Centre Wellington council is planning to officially designate Templin Gardens in Fergus as a cultural heritage landscape.
Council made the recommendation on July 23, following a presentation by township planner Mariana Iglesias.
“It is a unique public space enjoyed by many residents and visitors,” said Iglesias.
She added the area is comprised of a public park and tiered landscaped gardens along the river.
Iglesias said Heritage Centre Wellington and staff recommend council state its intention to designate Templin Gardens as a significant cultural and heritage landscape under Section 29 (Part IV) of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Iglesias stated this is a township-initiated request to designate the property, which is listed on the municipal register of cultural heritage properties.
Planning staff, Heritage Centre Wellington, and the heritage consultant have evaluated the property’s cultural heritage values against the prescribed criteria set out in the Ontario Heritage Act, concluding the property merits designation under historical, physical and contextual values.
Iglesias said this would be the first cultural landscape officially recognized and protected by bylaw in the township.
She stated a “cultural heritage landscape” is distinct from built heritage properties in that there is “a defined geographic area.”
Templin Gardens is a designed walled garden with a high degree of aesthetic appeal, Iglesias said.
The public garden is owned by the township and located along the north bank of the Grand River in Fergus.
The garden extends from street level at Menzies Lane down the limestone gorge to the water’s edge and contains paved trails connecting to the township’s Templin Garden Trail to the west and the Riverfront Trail to the east.
The approximately 0.08-hectare (0.21-acre) property represents the core of what was a large private garden designed and built by the Templin family.
Iglesias noted the limestone steps descending into the gorge, the tiered stone parapet walls, and the stone archway are all significant components that remain from the original gardens.
Templin Gardens can be divided into two key areas.
The first area, found at the top of the limestone gorge, is generally comprised of more modern features installed as part of a refurbishment project in the early 1980s that included curvilinear pathways of interlocking pavers and limestone trails. The majority of the landscaped garden beds are found within this area.
The second area of the garden is comprised of the tiered garden balconies, which descend the side of the gorge surrounded by limestone walls with cut stone stairs connecting the various levels. A stone archway is located at this level or tiered area before a series of stairs descends down to the water’s edge. The stairs leading into the gorge are made of cut stone. An archway frames a vista that extends down the river and along the gorge walls to the Tower Street Bridge.
Iglesias explained the property’s cultural heritage value resides in its association with John Charles Templin (1869-1939), who was born in Fergus and educated at the “Ottawa Normal School” before beginning a short teaching career.
He purchased the Fergus News Record from John Craig in 1902 and was active in the community, serving as a town councillor, president of the Wellington District Press Association and a secretary of the Fergus Horticultural Society.
Templin built the gardens between 1920 and 1934.
It was said that he started the garden construction for his wife, Annie (nee Black 1871-1930), an avid gardener. The stonework was constructed by Roger Bricker, a Scottish master mason who had a long history of limestone construction in Fergus.
Due to the Depression, Templin also saw the construction of the gardens as a way to provide employment for the local community. He was also able to hire a full-time gardener, John Johnson, an Englishman who lived on Colquhoun Street.
Iglesias noted the original gardens were more extensive than what remains today.
The gardens fell into disuse through the 1950s and 1960s and it wasn’t until the early 1980s that a garden restoration project began.
In the 1980s the gardens were restored through efforts of the local chamber of commerce and town council.
The municipality eventually purchased the gardens in 2010 and has maintained them since in cooperation with the Fergus Horticultural Society.
Iglesias noted that in 2011, the gardens were voted as “Favourite Civic Space, Garden or Monument” in the province-wide Doors Open Ontario online survey.
Councillor Fred Morris asked if designation could increase tourism and the number of visitors to the site.
If so, he asked what measures should be taken to ensure safety at the bottom of the steps by the river.
Iglesias agreed designation could be included within township promotional materials and on the township website.
As to safety, the township would continue to monitor the area to ensure the safety of visitors.
Council agreed to proceed with the steps to designate the property.
