The owners of a home in west Galt are seeking a heritage designation from the city to preserve the building's unique architecture, believed to have been constructed in the style of the Gore Mutual building on Dundas Street.
Built for William Andrew Osbourne in 1936, 119 Blair Road "is a beautiful example of the Georgian Revival style with its symmetrical front bay design and double ended chimneys, writes senior heritage planner Laura Waldie in her report to the city's heritage advisory committee next week.
Osborne was a prominent engineer who became president of Babcock and Wilcox, served as an instructor at the School of Aeronautics in Toronto and was inducted into the University of Toronto’s Engineering Alumni’s list of distinguished engineers in 1985.
Over the course of his career he served the community as president of the Galt Board of Education, and president of the University of Toronto Alumni Association in 1949. He was also the university governor on the board of the Toronto General Hospital, according to the UofT's alumni website.
If the city's heritage advisory committee forwards the recommended designation to council, the city will pay for the installation of a heritage landmark plaque if the owner desires one, at a cost of approximately $500.
The city also pays the $75 fee to register the designation bylaw on title to the property.
The property owner will also be able to apply for a Designated Heritage Property Grant to help with the costs of maintaining the heritage attributes of the property.
