Description of Historic Place

The Workshop is set amongst a group of buildings located on St. Mary’s Island, which is bisected by the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. The two-storey, stone building has a gable roof, exterior walls of sandstone, regularly placed windows and doors, and minimal detailing. A one-storey gable roofed extension abuts the main building. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Workshop is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Workshop is associated with the construction and operation of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal, which illustrates the theme of the development of the Canada’s transportation network during the late 19th century. The first ship passed through the locks at the Sault in September 1895, and most of the canal buildings were completed by 1896. The complex of buildings illustrates the crucial years when Sault Ste. Marie was transformed from a small community into a modern industrial centre.

Architectural Value
Valued for its good aesthetics, the Workshop exhibits a classical sense of proportion and symmetry. The unornamented appearance and very good functional interior arrangement reflects the utilitarian purpose of the building. Good craftsmanship and materials is seen in the exterior masonry and in the decorative bargeboard.

Environmental Value
The Workshop maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, reinforces the historic character of its canal-side setting at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada, and is a familiar local landmark.

Sources: Sally Coutts, Sault Ste. Marie Canal Buildings, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report 85-007; Canal Buildings: Workshop, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 85-007.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Workshop should be respected.

Its good aesthetic, very good functional design and good quality craftsmanship and materials, for example: the two-storey massing, the adjoining one storey addition, and the gable roof with chimneys; the exterior walls of random coursed red sandstone; the symmetrical placement of the evenly spaced, segmentally arched windows and doors; the decorative bargeboard trim; the interior configuration.

The manner in which the Workshop maintains an unchanged relationship to its site, reinforces the historic character of its canal-side setting within the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada and is a familiar local landmark, as evidenced by: its ongoing relationship to its simple, open site overlooking the canal; its overall scale, design and materials, which harmonize with the other buildings in the lock complex and its canal side setting; its visibility due to its prominent location adjacent to the canal that is used for recreational purposes, which makes it a local landmark.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Office Building was built in 1895-96 by J. and R. Miller, contractors from Ingersoll, Ontario to designs prepared by the Department of Railways and Canals signed by J.B. Spence, chief Draftsman. It was Recognized because of its very good aesthetic design, its very good craftsmanship and its reinforcing influence on the present character of the area.

Historical Associations
Since the days of the fur trade, Canada's transportation system has operated on an east-west axis. The St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes provided Canada's original 'highway' stretching from the Atlantic into the heart of the continent. Later, canals and railroads were built to improve communication and travel but the basic east-west axis was maintained. The development of the transportation network across the country is one of the dominant themes of Canadian history. Construction of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal did not begin until 1889. The first ship passed through the locks at the Sault in September 1895, and most of the canal buildings were completed by 1896. The complex of buildings illustrates the crucial years when Sault Ste. Marie was transformed from a small community into a modern industrial centre.

Architecture
The Workshop is a red sandstone building that exhibits a classical sense of proportion and symmetry. The main portion of the building is a two storey, gable roofed structure and there is a small one storey gable roofed structure abutting it. The sandstone used for construction was quarried from the canal excavation and laid in random courses. Unlike the other stone buildings on the site, the building is not trimmed in limestone, perhaps because of its utilitarian function. The south facade of the structure features evenly spaced, segmental arch windows and double doors on both stories. The east facade of both the two storey and the one storey structure are also symmetrical. The building has not been altered since construction and maintains its original utilitarian appearance and function.

Environment
The integrity of the relationship between the complex of buildings at the Sault St.e Marie Canal and its associated landscape has remained virtually unchanged since the buildings were constructed. Located on St. Mary's Island, which the canal bisects, they are set apart from the town of Sault Ste. Marie. The landscaping and beautification of the site have always been a prime concern and, because of this, the canal grounds have long been a favoured public part for the inhabitants of Sault Ste. Marie. The present use of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal for recreational purposes contributes tot he character of the shore line across the bay, just as its former use as a busy commercial canal complemented use of the shore as a centre of transportation.