A Six Pack of Wolves in Centretown (Wolf Shenkman’s Cluster Development of Apartments, 1929-35)

Wolf Shenkman. Source: Ottawa Jewish Archives.
Wolf Shenkman. Source: Ottawa Jewish Archives.

By the late 1920s, if you were to press an Ottawan to name a builder of apartments, there is a good chance they would name Wolf Shenkman. Shenkman arrived in Ottawa in 1904 and quickly began to buy and sell investment properties as well as construct homes. His first apartment building was completed in 1911.1Well, appears to be have been completed in 1911. The first instance of him being associated with apartment construction in the Contract Record is located in the April 5, 1911 edition. It is at the corner of Stewart and Cumberland in Sandy Hill, but have not verified this. See: “Residences,” Contract Record, Vol. 25, No. 14, p. 56.

Continue reading A Six Pack of Wolves in Centretown (Wolf Shenkman’s Cluster Development of Apartments, 1929-35)

Notes

Notes
1 Well, appears to be have been completed in 1911. The first instance of him being associated with apartment construction in the Contract Record is located in the April 5, 1911 edition. It is at the corner of Stewart and Cumberland in Sandy Hill, but have not verified this. See: “Residences,” Contract Record, Vol. 25, No. 14, p. 56.

Ottawa’s Apartments, 1945

The Queen Elizabeth Apartments (201 Metcalfe, at Lisgar) was constructed in 1939 for local dairyman Isidore Stone. Image: March 13, 2016.
The Queen Elizabeth Apartments (201 Metcalfe, at Lisgar) was constructed in 1939 for local dairyman Isidore Stone. Image: March 13, 2016.

If you’ve run into me lately, you were doubtlessly entreated to some words about apartment buildings in Ottawa. I can’t help it, the topic has been rolling around in my mind for a decade or so.

Continue reading Ottawa’s Apartments, 1945

Laurentian Terrace from Above

Laurentian Terrace as seen from above in 1944. Source: NAPL Flight A7193, Photo 33, September 16, 1944.
Laurentian Terrace as seen from above in 1944. Source: NAPL Flight A7193, Photo 33, September 16, 1944.

When I wrote last winter about Laurentian Terrace, the government’s residence for young unmarried women in the Civil Service, I was disappointed that I was unable to locate an aerial photograph from when it was still standing. Thankfully, that is no longer the case, and above it can be seen on a clear September day in the shadow of the former Dominion Printing Bureau.

A (Bel)grave Situation (Belgrave Terrace or the Franconna Apartments, 1925)

The home of John F. Hurdman, Belgrave Terrace, Franconna Apartments. Image: June 2015.
The home of Robert Hurdman, Belgrave Terrace, Franconna Apartments. Image: June 2015.

Centretown’s buildings have a number of stories to tell. Some of those stories are tragic, some are tales of faded business glory, and others still are tales of the night life that once kept Ottawa hopping. Still waters run deep, as the saying goes. As is the case with so many of the apartments that Centretowners call home, the Franconna Apartments began life as large single-family home. After playing host to a number of elites in its first twenty years, it was converted into an apartment (named Belgrave Terrace): a common fate that befell these homes once they hit a certain age. Backing on to Gladstone Avenue, the apartment was then threatened with the potential for demolition when the city sought to widen what was then a 30 foot side-street to a four-lane traffic corridor. While the rear annex bears the scars of the widening, that half of it still stands is a testament to the sorts of pressure faced by planners during the middle of the twentieth century.

Continue reading A (Bel)grave Situation (Belgrave Terrace or the Franconna Apartments, 1925)

“Thank-you for the coffee, Monsieur Dugas. I shall miss it when I leave Casablanca.”

The Casablanca Apartments at 1 Hamilton Avenue in Hintonburg. Image: October 2015.
The Casablanca Apartments at 1 Hamilton Avenue in Hintonburg. Image: October 2015.

As I have been somewhat distracted lately, my work on these stories has been even more slack than it was by the end of the summer. I have, nevertheless, been beavering away behind the scenes and will have a medium-length story about the Franconna Apartments on Frank street as well as a really long piece about the former Pestalozzi College. Until then, here’s a really quick one about the Casablanca Apartments at 1 Hamilton Avenue in Hintonburg.

