The former Robson Tannery office building at 100 Whiting Avenue in Oshawa on Tuesday received heritage designation.
The now headquarters of Central Lake Ontario Conservation (Cloca), has been designated as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Members of Oshawa City Council and representatives from Heritage Oshawa (an advisory committee of City Council) and Cloca gathered on September 17 to unveil a Heritage Oshawa plaque commemorating the designation of the building.
Erected in the mid-1920s, 100 Whiting Avenue is a two-storey building currently in near original condition with the clean, simple lines of Modern Classicism. Distinguishing features include the symmetrical main façade, flat roof and white stone pilasters across the front of the building. The west wing, which was added after 1967, is complementary in style, form and materials.
100 Whiting Avenue has many historical connections to the industrial and economic development of Oshawa, including significant involvement in tanning, Oshawa’s oldest industry. The property was once the site of farm equipment manufacturing in the early 1800s, and then the supply of leather goods up to 1977 as the Robson Tannery provided boots for troops during the Second World War.
Tanning Industry Leader
By 1905, Robson Leather became the Robson Leather Co. Ltd. and was one of the foremost companies in the tanning industry in Canada.
The Robson Leather Co. Ltd., together with General Motors of Canada and iron foundries Ontario Malleable Iron and Pedlar People Ltd., helped establish Oshawa’s recognition as “The Manchester of Canada” in the 1920s and played an integral role in Oshawa’s rich industrial history.
Robson Leather Co. Ltd. closed in 1977. While a fire destroyed most of the other structures on the property in 1980, the Robson Tannery office building was purchased by Cloca in 1984 and continues to be its home today.
“When the factory was first opened as the Cedar Dale Works in July 1862, there was also a celebratory gathering not unlike the one we are here for today,” said Councillor Bob Chapman, Chair of Central Lake Ontario Conservation. “
“As a long time representative for southern Oshawa and a past chair of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, I am proud to see the heritage of this site recognized. From its initial use as a tannery to its current role in protecting our city and the environment, this site has always served the people of our community,” said Ward 5 Regional and City Councillor Brian Nicholson.
“Not only is Cloca a great steward of the lands and waters in its jurisdiction but it is also a great custodian of its historical building. Thank you Cloca for preserving this building representing our historical manufacturing past,” said Ward 5 City Councillor John Gray.