2011 HERITAGE CONSERVATION
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Bastion, Nanaimo
The City of Nanaimo
Macdonald and Lawrence Timber Framing Ltd.
Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers
Knappett Projects Inc.
Mr. Sidney Sharman
Hudson’s Bay Company
A unique piece of Hudson’s Bay Company history, the Nanaimo Bastion was built to serve as an office, arsenal and storage facility for coal mining in 1853. One of the oldest buildings in BC., the Bastion is a familiar landmark, community symbol, and must-see tourist attraction. The City is responsible for its well being; the Nanaimo Museum handles site management and interpretation.
The Bastion is octagonal in plan with three floors, the highest being cantelevered out over the lower two. It is made from hewn logs of cedar and fir fitted to columns at the corners with a tongue and groove joint. This style of construction known as “piece sur piece”, common in Hudson’s Bay Company buildings across Canada but with few examples extant in B.C., is one of the Bastion’s primary character defining elements.
As a wooden structure overlooking Nanaimo Harbour, the Bastion has done remarkably well after a century and a half of pummeling by west coast weather. However, the City of Nanaimo decided in 2009 to undertake a major restoration project after the discovery of significant wood rot and a six degree lean to the south.
But who would lead this complex heritage conservation project, where would the expertise come from, and how would it be paid for? Enter the 2010 “Passion for the Bastion” Restoration Project.
The City contracted local engineering firm Read Jones Christoffersen, Knappett Projects, and Macdonald Lawrence Timber Framing of Cobble Hill to take the lead on the wood conservation and repair. The Nanaimo Museum played the role of fundraiser and facilitator.
The first task was to safely remove the lead paint coating and then begin the painstaking task of dismantling the log walls. Every timber was tagged and its location recorded to ensure accurate re-assembly. To correct the lean, the entire structure was first surveyed to establish its current position and geometry. A sawmill and bandsaw were used to make tidy and accurate cuts to remove decayed wood and patch in new wood to re-form log ends and faces.
The City also wanted to correct some earlier repairs when steel beams had been added to enhance wood members supporting the second and third floors. These were an eyesore and the City wanted them removed or out of sight. The historic wood beams were sawn in half lengthways then rejoined with the steel beams inside.
After detailed repair work, the Bastion was carefully re-assembled and painted. Special caulking was used as chinking and filler between the logs. Removable rain screen netting will be installed during the winter months to provide shelter from the coastal weather. At the end of the project, approximately 95% of the original wood remained.
The Nanaimo Museum documented and publicized the entire project. A multi-media presentation will be produced, and information gained from the experience will be incorporated into new exhibits and updated school programs.
The community was behind the project from the beginning. The Hudson’s Bay Company started the fund raising ball rolling with a donation of $80,000, plus a summer campaign in local stores which raised another $5,000. "This generous donation from the Hudson's Bay Company clearly demonstrates that it is not just the City of Nanaimo that holds the Bastion in high regard, but also the company that originally built it," said Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan. Mr. Sidney Sharman soon followed with a personal donation of $50,000, saying “The Bastion is an important part of our history and I definitely think it should be preserved”. Business owners on Church, Chapel and Front Streets in downtown Nanaimo had a block party. The Nanaimo Lions Club contributed $10,000.
The Bastion restoration was a textbook example that proved what can be achieved when a community cares about its heritage and is determined to conserve it.