Continue reading “Thank-you for the coffee, Monsieur Dugas. I shall miss it when I leave Casablanca.”

Laurentian Terrace: The Dominion’s Residence for Women in Ottawa

At the top-right, Laurentian Terrace. Home to countless female civil servants between 1943 and 1964. Image Source: Lost Ottawa [Facebook].
At the top-right, Laurentian Terrace. Home to countless female civil servants between 1943 and 1964. The round section is the cafeteria. The larger building to the left is the former Dominion Printing Bureau and if the image were taken today, the National Gallery is what you’d see. Image Source: Lost Ottawa [Facebook]. Colour correction, my own.
As Canada’s war effort continued through the early 1940s, the number of civil servants increased along with it. Many men were serving overseas and hundreds of young women were hired (after an initial lull) to work as stenographers and other junior administrators. When they arrived in the city from around the country (or left their parents’ Ottawa homes), they needed shelter.

Continue reading Laurentian Terrace: The Dominion’s Residence for Women in Ottawa

More of Maud’s Mortar

The Gilbert Apartments still stand, but not for long. Image: January 2015.
The Gilbert Apartments still stand, but not for long. Image: January 2015.

Back in 2013, when I began writing short histories for Ottawa Start, the second story that I had published was about the boarded up, derelict Gilbert Apartments at 293 Lisgar Street. Constructed by Miss Maud Thoburn, I wrote

Maud worked as a Departmental Inspector with the Post Office and was quite active in the community, her name frequently found in the social pages of both the Citizen and the Journal. It is unclear whether she later purchased the lot to construct the apartment, or if the property had remained in the family and she simply inherited it as the eldest daughter following the death of her parents. Nevertheless, she commissioned Werner Noffke to design a six unit apartment building on the lot that she would herself live in.

Maud occupied Apartment No. 4 in her building from its completion in 1939 until 1980, when she moved to 207 MacLaren. At 98 years, it [may have been] that climbing the stairs to her apartment became challenging and home with an elevator became necessary. She did not live there for long, however, she died the following year. Clearly, a woman who enjoyed a full life and although it’s not for much longer, one whose contribution to Ottawa’s urban fabric has remained with us.

Little has changed since I wrote that short story. The building remains standing in very much the same state. During a previous visit to LAC, I had some spare time and decided to take a look at the plans on microfiche. Remembering this story, “Job 994” stuck out in my mind. Although everything seems to be in order, it appears that the front elevation of the building was modified at some point to balance out the windows while adding one to the corner. I am not certain about when this happened1It’s worth noting that the building was originally designed with two floors. The third was added following the initial design.. The remaining elevations have remained unchanged, save for the removal of the fire escapes.

Notes

Notes
1 It’s worth noting that the building was originally designed with two floors. The third was added following the initial design.

White House Apartments, Redux

We return to the front entrance of the White House Apartments. Image: January 2015.

If you will remember, last year I wrote about some of the “excitement” that took place in the apartment building that I live in. Although I provided something of a nice overview of the events of the property, I was wholly unclear about how the specific building came to be. For an unrelated purpose, I paid a visit to the City of Ottawa Archives and once I was finished collecting what I was looking for1M.A. Seymour’s “Ottawa Land Enquiry” (1953)., I decided to explore the open stacks in the city’s beautiful facility at 100 Tallwood Drive.

Continue reading White House Apartments, Redux

Notes

Notes
1 M.A. Seymour’s “Ottawa Land Enquiry” (1953).

Sugarman & Diamond commission a Toast to Miss Harmon

The "Harman Apartments" serve as a tribute to the late Miss Harmon. Source: Christopher Ryan, December 2013.
The “Harman Apartments” serve as a (misspelled) tribute to the late Miss Harmon. Source: Christopher Ryan, December 2013.

About a year ago, when I wrote about the tragic experience of Ottawa’s Miss Harmon, I intended to continue and write about the subsequent development of this busy corner of Centretown. As it would turn out, the use of 171 MacLaren for educational purposes did not end with Miss Harmon’s suicide.

Continue reading Sugarman & Diamond commission a Toast to Miss Harmon

Raccoons in the Penthouse

Originally known as the Laurentian Towers, the Suites of Somerset has seen its share of action. Image: July 2014.

