Former St. Marys Paper pulp mill building 'at risk' says national organization (update from site developer)

Update from Riversedge Developments' Justus Veldman

The local real estate developer in charge of reshaping the former St. Marys Paper site is excited that the Pulp Tower – located at the site of the former paper mill – has cracked the National Trust for Canada’s Top 10 Endangered Places list.

“I think it’s fantastic, the pulp tower should be saved,” said Justus Veldman, owner of Riversedge Developments. “The community should rally behind trying to figure out how to save it.”

Riversedge Developments, the company tasked with reinventing the canal district, says the development of the pulp tower is in an indefinite holding pattern due to a lack of an economic base in the city.

When asked if there have been any recent discussions about the pulp tower, Veldman referred SooToday to the online renderings of the Destination North project.

“There’s all kinds of things the pulp tower could be.”

Veldman says the holding company that owns the endangered tower currently has no concrete plans to redevelop the site.

“The owners are just waiting to see what’s going to happen in Sault Ste. Marie,” Veldman said. “Obviously with the steel mill in CCAA, and investment being very, very difficult to gather, it has been put on a holding pattern, but there seems to be some more and more positive news coming.”

Veldman points to the potential construction of a tourism-related train station at the former pulp mill site, as well as the “massively successful” Mill Market as signs of hope for the Pulp Tower.

“Some of these things just take longer than overnight, you know?” Veldman said. “Especially in Sault Ste. Marie.”

Original Northern Ontario Business article

The Pulp Tower at the site of the former St. Marys Paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie has been identified as an historic place at risk.

The century-old industrial building made the National Trust for Canada’s annual Top 10 Endangered Places, spotlighting neglected historic places that need funding.

The national charitable organization said in a May 23 news release that the striking turn-of-the-last-century edifice “needs investment and vision to prevent its loss.”

The list is compiled from nominations, reports, and news items the National Trust follows throughout the year.

Since 2005, the list includes places in danger such as community landmarks, architectural and engineering icons, heritage districts and sacred Indigenous landscapes.

Built in 1897, the Pulp Tower was among a collection of five industrial sandstone buildings designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.

The tower was part of a large factory complex started by entrepreneur Francis Clergue when he established the Sault Ste. Marie Pulp and Paper Company in 1895.

Paper production stopped in 2010 and site demolition began in 2012 but the remaining sandstone structures remain imposing symbols of the Sault’s industrial past.

The trust believes the building has the potential to be part of “a new culture and enterprise hub.”

Other remaining buildings in the complex – Administrative Office, Machine Shop, and Yard Locker – have been transformed into useable spaces for the local arts and hospitality scene.

The Pulp Tower was the target of multiple arson incidents in 2017 that caused water damage in the basement. The exterior is also weathering badly.

"The Top 10 Endangered Places List is an important tool that helps draw attention to the diversity of Canada's historic places and the challenges they face," said Natalie Bull, the National Trust for Canada's executive director, in a May 23 news release.

"We hope the release of the 2018 List will help support local community groups involved in saving these 10 great historic places."

Other buildings on this list include (from west to east):

• Victoria High School (Victoria, B.C.) – Seismic upgrades threaten the oldest high school in Victoria.

• A. Minchau Blacksmith Shop (Edmonton, Alta.) – Weak legislation and inadequate financial incentives place this Old Strathcona boomtown gem at risk.

• Moose Jaw Natatorium (Moose Jaw, Sask.) – Iconic Depression-era swimming facility will disappear if creative solutions for its renewal aren't found.

• Muscowequan Residential School (Lestock, Sask.) – Local Indigenous community fighting to save this crumbling residential school as a testament to resilience.

• Former Carnegie Library and City of Winnipeg Archives (Winnipeg, Man.) – Winnipeg's first public library languishes years after storm damages roof.

• White House (Stratford, Ont.) – A majestic home risks losing its larger-than-life portico and its spacious grounds, key elements of its character that have made it a prominent local landmark.

• Royal Victoria Hospital (Montreal, Qué.) – The future of this historically significant, yet largely-abandoned complex is in limbo.

• Covered Bridges (New Brunswick) – These iconic structures are being lost across the province to flooding, maintenance issues and lack of expert attention.

• 1029 Tower Road (Halifax, N.S.) – Located just outside a heritage conservation district, this beautiful 19th century cottage may fall prey to densification pressure.

— NorthernOntarioBusiness.com