Many things have changed in Huntsville’s downtown, but the Clock Tower and Town Hall remain a constant landmark.
Huntsville CAO Denise Corry said the Town Hall building has such historic significance in the community that Huntsville is fortunate to have been able to keep the municipality’s governance and administration under one roof in the heart of downtown. “To have it here in the core operating as the government closest to the people is super important,” she said.
May 20, 2024, will mark 50 years since Terry Smith has been winding the clock every week at Town Hall. “He literally still has to come and wind the clock, and I don’t know if people know that,” said Corry.
Smith took over the contract in 1974. At 70, he said hopes to continue caring for Huntsville’s iconic clock for another ten years.
Construction on Town Hall began in 1926 but was halted when, according to municipal records, it was discovered that not all remains had been removed after moving the Methodist Church graveyard to the Locks. Problems with the construction company also caused further delays, as subcontractors weren’t being paid. But, after many headaches, Town Hall officially opened its doors on July 1, 1927, thanks to a combination of federal and local funds.
In August, Charles Paget purchased the clock from Toronto’s Union Station, and according to municipal records, Harold Briggs, Councillor Millest, and George Ralston transported it. The clock chimed for the very first time at Town Hall on October 11 at 11 a.m. in 1927.
Almost 60 years later, in 1986, Mayor Snell and council designated Town Hall as a property of significant architectural value. In 1995, the federal government ended its lease with the municipality, and the post office moved out. The Huntsville Library took over the space, and it remained there until 1971.
Significant renovations have taken place over the years, including a major renovation in 1988 to ensure the building’s viability. Files from the former Local Architectural Conservation Authority Commission (LACAC) show how delighted the organization was with the designation and subsequent restoration of Town Hall.
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Then, in 2002, under Mayor Mackenzie and the council, Town Hall saw another significant renovation with the addition of the Algonquin Theatre.
“Renovations to the existing Town Hall building were extensive and were planned to make sure that the municipal offices could stay downtown for the foreseeable future,” said Mackenzie, adding that council at the time believed that the renovations would carry the building for at least the next 20 years.
That was 21 years ago. “And of course, there’s lots of growth, new responsibilities, and questions whether we need a larger council chamber, and I think that was the push we’re looking at in the potential renovation of the space,” said Corry.
However, the cost of the suggested renovations has raised eyebrows, and council has unequivocally stated it could not support such an expenditure at this time.
Corry said the process, which culminated in consultants coming back with a renovation estimate of $6-$8 million, began with questions about whether the council chambers were large enough. The questions arose due to a few standing-room-only meetings that were well beyond the allowance under the Ontario Fire Code. Now, there is a sign on the door indicating a maximum capacity of 30 people in the chamber gallery.
Talk about renovating the space has been going on for years. On January 31, 2019, a Town Hall Working Group was established, which made its final recommendation on March 1, 2022.
The current council’s preferred recommendation, Option 1, included a complete reconfiguration of the interior of the old part of Town Hall by moving offices around, an energy audit, and, among other things, fixing the stairs to the main entrance. However, when consultants provided the cost of the work, council balked at the $6-$8 million estimate it received.
Corry said municipal staff is in agreement. She said the municipality is facing other needs, such as expanding the library and updating the Madill garage, which she said is in dire need. “We have a fire hall that is not new anymore, and our community is growing, and there’s a question, you know, is it in the right location… so there’s a lot of moving parts.”
Corry said internal discussions between the heads of council (the mayor and deputy mayor) and administrative staff have taken place, and the consensus is to hit the pause button. “We need to pause. We need to take a full inventory of everything that needs to be done, and we need to come forward with a plan. Maybe Town Hall doesn’t get looked at for another ten years,” she said. “You know, we talk about growth and the need for administrative space, but it’s a whole new world now. You don’t have to physically be in the building to work, and we’ve seen that. So, we need to think differently, right? So if our staff complement does increase based on the increased service levels, then we need to say, OK, we’re out of office space. How are we going to do this?”
She said staff can work from home and share office space. “So, you know, Suzie is in two days a week, and Tom is in three days a week in the office when they share it. So there are lots of ways that we can deal with the need for growth without spending 6 to 8 million dollars now. So we are pausing. We have a team of people who are doing an evaluation of the things that need to be looked at and will report back to the council with a plan,” she said. “The timing of ‘let’s pause it,’ I know from a staff perspective we were like, ‘absolutely.’ We were just finishing a process that we were directed to do,” said Corry.
She also said the council chambers meet accessibility requirements but can always be better. In terms of capacity, she said that space is usually not an issue unless something controversial is on the agenda. “If we know it’s a hot topic, and it might have a lot of people attend, we’ll move it to the theatre.”
However, Corry said something would, in fact, need to be done in the next number of years; she did not want to put a specific number on it but said, “There’s going to be something that has to be done. All of our space is full. We’ve had to relocate some of the administrative offices in the old Club 55 part of the building, which has been very helpful so we have gained space down there. It’s not ideal, we have cubicles just kind of all put together in a big open space but it’s working. So, it is definitely not urgent, but the key thing to note is that it’s something we need to keep on our radar. It’s something the community needs to be aware of… but it will be part of a bigger discussion.”
She said renovations like the roof HVAC will need to be done, and staff will propose setting aside some funds in the 2025 budget for painting and updates such as frayed carpets.
“I think the community needs to know it is an old building. It has a huge historical significance to the community, and at some point in time, there is going to have to be some money spent on it.”
There may come a time when a council decides to move Town Hall or certain functions elsewhere. “I love the fact that, again, the government closest to the people, that we are in this building,” said Corry, who has worked for the municipality for 32 years in multiple locations within the building. “It is very, very neat to be in the building that has such history in the community,” she added.
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Wendy J Brown says
Im wondering if there is a council meeting that they know will be very popular they could use a big room in the summit center?
Kathryn Henderson says
I’m glad to hear they are putting the renovation of town hall on hold. Times are tough and if that’s where my increased property tax went to I would not be happy to go ahead with renovations for millions.