Committee recommends Leacock House keeps historical designation

The Leacock House at 442 Scotia Street in Winnipeg, pictured here in the 1920s, was built in 1882 by Edward Philip Leacock. (Source: Marymound/Historical Buildings and Resources Committee report)

A city committee is recommending a historic home in Winnipeg's West Kildonan neighbourhood built more than 140 years ago remain as a historical designation and avoid demolition.

The Leacock House at 442 Scotia Street was built in 1882 by Edward Philip Leacock. The building has been a part of the city's list of historical designations since 2012, protecting it from demolition.

However, youth and family social service organization Marymound, which currently owns the house, had submitted a request to remove Leacock House from the city's list. Marymound was attempting to repurpose and rehabilitate the building, but estimates came in over-budget, and supply chain issues caused cost projections to escalate by more than 20 per cent.

The request for removal says Leacock House has remained vacant and in desperate need of repair.

"With no compatible use envisioned for the foreseeable future, Marymound does not have the funds to adequately repair and maintain the resource and its deterioration is expected to continue," the request reads.

"After years of analysis at Marymound’s expense… the not-for-profit organization has come to the unfortunate conclusion that they need make application for delisting and ultimate demolition of the Historical Resource at 442 Scotia Street."

However, the city's Historical Buildings and Resources Committee pointed out it was making a recommendation based on heritage values alone, not economic viability.

"That is not this committee's responsibility," said Coun. John Orlikow, chair of the committee. "This is really deciding, ‘does this building warrant on a historical perspective to be delisted or not?’"

The committee voted unanimously to recommend the city deny the application to remove Leacock House from the list of historical designations. The matter now goes on to the Standing Policy on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development Committee. 

-with files from CTV's Kimberly Wertman