Does a Wrecking Ball Loom Over Duncan’s Landmark City Hall?
Can you even imagine downtown Duncan without its iconic City Hall?
It’s been there, originally as the federal building and post office, for more than a century. Its image of clock and bell tower has been used as a marketing logo for Duncan for years.
City Hall is downtown Duncan.
So what would make anyone even consider tearing it down? The answer to that, alas, is a very big and real concern: earthquakes.
All construction today has to take into account the fact that we live on a seismic fault line and experts have been predicting “The Big One” for decades. Worse, for City Hall, Duncan sits on a mixed soil base that would be subject to “liquefaction” during a major earth tremor. This would compound the stress exerted on the building by the initial quake and succeeding aftershocks.
Older brick structures such as City Hall alas, are at the greatest risk of failure in such a catastrophic event.
It’s a threat that can be relieved by retro-installing reinforcement in the form of, for one, steel beams. This is not only very expensive (the engineers’ report alone cost $65,000), it’s highly intrusive. When applied to a formally designated heritage building, the result, while meant to be effective as a protection against earthquake, can significantly alter, even disfigure, a building that’s being saved for, among other considerations, its aesthetic values.
There’s a practical alternative to the above, what’s termed the base-isolation method. This, reports the Cowichan Valley Citizen, requires separating the building from its existing foundations and “non-linear bearings” so as to allow the building to more or less ride out a seismic upheaval.
This “flotation” (my terminology—Ed.) alternative costs significantly more than just reinforcing a structure against an earthquake and not all buildings are suitable candidates for such major surgery.
In the case of City Hall, however, there’s the significant heritage factor to be considered.
Firstly, the standard seismic-proofing treatment, estimated to cost $4 million, threatens the building’s integrity; it’s sort of a case of the cure being worse than the ailment.
But it’s worse than that—it’s a one-shot band-aid.
According to Rachel Hastings, the City’s manager of building and bylaw services, it simply keeps the building standing during an event and allows the occupants to evacuate safely—but the building “will not be usable after a code-level earthquake”.
The total estimate of costs which include other upgrades and a new roof bring the total to a whopping $10 million. Most of this, even with federal and provincial assistance, will have to be borne by Duncan taxpayers who’ve just begun to pay for policing for the first time in decades.
Building a new City Hall on another site (another challenge in itself) would cost between $2-8 million according to Hastings.
In short, Duncan taxpayers are damned if they do and damned if they don’t; they’re going to have to choose between the band-aid approach, the more expensive but more effective base-isolation method which adds $1 million to the budget but protects City Hall’s heritage values or:
Build a new City Hall and, likely, demolish their 1913 landmark.
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Said to be of “typical Department of Public Works design” of that era, the former post office/federal building is all the more priceless, heritage-wise, as Nanaimo and Port Alberni demolished theirs.
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Duncan’s third city hall occupies what had been the city’s fifth post office until 1974. (The former City/Fire Hall is still at the southwest corner of Canada Avenue and Ingram Street.)
Formally called the Duncan Public Building because it housed other government offices, it’s almost as old as the city itself and occupies the corner lot originally occupied by a house owned by Duncans Emporium proprietor Harry Smith. He’s remembered for sparking the copper mining boom on Mount Sicker and for later founding the Cowichan Leader.
In 1913, Dominion Chief Architect D. Ewart advised F.H. Shepherd, MP for Nanaimo, that his department was awaiting a response from post office officials to a sketch plan by a Victoria architect for a proposed Dominion Post Office and “Indian Building” [sic] to be constructed at the corner of Kenneth and Craig streets for a projected cost of $50,000.
According to Heritage British Columbia, the final design by Dominion Government architect William Henderson was “typical [of] Public Works design” in that it was meant to “make a statement of order and dependability in this farthest western reach of the dominion”.
