TIMMINS - Timmins' heritage list is growing. Again.
The McIntyre Community Building, located at 85 McIntyre Rd. in the shadow of the equally iconic McIntyre Headframe, is officially a property of cultural and heritage value. Timmins council added it to the municipal heritage registry on Tuesday.
"All of us in the community have had an event or something take place that we all have memories of," said Coun. Andrew Marks, who chairs the municipal heritage committee.
The Mac houses the McIntyre Curling Club, the Coffee Shop, Schumacher Lions Club, and arena. The designation means that changing any of the historical attributes listed requires asking for council approval.
This is the third property added to the city's heritage registry. The next step is a ceremony to add a plaque to the property. Because of the significance of The Mac, Marks said something a "little bit more special" to include the community is being planned.
The push to designate the property was led by former mayor Tom Laughren on behalf of the Schumacher Historical Society and TimminsToday columnist Mike Mulryan.
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The notable heritage attributes of the building are the:
- Original brickwork detailing on the front facade
- Proportion of window openings
- Marquee entrance to the arena
- Illuminated signage at entrance to the coffee shop
- Stone relief on front facade displaying name and date of construction
- Steel girder and truss system, which is a structural and design feature inside the arena
- Plaster mouldings in the auditorium
- The bar area and associated furnishings, such as the stools, which are an original feature inside the McIntyre Coffee Shop
Most people who grew up in Timmins or have visited the City with the Heart of Gold have a story about the McIntyre Community Building.
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The iconic brick structure was built by J.P. Bickell in the 1930s and is steeped in Canadian sports lore.
Bickell was the McIntyre Mine president and had a nearly three-decade association with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where his hats included owner, president, chairman and director.
While not a mini replica of the former Maple Leaf Gardens, the Mac has design cues from the historic Toronto ice rink — including using steel girders and cement in the construction, the brickwork and the art deco style.
Through the years, the Mac was the home ice to generations of up-and-coming NHLers and has had a significant role in the Canadian figure skating scene.
The other properties on the municipal heritage registry are the Mackechnie house at 438 Wilson Ave., and City Hall on Algonquin Boulevard.