Notice of intention to designate - 24 Holyrood Avenue

On January 22, 2024, Oakville Town Council resolved to pass a Notice of Intention to Designate the following property under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18, as amended, as a property of cultural heritage value and interest:

Holyrood Park
24 Holyrood Avenue
Plan 513 BLK A; Town of Oakville

Description of Property

The subject property at 24 Holyrood Avenue is located on the southwest corner of  Holyrood Avenue, south of Lakeshore Road West. The property is a town-owned park  known as Holyrood Park and contains two stone gate pillars built circa late 1800s to the  early 1900s as part of the former Holyrood Estate. 

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Design and Physical Value

The Holyrood Park gate pillars are a representative example of early 1900s estate gate  pillars that formed part of an impressive and regal entrance to a large wealthy estate. Designed specifically for the Stuart family, the stone pillars are reflective of both the original Holyrood Palace in Scotland that inspired the name for the estate and the Stuart family’s Scottish history. The battlement with cannons at the top of the pillars, the metal family crest and the metal ‘Holyrood’ signage were purposefully selected and maintained to commemorate these historical connections to Scotland. 

Historical and Associative Value

The Holyrood Park gate pillars have cultural heritage value for their direct associations with Oakville’s history of lakeshore estate development, a significant theme of development in Oakville in the late 1800s into the mid-1900s. Estates along the lakeshore, including the Holyrood House, shaped many physical aspects of Oakville today; the town’s unindustrialized lakeshore can be linked to the existence of these significant and wealthy estates extending to the waterfront. The property also has cultural heritage value for its direct associations with its notable Oakville residents, such as Dr. William T. Stuart and Gordon Lefebvre, who not only contributed to the property and surrounding area, but to the development of the town as well.

Contextual Value

The Holyrood Park gate pillars are important in defining the character of the local area and clearly link the neighbourhood to its historical past and former land use. The boundaries and design of the surrounding subdivisions and Holyrood Park were influenced by the former Holyrood Estate, which included its stone pillars. The Holyrood  Park gate pillars also have cultural heritage value because they are historically linked to  their surroundings, land that once formed part of the Holyrood Estate. Oakville has a long history of wealthy lakeshore estates and the stone pillars remain an important remnant of Holyrood Estate, whose presence contributed, and continues to contribute, to the town’s unindustrialized lakeshore today. 

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key heritage attributes of Holyrood Park at 24 Holyrood Avenue, that exemplify its cultural 

heritage value through its early 19th century estate gate pillars, include:

• The stone pillars with large square stones and crenellated tops;
• The metal decoration including the Stuart Family crest, Holyrood nameplate, and cannon balls on each pillar;
• The remnant metal hardware from the original gates; and
• Its location on the previous Holyrood Estate lands.

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than February 26, 2024. 

Objections must be directed to the Town Clerk at townclerk@oakville.ca or 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3. The objection must include the reasons for the objection and all relevant facts.

Further information respecting this proposed designation is available from the Town of Oakville. Any inquiries may be directed to Carolyn Van Sligtenhorst, Supervisor of Heritage Conservation at 905-845-6601, ext.3875 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at carolyn.van@oakville.ca. 

Issued at the Town of Oakville on January 25, 2024