With its “handsome facades of red brick surmounted by a slate roof and a balanced series of dormer windows, the two facades led the eye to the centrally placed entrance where the building’s dominant feature, a 75-foot clock tower, provided a strong vertical element that emphasized the building’s corner location. The tower, with its steeply pitched hipped roof and clock dials oriented to the four cardinal directions, fixed the visual centre of the town from a great distance.
“A bell, weighing over a quarter of a ton...was installed to mark the orderly passage of time, adding a dignified, authoritative voice to the new landmark.”
(This was in marked contrast to its 1958 successor, today’s post office on Ingram Street, which HBC described as “a low, horizontal structure in the modern idiom of civil architecture...a no-nonsense, practical building [that] exuded none of the authority and dignity of the older structure...”)
“Stone work has already been commenced on the new Post Office Block at the corner of Craig and Kenneth streets,” the Cowichan Leader reported in September 1913. Construction of the three-storey building, designed in commercial Italianate style with a 23-metre-high bell tower, was completed the following July. The 400-kilogram bell [one early account rates it as 560 pounds], was cast by John Taylor and Co., Loughborough, England.
“The clock mechanism, the work of J. Smith and Son’s Midland Clock Co., Derby [the makers of post office clocks throughout Canada, London’s Big Ben and the clock in St. Paul’s Cathedral], arrived in pieces so “clearly labelled that a boy would have been able to supervise their assemblage,” it was recalled in 1936.
Easy to assemble, maybe, but there was a slight problem, the clock’s four dials, supposed to be six feet, two inches in diameter, actually measuring only five feet, four inches. With the First World War just five months old, rather than return them to the manufacturer, the clock’s faces were restyled to make the smaller apparatus appear to be as intended.
It had required the efforts of 10 men with blocks and tackle to hoist the bell into position (it’s said that the staircase nearly collapsed under their collective weight). It rang out for the first time at its dedication on New Year’s Eve, 1914.
Five minutes before midnight, Mrs. W.H. Hayward, wife of the local Member of Parliament, “cut the ribbon holding the pendulum. As the bell boomed out the advent of 1915, Mrs. Smythe, wife of O.T. Smythe [then mayor], threw into [its] capacious maw...a glass of champagne.”
Amazingly, its ticking, for all its size, was no louder than that of a household grandfather clock!
Through the 1920s, the clock was illuminated by electric lights all night long; but to save electricity during the Great Depression, a timing device was installed to turn them off at midnight. Over the decades of continuous use, the City Hall clock has performed well other than requiring repeated ‘tuning’ during its first year of operation. Over the next 15 years the only malfunction was when snow froze on the northern face, preventing the hands from advancing.
City hall workers came to recognize its ability to double as a barometer, a change in weather being predicted by the hands being a minute too soon or behind correct time. “This theory has proved itself consistently,” they declared.
For years, A.B. Whittaker wound the clock weekly by raising two sets of heavy weights with the aid of a large crank. In 1924 the flooring of the “sounding room” was renovated so that the bell could be heard more clearly through the louvres. Duncan’s bell and that of the Port Alberni post office were of the same design and similar to that installed in the Nanaimo post office.
The fact that both its contemporaries in Nanaimo and Alberni have been demolished adds to the heritage value of Duncan City Hall.
Built by J. Smith and Sons, Midland Clockworks, Derby, the eight-day clock which is now wound every Thursday has suffered few failures, once in the 1950s and again in 1991. A thorough overhaul by jeweller George Stenmark in 1970 had required the application of gallons of solvent to remove 40 years of dirt and grim before he could readjust and synchronize the hands.
At that time it was estimated that the venerable clock’s gears had been in operation for 500,000 hours!
A large and heavy crank handle has to be turned for approximately six minutes to raise the huge cast-iron weight that drives the pendulum in the main body of the timepiece which is suspended on a cable that extends from behind the mayor’s chair. When the cable ran all the way to the main floor or the basement the clock ran for eight days between winding which now occurs every Thursday.