With the significant number of apartment towers that were constructed around Ottawa during the 1960s and 1970s, it would be easy to forget that for every two constructed, there is probably one that didn’t make it off the drawing board. In spite of a strong market for them, combined with an unprecedented level of institutional and governmental support, an announced project could – and often did – find itself cancelled after it was announced and a permit issued.

The Laurentian Towers, now known as the Suites of Somerset, almost didn’t make it. At some point previous to the passage of the new city-wide zoning in 1963, Phil Nesrallah and his brother (generally identified as the Nesrallah Bros, though the Journal did not identify him. I am uncertain about their relationship with the owners of the Nesrallah IGA nearby) successfully filed for a building permit to construct an apartment of 70 units and at a value of $510,000. During this period, when a developer filed for a building permit, it more often than not meant that they had already gone ahead and thoughtfully dug a hole and maybe even poured a little concrete.

For a lot with a building permit issued – especially in 1965 – it was awfully silent. Source: geoOttawa, 1965 Aerial Images.

This is not what happened, however. The building permit was issued and …nothing happened. No holes, no hardhats, no cranes, and no hammers. Nothing. By the end of 1966 (which was more than two years after the passage of the city’s new zoning bylaw), it was reported by the Journal’s Charles Lynch that they had deferred construction. It should be mentioned that because the MadDonald Manor received an extension that September, it was only fair that the fully private developers with outstanding buildings received the same treatment.

The following year, Nesrallah submitted a much larger plan for something of a mixed use complex – commercial, office, and of course, the apartment. This new plan was much more ambitious, not to mention potentially useful in a neighbourhood like Hintonburg. There was only one thing standing in the way: the city’s zoning bylaw. At first, the city’s Board of Control had rejected the proposal, in spite of Council’s approval.

Although this might appear to be setting up a narrative which pits the desires of a real estate developer against the city, that’s not where the battle took place. Interestingly, it was Nesrallah who appears to have become caught up in the centre of tensions between City Council and the Board of Control. Although it’s clear that Nesrallah wanted to see his new vision through, the fight moved beyond and erupted into a war of words between Council and the Board of Control.

As what exists today is substantially what had been proposed after 1967, it appears that City Council was the ultimate victor (the Board of Control met its end 10 years later). Following the back-and-forth, Nesrallah submitted another – slightly amended proposal – at the end of 1969 and the complex was constructed and open for business by early 1972. The apartment was operated as an apartment-hotel, which was a popular measure at the time to capture more of the market while conveniently not being subject to the same regulatory machinery of the rental housing market. He additionally constructed a small 5,000 square foot commercial building adjacent and reserved the top floor for offices.

It looms over Hintonburg today. Perhaps Cyril Sneer looks over the city, searching for ways to earn a little coin. Now that the W.C. and D. Kemp Edwards’ yards aren’t nearby, he’ll have to think outside the lumbering box. Image: July 2014.

Normally, this is where I’d introduce the architect and wrap it all up. I didn’t actually locate a citation and the events that took place in the penthouse offices are so much more interesting.

Update: It’s a Woolfson. Most of the time when it was constructed during the 1950s-1970s and I don’t know who designed it, Woolfson is a good guess. 

Some of the events were notable, but mundane, some were exciting and creative, and some were downright scandalous. I’ll get the mundane out of the way first: the offices of the eighteenth floor were used through 1974-75 to conduct the Marin Commission, which investigated public complaints into the RCMP.

The Commission of Inquiry Relating to Public Complaints, Internal Discipline and Grievance Procedure within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Just rolls off the tongue. Source: PCO/Archived Commissions of Inquiry.

Once the Marin Commission was done with the space, the office penthouse played host to a much different client. Ottawa had long been home to a rather healthy animation industry. One of the largest and most successful at the time was Atkinson Film Arts, which had just finished of the acclaimed Little Brown Burro, a Christmas movie, in 1977.

While it hasn’t become a Christmas classic on the same plane as Frosty or the Grinch, it certainly was a capital point of pride during the late 1970s. Source: Ottawa Journal, December 13, 1977.

