Thank you to Mandy Hambly for sharing these beautiful photos of the Bradley-Craig Farm on Hazeldean Road. The sunset photos were taken on October 26, and the photo of the barn reflected in water is from earlier in the month.
The old barn continues to stand majestically along Hazeldean Road, in stark contrast to the bland big box stores across the street. Here’s a quick update on the status of the farm.
- In January, 2016, City Council approved the dismantling and relocation of the red barn to Saunders Farm in Munster. The farmhouse will stay where it is and will be adapted for commercial use.
- Both the brick house and the barn are designated heritage buildings under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The barn will keep this designation until it is moved; the house will maintain this designation indefinitely.
- The barn’s current owner, Richcraft Homes, has until the end of January 2018 to complete the move. If they don’t move it before the deadline, they lose their permit to relocate it. (If they still want to move it, they’d have to re-start the application process from scratch.)
- As part of the agreement with the City, Richcraft has to submit a plan for approval, outlining how they plan to move the barn to ensure it won’t be damaged and that its heritage elements are protected. As far as we know, that plan has not yet been submitted. The clock is ticking — it seems very unlikely that there’s time left to submit a plan, get it approved, take apart the barn, and rebuild it at Saunders Farm before the end of January 2018.
- The house and barn are on a City of Ottawa “watch list” for heritage buildings at risk called the “Vacant and Boarded-up Designated Heritage Buildings”. That list is being monitored by a group called the Heritage Matters Task Force, chaired by Mayor Jim Watson and made up of senior city staff and stakeholders. (Boyd House at 173 Huntmar is also on the watch list.)
- City staff proactively assesses heritage buildings on the list to identify possible cases of “demolition by neglect”, and to ensure that owners are complying with property standards bylaws.
- Residents can also report any concerns about the condition of heritage buildings, including Bradley-Craig farm, by calling 311.
So, long story short: Not much to report. But stay tuned…