Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Media Release

Glanmore Preparing Grounds for Accessible Washroom Project

BELLEVILLE – The City of Belleville’s Glanmore National Historic Site, part of the Community Services Department, is preparing its grounds for an Accessible Washroom Project.

As a National Historic Site, restored to its late Victorian appearance, the Museum has limited options for offering accessible amenities without altering the historic fabric of its interior. In 2011, an exterior lift was installed at Glanmore to provide accessibility to the house’s main floor. However, the existing public washrooms cannot be relocated from the inaccessible basement level to elsewhere in the house. Since 2022, an accessible portable toilet has been placed by the back entrance of Glanmore as an interim measure in meeting accessibility standards.

In 2023, a permanent accessible washroom for Glanmore was approved by City Council in its Capital Budget to address client accessibility needs and to replace the portable toilet. Since budget approval, the Department completed architectural plans and procured a contractor to build the small exterior structure that will better serve clients on the site without impacting the historical integrity of the main building itself. The small outbuilding will be located to the west of the house, just off the parking lot and near the Museum’s accessible entrance.

To prepare the location for this outbuilding, a small stand of evergreen trees will be removed from the site. However, new trees will be planted post-construction both to replace the lost trees and to help to conceal the structure from the front of the property. Species will be selected that are appropriate for the site and the era that Glanmore represents. The Museum also has plans to further expand the site’s tree canopy to replace recent losses from both storms and Emerald Ash Borer infestations.

After early consultations with Parks Canada regarding the new washroom structure, it was recommended that the Museum undertake an archaeological assessment of the construction location prior to excavation. This work was completed, with test pits producing no artifacts other than some fragments from the original slate roof. The project has also been vetted by the City’s Accessibility Committee.

Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of October. Museum hours will not be impacted.