The home for the former school superintendent is located on Wood Street across from the Pioneer Cemetery The owners of Hulland House want $20,000 from the City of Whitehorse. The heritage building, located at 704 Wood Street downtown and right across from the Pioneer Cemetery, is notable thanks to one of its former inhabitants: Robert Jack Hulland, a former school superintendent in the territory, lived in the house throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The architecture of the 1947 house is also a factor in its heritage, as per Mélodie Simard, the city’s manager of planning and sustainability services. The owners of the single-storey home have applied for the money under the city’s heritage fund, which allows for private owners of historic buildings to use city money for building restoration and maintenance. Property owners in the past have been able to use money from the fund, which is meant to encourage the maintenance of historic buildings. Properties are eligible to re-apply every ten years. Simard told councillors on April 22’s meeting that the renovation technically has $113,000 of eligible costs, but the city caps withdrawals from the heritage fund at $20,000. The heritage fund gets $2,500 annually. It currently sits at around $57,000, with the most recent withdrawal being given to the Yukon Historical and Museums Association. Last week, the city council gave the group $3,000 to help expense the Yukon/Stikine Regional Heritage Fair happening this May. The former owners of Hulland House withdrew money from the fund in 2003 ($8,776.68) and 2013 ($1,398.50). This time around, the owners told the city they would use the money to better the house’s durability, accessibility and livability. The planned work includes sealing the building, re-roofing, and a complete interior renovation with new mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems. The building would also get accessible doorways, new windows, improved ventilation and energy efficiency upgrades, as well as a ramp and front landing for accessibility purposes. While there are a number of properties on the city’s historic building registry, Simard told councillors that this is the first application for a renovation she has brought forward. Councillors will decide whether to grant the money at the next council meeting. Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
Hulland House owners want city funds for renovation
