Niagara-on-the-Lake officials issued a stop-work order today after a complaint about work taking place at the site of a nearly 200-year-old former schoolhouse on the Niagara River Parkway.
Town staff were alerted Tuesday afternoon to construction activity underway at 14785 Niagara River Pkwy. a designated property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The lands, known in town records as the Larkin-Dimitrieff property, are vacant except for a chimney and the small stone schoolhouse.
The town says the work involved the schoolhouse building and began without the required permits or approvals.
Municipal staff attended the site shortly after receiving the complaint on Thursday and have since made other visits, photographed the property and begun co-ordinating next steps, it said in a media release. It did not specify what kind of work took place.
Under the Building Code Act, 1992, the town issued a stop-work order directing the property owner to halt all work until proper approvals are obtained. Orders were also issued requiring the building to be secured.
Municipal officials said they are working with the owner to bring the property into compliance, but warned that further enforcement action could follow if the orders are not met.
The town added the violation may also be subject to penalties under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The schoolhouse dates to the mid-19th century — a 2011 document from the Town of NOTL states the schoolhouse was “probably” built in the 1830s.
The land the schoolhouse sits on used to be a part of one property that included the 19th-century historic home known as Glencairn Hall, which burned down one year ago in April. Police are investigating the fire as criminal arson.
The town’s document said the schoolhouse was likely built as a school for the estate workers of Glencain Hall’s owner, entrepreneur John Hamilton.
Today, the Glencairn Hall property is owned by numbered company 1001021589 Ontario Corp. whose director is Scott Corbett — last August, he entered into an agreement with prominent developer Benny Marotta to merge a half-acre portion of Glencairn Hall’s lands with the Larkin-Dimitrieff property, owned by Marotta.
In a statement, the municipality said it remains committed to protecting heritage resources and takes unauthorized alterations seriously.
“Our built heritage is a defining part of our community’s identity,” the town said.
Officials said they will continue to monitor the property.