If I missed winding the clock on Thursday morning,” Al Hudson, electrician for the City of Duncan Works Department whose duties for many years included being ‘Keeper of the Clock,’ told newspaper publisher Andy Biggs, “the clock would stop at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning and there would be quite a few phone calls from residents complaining about the fact. So I’m pretty careful to keep everything on schedule.”
Hudson described the clock as “a very precise and tricky piece of machinery, but basically it is of relatively simple construction. The main works are encased in glass and the only bother we have is to clear away the flies which gather on the warm casing in cold weather.”
Years before, puzzled that the clock was losing a few minutes a day, he’d sat for hours, watching the works’ movements. He finally noticed that one of the hands was lightly rubbing against the clock face: “The fractional rub of that one hand on the face affected the entire sequence of the movement,” he recalled in awe.
Visitors were once welcome to see the clock close-up but were warned by Hudson not to expect an elevator ride to the top of the tower or even an ascent by an ordinary flight of stairs. Rather, they had to climb two narrow ladders in a very confined space. For those who suffered from claustrophobia or who didn’t like the idea of climbing ladders, Hudson’s advice was to “just admire our City Hall clock from street level”.
In 1958 postal operations were moved to the present location on Ingram Street.
In 1963, the metal spire on top of the steeple had to be removed because it had become unsafe. Ten years later, during a $360,000 renovation, contractor Warren Savage followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both of whom, as proprietors of Cowichan Joinery Ltd., had worked on the building during its 60-year career. As “clerk of the works,” his grandfather, Henry Savage, had supervised the original construction.
Warren who’d been hired to act as construction manager, the same position held by his grandfather, for the renovations, said he couldn’t “comment on the actual construction of the building, but when my mother told me my grandfather was clerk of the works, I was kind of thrilled about the whole thing.”
As a young tradesman he’d helped his father install custom-made furniture and fittings in the building after the Second World War.
He noted that the post office shared the honour of being Duncan’s tallest and most visible structure with the Cowichan Merchants’ and Whittome (Oddfellows) buildings. In view of the current matter of seismic upgrading, it’s interesting to note his opinion in 1963 as to the value of renovating such an old building. He agreed with “saving what we have, so long as it is in good condition.
“That building has a lot of character and its appearance will only get more valuable as time goes by.”
When the post office moved to Ingram Street in 1958, Canada Manpower occupied the old building for years. Upon that agency’s moving to the Duncan Financial Centre, the post office sat vacant because its “aged plumbing and wiring and less than modern layout...offered little attraction to potential tenants and demolition seemed certain.
Duncan’s former City/Fire Hall before a recent renovation.
Duncan Council leased for use as Duncan city hall in 1974 after city residents approved a referendum authorizing the expenditure of $385,000 to convert the building. The late Victoria architect Peter Cotton who’d gained experience with heritage projects in Victoria, oversaw the work. Renovations included the renewal of some interior walls, new wiring, plumbing and the installation of an elevator.
The exterior of the building was given a face-lift and the clock was serviced.
Inevitably, there were unforeseen difficulties that required a further expense of $150,000, but the work of creating offices on the main floor and council chambers upstairs with a seating capacity for 100, proceeded. When the old federal building was formally opened as City Hall on Dec. 6, 1975. the project to “reprieve from the wrecking ball...one of the oldest and certainly the most impressive buildings in the city,” was successfully concluded.
“An imaginatively designed” fountain on Craig Street, today’s Town Hall Square, has since been removed.
The City of Duncan bought the building from the federal government in 1980 and, a year later, City Council approved giving the 66-year-old structure official status as a heritage building.
After 76 years’ faithful service, the clock stopped because of worn-out parts that were by then hard to replace. It has since been repaired and continues to give good service.
The city also had to spend $100,000 to repair the structure’s gutters and sandstone ledges in 2001. While they were at it, workmen stripped the main doors to their natural oak finish. Since 2007, The Cowichan Valley Museum has had its Archives on the top floor–three stories up from the basement where the Cowichan Historical Society had temporary quarters before taking up residence in the neighbouring E&N railway station.
