The value of heritage

Victoria city Coun. Pamela Madoff opposes the Anglican dioceses application for a demolition permit for the Cathedral School on Niagara Street.

image credit: Andrea Peacock/News staff

The Anglican Diocese of B.C. has applied for a demolition permit of a heritage building in Victoria, causing uproar in the James Bay community.

The St. James Mission of Christ Church Cathedral School, located at 520 Niagara St. is on the citys heritage registry, but it is not legally protected as a heritage site.

Bishop Logan McMenamie said the Anglican diocese would like the school to be taken off the heritage registry completely in order to increase its value. He said the city put the building on the registry without the dioceses permission.

We have a building thats not safe, McMenamie said. Its not seismically upgraded.

City Coun. Pamela Madoff said the diocese is eligible to apply for a grant to get seismic upgrades on the building but has not expressed interest.

Its not worth our value to spend the money on the building on Niagara to bring it up to seismic upgrades, McMenamie said. Wed like to use the money from there to seismically upgrade [The Cridge] Memorial Hall, which is a heritage building.

On Aug. 19, city staff conducted a heritage inspection on the building and concluded it was in sound condition.

The Anglican church initially submitted the application for the demolition of the school on Dec. 30, 2013. Despite this, McMenamie said the church does not want to see the building demolished.

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The value of heritage