The company was flying high and by 1979, they became the penthouse’s tenant. From that room with a view atop the Hintonburg skyline, Atkinson’s legion of animators brought the first season of The Raccoons to life, the B-17 scene of Ivan Reitman’s Heavy Metal, and a number of other Canadian favourites. Atkinson’s star appeared to soar rather quickly, but a number of poor decisions made in the early 1980s would prove fatal to the venture by the end of the decade.

Hard at work atop Hintonburg. Source: Ottawa Journal, April 21, 1979

As Atkinson experienced its decline and fall, ownership of the Laurentian Towers was set for a change. Phil Nesrallah, looking to change gears, sold the building to Thomas Assaly Jr, son of Thomas Sr., who was head of the second-largest construction firm in the city. Thomas Jr., looking to follow in his father’s footsteps and get into the real estate and development business himself, engaged in a highly-leveraged purchase of the building in the summer of 1986. He wasn’t really alone in the tactic and it would be an understatement to say that many of Ottawa’s successful developers at the time found such tenuous leaps into the real estate market (both at home and abroad) attractive at the time.

Unlike his father, Assaly Jr. was something of a loose cannon. Just as it had become increasingly difficult for him to afford the mortgage payments on the complex, his decisions became increasingly irrational and erratic.

In 1987, reports had been made public that the 29 year old Assaly was alleged to have pulled a gun on Robert McLeod, Philip Nesrallah’s mortgage broker, who had met with him to levy a $50,000 penalty for non-payment on what was Assaly Jr’s fourth mortgage on the property. It was the act that may have been a breaking point: in addition to the realization that real estate success was not going to come easily (he was involved in a bit of a controversy over an apartment in Lowertown on Clarence at the same time), he had to face his brother’s death from muscular dystrophy that same season.

In April, the Citizen reported:

Lawyers for Thomas Assaly Jr . were back in court Wednesday to fight off a foreclosure attempt on the Laurentian Apartment Hotel where Assaly allegedly pointed a gun at a mortgage broker last week.

Assaly, 29, is charged with extortion and pointing a gun at the head of Robert McLeod while forcing him to sign a document absolving Assaly of a $50,000 mortgage penalty.

The Laurentian foreclosure application was filed by Philip Nesrallah and other members of his family who want the 17-storey building on Bayswater Avenue returned to them for non-payment of mortgage payments.

William Neville, representing the Nesrallahs, told an Ontario Supreme Court hearing that Assaly was $40,000 in arrears on a $1-million third mortgage and $30,000 in default on a $317,000 fourth mortgage held by the Nesrallahs.

In addition, Neville said, Assaly was $60,000 in arrears on the building’s municipal taxes and $100,000 in arrears on a $3-million first mortgage that was due to be paid off on Wednesday.

The first mortgage and a second mortgage for an unknown amount are held by commercial lenders.

Neville said the Nesrallahs wanted possession of the building to protect their equity until it could be resold and the financial ramifications of the sale to Assaly sorted out.

Richard Bosada, acting for Assaly, said returning the building to the Nesrallahs was not necessary as Assaly, with consent of the first mortgagee, had placed the building in the hands of a receiver on Tuesday.

Bosada said Assaly was not opposed to the receiver overseeing the sale of the building. Neville said the Nesrallahs want the sale monitored by a court appointed official.

The hearing was adjourned until today to allow both sides time to work out a mutually acceptable out-of-court agreement.

The Nesrallah petition was filed before last week’s alleged incident at the apartment hotel, where Assaly has an office.

The apartment hotel was built by the Nesrallahs in the early 1970s and sold to Assaly in June for between $6 and $8 million, a figure that reportedly is also in dispute.

Source: Ottawa Citizen, April 2, 1987, B3 (Dennis Foley)

By the mid-1990s, his “roaring twenties” had come to an end and he had settled down at the helm of Les Suites Hotel.

Some of the stories from the top floor would mirror somewhat what was happening on the lower floors. General malaise, violence, drug deals, and the occasional shooting, the Laurentian Towers came to develop a reputation that was at the least self-defeating when it comes to maximizing the return on investment. A change of ownership in the early 1990s did little to improve things in the short-term. Nevertheless, as the years progressed, the Laurentian Towers (renamed the Suites of Somerset by 1992) has cleaned up and quieted down. Really, sort of a reflection of what has become of Hintonburg altogether.