Heritage Plaque to Commemorate the Elihu Pease House at 20 Harrison Garden Boulevard funded by Section 45(9) Planning Act Reserve Funds - by Councillor John Filion, seconded by Councillor Shelley Carroll

Elihu Pease, the likely builder and first owner of the house, was born around 1780 in the United States and moved to Canada in 1810. He married Katherine Cummer, daughter of a prominent North York family, and operated a tannery near the southeast corner of Yonge and Sheppard. The Elihu Pease House was built on this property sometime in the 1830s, likely in 1834, though records are incomplete. Pease held various positions in the local community, including teacher, pathmaster, township clerk and school inspector until his death in 1850. The house has been moved twice since its construction at present-day 4711 Yonge Street (now the site of an office building). It was relocated to 34 Avondale Avenue, about 175 metres southeast of its original location, by Joseph C. Bales in 1921 and altered and modernized with indoor plumbing. Louis and Donalda Badone bought the house in the mid-1950s and lived in it for 45 years. Donalda, a librarian and author, wrote a book, The Complete House Detective: An Ontario House And Its History, about her investigation into the history of the house and the Pease family. The North York Historical Society supported the preservation of the historic home after the Badone family sold the property, and in 2002 the Elihu Pease House was moved again to its present location at 20 Harrison Garden Boulevard, about 175 metres southwest of its second location. It is currently in use as a real estate office. The City has secured funds under Section 45(9) of the Planning Act with the owner of the development at 4726-4728 Yonge Street, authorized by minor variance A0615/13NY. The Committee of Adjustment decision provide that the funds shall be used local community benefits. Sufficient funds remain available in the Planning Act Reserve Account to produce and install the heritage plaque at this location. The use of these funds for this purpose complies with the Committee of Adjustment decision. As Heritage Toronto is a directly funded City agency and not an "outside party", no undertaking is required to be signed by Heritage Toronto to govern the use of the funds and financial reporting.