Valley, ON. Also to be viewed is decorative

timber work (exposed wood framework coupled with elaborate brickwork and stucco details).

The Interior

The most crucial interior features of the home are virtually un- touched since its completion in 1930. Upon entering the home, you are greeted by the original Oak paneling and original marble flooring through- out the entryway, main foyer, and the spiral staircase leading to the sec- ond floor, as well as throughout the study.

Why should we protect this home?

This home is an untouched example of early Forest Hill architec- ture. It speaks to the character of the neighbourhood and is surrounded by mature trees of the same age of the home (Ninety years of age). It is important to protect our city’s heritage as a window into the past for fu- ture generations. As well, the new owners are not only purposing destruc- tion of a building, but the removal of large, healthy, mature trees. If ap- proved, this will set a dangerous precedent for Forest Hill.

Key Points for Justification of Designation

- Original Village home, irreplaceable. This home is true to the char-

acter of the village of Forest Hill.

- The prominent former owners (The Baillie Family). Sir and Lady

Baillie’s contributions to our city’s industrial and philanthropic

causes should be memorialized, as well as Sir Baillie’s tremendous

contributions to the war effort.

• - Douglas Kertland, truly skilled and historically important Toronto
  Architect. We should be celebrating our city’s historic local talent.

• - This home should set a precedent. The new owners are purposing to tear this historic property down and build two new dwellings on
  the same lot. This is done purely out of motivation for profit and shows absolutely no regard for heritage or beauty.
  We should not and can not allow the further destruction of our cities history. This home has an extremely important story to tell in terms of Canadian and Toronto history.