Early CAREER 1954-1965

1954 to 1960 Private Architectural Practice Established

1954 was a year of milestones for Keith and Jean. Within two years of his McGill graduation, Keith left the M. F. Schurman Company to start his own architectural practice. This bold move carried with it the responsibilities of finding enough projects to keep staff employed and paid, acquiring office equipment, developing all the infrastructure of a business and building community partnerships. On the homefront, they were expecting their fourth child and their three older children were in various stages from toddler to pre-school to elementary student. Between their various community and family functions, Keith and Jean were entering what would be the busiest phase of their lives. 

In November 1954,  Keith placed advertisements for his architectural business in the two major Island newspapers with phone numbers for both Summerside and Charlottetown. On October 15, 1955 he officially moved his Summerside office to the Smallman Building. Keith’s staff members were draftsmen Gordon C. Welsh, Joe Muise, Aubrey MacKinnon, and secretary Leslie Hiscott. In her book The M. F. Schurman Company Limited of Prince Edward Island: A Century of Building, Margaret M. MacFarlane writes that the architectural branch of Schurman’s was discontinued in 1956 and it was felt that this work should be independent of the general contractor. 

During July 1955, Keith rented an office in Charlottetown. The second floor of the Palmer Electric Building at 100 Fitzroy Street became home to the growing firm, where there was a large room for staff and a smaller room he used as an office. Phones rang, draftsmen prepared detailed drawings, and the secretary took messages for Keith while he was out at job sites or meetings. 

In 1955 Keith had three schools on his project list- Kensington High, Kinkora Senior High and Cardigan;  the extension of Trinity United Church in Summerside; a number of houses; and renovations to businesses. 

Projects in Charlottetown

Within the time span of a few months, four very different projects were in the planning stages, each having specific requirements: a modern fur salon, a 1910 bank renovation and extension, a new medical clinic and a hotel extension. As the young city’s needs grew and changed, Keith began working in Charlottetown with business and professional people who were starting new ventures or expanding their operations.

The needs and demands of the marketplace were forces for growth and innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit thrived. Two common threads of working with private businesses were that everyone worked within tight budgets, and timeframes were short to turnaround. As soon as ideas were discussed, drawings were formulated. Keith and his staff worked diligently to meet the evolving needs of clients and to keep projects moving according to schedule. 

Island Furriers Ltd.,79 Grafton Street, Charlottetown

Island Furriers Ltd was a popular retail outlet In the heart of the Charlottetown shopping area. Raising foxes and mink was an important part of the PEI economy in the 1900s, and fur coats, jackets and stoles were very fashionable. Keith worked with Arthur G. Hogan, President and Manager of Island Furriers Ltd., to design a modern salon where they could welcome guests. The layout of the main floor was arranged for the convenience of their customers, and featured showcases for furs and sportswear as well as a workroom for repairs.

This was Keith’s first project in the downtown area, and draftsmen Gordon Welsh and Joe Muise drew up plans for the contractor, County Construction Company Limited. The project required an expanding expertise in refrigeration and electrical systems, in order to build a cold storage space in the basement of the shop, where 3,000 furs could be stored in a cool area during the summer months. The exterior of the building was made of concrete; to keep the furs protected from fire, sprinkler systems were installed.

On October 30, 1956, the grand opening of Island Furriers took place and featured the greatest fur sale in the firm's history. In its’ new ultra-modern building, the company proudly showcased their luxurious PEI furs and beautiful sportswear in a massive 22 foot glass window. This marked a milestone in the growth and expansion of Mr. Hogan’s business, which had begun decades earlier, in 1935.

