Vibrations from Picton Terminals could be shaking the foundations of the White Chapel. The designated historic site is just down the road from the company’s quarrying operations. 

The settlement agreement the County entered into with Picton Terminals last year contains no reference to the White Chapel or any direction to the developer to assess and mitigate potential damage to the heritage site. 

In light of this, the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee is asking municipal staff to obtain a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted by a structural engineer.

Such a study could assess the adverse impact on the Chapel as well as make mitigation and conservation recommendations. Such an assessment must be conducted by a qualified heritage conservation professional. 

At Council January 14, Debra Marshall of the White Chapel Board of Management noted that the Board was never consulted during negotiations with Picton Terminals. 

The motion was deferred, however, pending the next Built and Cultural Heritage Committee meeting February 5th, to allow more public engagement around the issue. Technical difficulties with the livestream at Committee’s previous meeting prevented public comments from entering the record. 

Dating to 1809, the White Chapel is the oldest Methodist meeting house in the County and the the longest continually operating Methodist church in Ontario. Several of its multi-pane windows contain historic glass. It sits on its original foundation of rubble limestone. 

“Vibration damage is cumulative,” said Liz Driver, President of the Prince Edward County Branch of Architectural Conservancy Ontario. “Over time, it adds up.”

Ms. Driver has plenty of experience with vibrations. As Director of Toronto’s historic Campbell House, she advocated for vibration monitoring when the Metrolinx began transit expansion just outside their doors.

She noted that since the municipality didn’t negotiate for the developer to pay for an HIA, they may be looking at short-term alternatives. 

“We might not need a full-scale HIA,” she said, “I think there needs to be a building condition assessment done and there needs to be a vibration monitor.”

The White Chapel’s history and protestant simplicity make it a popular location for weddings and other events. These revenue sources, which contribute to its upkeep, are at risk as the Picton Terminals operation expands. An HIA would assess the impact changes to the surrounding environment have on the value of the property. 

At Council, Ms. Driver stated, “The committee motion is a good starting point for addressing what is an outstanding matter: how to protect one of the County’s oldest and most significant historic buildings from Picton Terminals’ ongoing operations.”