The site of the original Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) at 123 Wynford Dr., designed by celebrated Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama in 1963, is in danger of being partially demolished to make way for condo towers.

The JCCC is one of the largest Japanese cultural centres in the world. The not-for-profit organization was established in the 1960s by the families of 75 Japanese Canadians who had been unjustly incarcerated by the Canadian government during WWII, and presently, the centre enriches lives through the promotion of Japanese culture and Japanese Canadian heritage. The JCCC moved to 6 Sakura Way (which is about a 10-minute walk or two-minute drive from the site) in 2001 when it sold the building at 123 Wynford Dr.

In 2021, the building was subsequently sold to developer 123 Wynford Inc.

The developer eventually applied to alter the original site for development, which would include a 48-storey residential condominium on top of the building as well as a 55-storey tower adjacent to the historic property. But in May, Toronto City Council refused the developer’s application to alter the heritage attributes of the property (the Centre was designated a heritage site under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, passed by Council in September 2023).

The City stated that the application was reviewed against the policies of the City’s Official Plan, which provides the policy framework for heritage conservation in the City (and applies to the proposed alterations in this case).

For example, the Plan states that new construction on (or adjacent to) a property on the Heritage Register has to be designed to conserve the cultural heritage values, attributes, and character of that property and to “mitigate [the] visual and physical impact on it”.

“Where it is supported by the cultural heritage values and attributes of a property on the Heritage Register, the conservation of whole or substantial portions of buildings, structures and landscapes on those properties is desirable and encouraged. The retention of façades alone is discouraged” (you can read more about the policies that apply to this proposal here).

As reported by the CBC, 123 Wynford Inc. is appealing Council’s decision at the Ontario Land Tribunal — hearings began on Tuesday and should be completed before the end of the month.

The development company stated that it is in the middle of a hearing at the Ontario Lands Tribunal and do not want to compromise that process.  But issued the following statement:

“In redeveloping 123 Wynford Drive, it is our intention and our plan to retain as much of the original Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) as possible.  We have approached this project from a position of reinvention and respect for the original building.  The new development will skillfully incorporate existing portions of the original structure and reinstate other key features.  In the end, more than half of the JCCC will be retained and reincorporated into the new building.  To help us achieve this vision, we are working with some of the leading consultants in the country, including the original design firm of the JCCC.”

In a community post last week Friday, the Toronto National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) noted that, to accommodate the proposed condo towers and below grade parking at the site, “the developer plans to completely demolish the old JCCC and later re-assemble portions of the original building at an elevated grade”.

The NAJC set up a “Save the original Japanese Canadian Community Centre” GoFundMe campaign to continue to contest the developer’s plan for the site.

“…we must raise funds to continue with legal support for the labour-intensive eight-day [OLT] hearing. The amount to be raised still represents much less than the actual cost of legal fees,” the GoFundMe page states. “Now that structure is under threat. The developer can and should prepare a better design for the site and make an effort to save the building. The surrounding neighbourhood already has a staggering 10,000 homes in the approval pipeline and is in desperate need of a community hub. As this Toronto neighbourhood continues to grow, it’s important for residents to have spaces to gather.”

To date, the NAJC raised $21,996 of its $20,000 goal.