St. Paul's Petition

The Milton Historical Society has started a Petition to Prevent the Demolition of the Historical St. Paul's United Church Sanctuary located at 123 Main Street, Milton.

In 1977 our society was formed to help preserve the Halton County Court House and Jail, which had been abandoned after being so much a part of the town and county for well over a century. Today this grand architectural stone building located in Victoria Park is part of our Historic Character Area and our present Town Hall!

You can support our efforts by signing this petition, which is now circulating through various concerned citizens and members of our Society. It will be presented to Milton Council at a later date in the process.

You can participate in this process by:

Downloading, printing and signing the PETITION HERE, along with all your associates, and returning it to the Milton Historical Society.

Sending us an e-mail, fax or letter with the "Text of the Petition" or an "Agreement to the Text of the MHS 2009 Petition", which we will the submit with our documents.

	E-mail: sanctuarypetition@gmail.com
	Fax: 905-878-8775
	Mail: MHS, 16 James Street, Milton ON L9T 2P4

Signing the petition at one of these convenient locations in the community:

	Dundeewealth: 142 Martin Street
	Fitzgerald Insurance Div. of Spriggs: 216 Main Street
	Brookville Veterinary Clinic: 11280 Guelph Line
	Milton Historical Society (Waldie Blacksmith Shop): 16 James Street

The "Petition" reads as follows:

A Petition to Prevent the Demolition of the Historical St. Paul's United Church Sanctuary

To: Mayor Krantz, Milton Town Councillors and Heritage Milton
From: Milton Historical Society and Concerned Citizens

The congregation of St. Paul's United Church has given approval to pursue a proposal that would see the demolition of the 1890 Sanctuary building in favour of an 80 unit retirement residence and smaller church facility.

St. Paul's United Church Sanctuary is a signature architectural, cultural, historical and social landmark on Milton's Main Street. The building is one of the hallmark physical structures in Milton's Character Area and serves the local community well beyond its congregation.

The undersigned:

Are opposed to the demolition of the 1890 Sanctuary building.

Request that St. Paul's United Church be designated as a heritage building ensuring that its heritage features are protected.

Update of June 2010 by Nancy Cuttle:

The St. Paul’s Church Council has been actively pursuing development options to address ongoing structural issues and the future needs of their congregation. These options include the demolition of the historic 1890 sanctuary building to make way for a smaller church and an 80 unit life-lease residence now requiring a nine storey building. The Church Council announced on June 6, 2010 that it will proceed with a request for a demolition permit to remove all structures from the property.

Milton Historical Society, St. Paul’s Save the Sanctuary Committee and Heritage Milton have officially requested that Town Council designate the Sanctuary under the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act. Designation would protect this historically significant structure. Last August, Town Council directed Town Planning staff to work with the Church representative to develop a conceptual scheme that would address the needs of the congregation and preserve the Sanctuary. With the June 6, announcement by Church Council it is obvious that a concept was unworkable.

In the Spring of 2009, Preserving Milton’s Heritage committee was formed by a group of concerned citizens to work together to find common ground in our efforts to protect and preserve our Town’s heritage. Saving St. Paul’s Sanctuary was the catalyst and first priority but our intention is to continue to address the larger issue. The committee brought together three groups: representatives from Milton Historical Society, St. Paul’s Save the Sanctuary committee and Neighbours of St Paul’s who want to preserve the historic character of their neighborhood and the downtown. The committee is chaired by Nancy Cuttle and MHS is well represented.

A small sub committee of Preserving Milton’s Heritage committee has been working on a package to inform our political representatives, current and candidates, before the October election on the options available for preserving our heritage buildings. The revised Official Plan, the Intensification/Infill study and a by-law to strengthen the protection of designated properties are all positive tools for designated structures.

This is a very complex, contentious issue for our next door neighbour and Milton Historical Society has stepped up to help find an amenable compromise. After all, one of our goals is to be an advocate for the preservation, protection and restoration of buildings and structures of historical significance in Milton and district.

Please feel free to talk to Marsha Waldie, Walter Eadie or Nancy Cuttle about any concerns you may have. We will keep the membership informed of events as they unfold.

You will find below some photographs of the St. Paul's Sanctuary, as wll as others on the Photograph Link.. For more information, please see the display at the Milton Historical Society. For more information on Heritage Resources, click the Heritage Links here or at the top of the page.