CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
After 88 years, the iconic Shakespearean Gardens located beside the Perth County courthouse will be formally recognized for its historical significance to the Festival City.
At the Dec. 16 Stratford city council meeting, council issued an intent to designate the site and certain key features of the garden as a heritage site nearly a year after receiving a request to do so.
“It's one of my favourite things that we are looking at doing for Stratford,” Coun. Larry McCabe said at the meeting, just prior to voting on the motion. “The Shakespearean Gardens has been an important place for people to gather for as long as I've lived here, and I'm happy to see that we're preserving it.”
Over a year ago, the Friends of the Shakespearean Gardens made a formal request for heritage designation, which Heritage Stratford, an advisory committee that assists council on all matters related to heritage conservation, supported.
As noted in the report and presented to council by city planner Alex Burnett, the garden has a long history that stretches back to before it was even a garden.
The garden was previously the site of the Dufton Woollen Mill, the chimney of which is the only mill feature that survived an early 20th century fire and still stands today. Thomas Orr, a community leader, had previously wanted to create a Shakespeare garden downtown and when the empty lands were put up for sale, he petitioned the council of the day to purchase the land.
The city acquired the land in 1925 and opened the garden in 1936. Due to the Great Depression that same decade, the project took longer than previously thought.
The garden was officially opened by then Governor General of Canada Lord Tweedsmuir.
A Shakespeare garden, a garden that specifically cultivates some of the plants mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare, is common globally; however, in Canada there are only a few public gardens known. As such, the garden in Stratford, which has grown over 60 species of plants mentioned in the Bard’s plays, attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The garden’s relevance only compounded with the Stratford Festival’s opening in 1953. Its influence is so entrenched that the chimney tower that still looms over the garden is featured on the city’s official logo.
Cultural-heritage landscapes are defined in the provincial planning statement as an area that has cultural-heritage value or interest by a community. The area may include features such as buildings, structures, spaces, views, archaeological sites, or natural elements that are valued together for their interrelationship, meaning or association.
Specifically, council identified the chimney tower, the original stone walls throughout the garden, the lychgate located on Huron Street, the knot garden, the herb garden, the rose garden, the perennial border garden, the walkway lamp lighting, the sundial and the bust of William Shakespeare as the key features to be preserved under heritage designation.
Issuing an intent to designate is the third step in a seven-step process. Once the bylaw is passed, there are appeals, listing the property on the municipal register and finally including the property on the Ontario Heritage Trust register.
Once designated heritage, a plaque will be installed at the garden.
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