From the Cowichan Leader of Dec. 31, 1914:
Our “Big Ben”
Post Office Clock Rings in 1915
The New Year will be ushered in by one of the newest comers to Duncan, for “Big Ben” will at midnight on Thursday peal forth the hour. That his voice will be heard goes without saying for the bell in the new Dominion clock tower weighs over 800 lbs. Every quarter of an hour through the long years ahead Duncan’s “Big Ben” will henceforth do his duty.
There is to be an interesting ceremony in connection with the New Year for Mrs. W.H. Hayward has kindly consented to start the clock shortly before midnight. She will cut a ribbon and thus release the pendulum and will then give the clock its name.
The diameter of the four clock faces in the tower is 5 feet 4 inches, and thus the time will be easily ascertainable by Cowichan residents for some distance around. The clock itself was made by John Smith & Sons, Derby, England and has been installed by Mr. J.W. Warltire.
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Already the opinions are coming in from Duncan citizens and from those who live elsewhere in the Valley. Two letters to the editor in last week’s Citizen give opposing views:
Paul Benson, Duncan: “If this was a hospital, I could see a seismic upgrade but this is a town hall, people. This is where some people get together for 60 hours a week (maybe?) to gamble your money away.
“Some municipalities have their town halls in church basements. And let’s not kid ourselves, the ‘big one’ would flatten everything, including the silver bridges.
“So like most homeowners, the town should roll the dice on this one; if not, council will have spent money on the nonessentials instead of the priorities.”
Longtime Cowichan Leader reporter Peter W. Rusland disagrees: “I fully support council’s cogent plan to seek senior government grants toward a $10-million seismic upgrade [Peter is including all reno costs—Ed.] on our landmark, heritage city hall building...
“Though I live in North Cowichan, Duncan’s 1913 city hall’s seen by all Cowichanians as sitting at the centre of our valley.
“Furthermore, it is one of the few remaining heritage and historical buildings in Duncan and indeed across Cowichan. Too much local heritage—including Duncan’s unique Chinatown—has sadly been lost already.
“In short, a city hall seismic upgrade would be money well spent for safety, heritage and insurance reasons.
“Some may argue an earthquake make never happen and if it does, the whole upgraded city hall building could be swallowed or crumble.
“That argument is academic, though seismic experts predict a ‘big one’ will happen sometime.
“I certainly do not support demolishing our beloved city hall...”
Citizen reporter and columnist Robert Barron (who lives in Nanaimo, it should be noted) writes: “...It was a good decision to preserve the structure [in 1974] and it is now probably the most recognized building in the region. [I would say the Old Stone/Butter Church but I’m nitpicking—Ed.]
He believes it’s “well worth the cost to upgrade and protect that building which has become an integral part of the character of downtown Duncan.
“And considering that the city could have easier access to grant money for the project if the purpose is to preserve a heritage building like City Hall, it also makes economic sense.”
Finally, from the Chronicles’ Facebook page these comments:
Linda: “Duncan needs to PRESERVE this LANDMARK AND BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE!!!”
Binda: I agree, my fave building, used to go there once a week to sign in for a job with Canada Safeway when it was ready to open a year later, was hired & worked for them for many years...loved it & Safeway will always be my favourite store!!!
Jacqueline: “This is a very historic building in Duncan. It has been looked after for many years and to demolish or change it for any reason is wrong! I remember when it was our Post Office and it became a friendly place for everyone to meet! Earthquakes are not a reason for keeping it safer, just an excuse to tear it down at the expense of local taxpayers!!”
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The City of Duncan will pursue every financial assistance from senior levels of government but a solution to saving the existing structure or building a new City Hall is going to take some time and be a costly exercise. With such a small population (just over 5000) city taxpayers are facing a major new expense no matter which way, short of doing nothing, they choose to go.
The fact remains, Duncan without its 1913 icon would never be the same.
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