Sources: The Guardian, June 5, 1956, October 30, 1956

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Bank of Commerce Extension, Queen and Grafton Streets, Charlottetown

A month after the opening of the new Island Furriers store, Keith was approached by the Dominion Realty Company’s architects in Toronto. They needed a local architect to supervise the renovations and extension of the Bank of Commerce building in Charlottetown. Keith’s letter of November 21, 1956 helps us understand his role and responsibilities:

I will see that the plans and specifications are followed, report any differences between plans and existing conditions to your office for a decision before proceeding with the work if same should be encountered, check the progress payment statements of the Contractor against work completed before forwarding them to your office for payment, and make my office facilities and equipment available to your representatives during any visits to Charlottetown. For these services, I would request a fee of 1.5% of the cost of the work.

In January, 1957, Keith’s proposal was accepted and he began reviewing the drawings and specifications prepared by the Toronto architects, which included a grueling 79 pages of detailed descriptions of the work, materials, and installation methods. Keith sent written reports every two weeks, and these letters comprised the details of the progress and challenges of the job.

The first phase was the demolition of the former Island Furriers premises. This space was located between the Bank and the Dominion Store, and the work was carried out while the Bank continued to serve customers – with a minimum of dust!

Dealing with a building originally built in 1910 presented many challenges for Keith, including the condition of original brick walls and foundations, old vaults and the weight bearing capacity of existing beams. The state of the mortar and brickwork of the existing walls required repairs to ensure the building would be weather-resistant. Keith used photographs of the brick walls to help the Toronto architects see and understand the situation they were dealing with, which they couldn’t have been too happy to receive. 

Keith addressed an issue with Maritime Electric who were reluctant to provide three phase wiring to allow for the building’s current and future needs, such as the wave of the future — air conditioning. While this capacity was very important to the bank, the electric company felt single phase service was adequate and anything more was just an extra expense. 

By the end of 1957 the renovations, inspections and reports were completed and the new Bank premises opened. Unfortunately, this building was demolished in 1981 to make way for the modern Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

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The Charlottetown Clinic, Sydney and Rochford Streets, Charlottetown

In 1958, when a group of Charlottetown doctors were outgrowing their premises at 200 Queen Street, they began discussing plans for a new clinic. Keith was happy to develop architectural drawings and plans for the new clinic, which would accommodate eight doctors.The Journal-Pioneer reported that M. F. Schurman Company was awarded the contract to build the 75 ‘ x 72’ medical clinic on the corner of Sydney and Rochford Streets, opposite the Charlottetown Hospital. The Charlottetown Clinic was described as the most modern in the Maritime Provincs and was officially opened on August 27, 1960 by the President of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. R. MacGregor Parsons. The news release detailed the features of the building including a private Obstetrical and Gynecological unit, a Pediatric department, doctors’ offices, examining rooms, a surgery and a staff room for nurses. The six doctors practicing in these modern facilities were J. A. McMillan, F. A. MacMillan, C. A. Coady, J. H. Maloney, J. H. O’Hanley and J. C. Sinnott, some of whom would practice well into the eighties. 

Sources: A History of the Charlottetown Clinic, J. Cyril Sinnott, M.D. 1975; The Journal-Pioneer February 8, 1960

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Grandstand at the Charlottetown Driving Park opened June 25, 1960 

There are many reasons why a new building is needed. In late October of 1959, a disastrous fire devastated the Charlottetown Driving Park, collapsing the grandstand and ending the harness racing season weeks ahead of schedule. The wooden structure, built in 1889 to seat 1200 people, needed to be replaced before the next racing season, and the sense of urgency was striking as the next season would begin in June.

Keith’s search for comparable structures soon led him to the Halifax Exhibition Grounds, which had a capacity of 5000. During the winter of 1960, Keith’s staff worked as a team to design and produce fourteen sheets of plans, noting the intricacies of form, the arrangement of platform and the subtle nuance of space. The lead draftsman, Aubrey C. MacKinnon prepared most of the drawings, with contributions by Joe Muise and Lou Barry. Keith reviewed each drawing and gave the final sign off on each sheet.

The structure, made of steel and reinforced concrete, stood 200 feet by 40 feet and was designed to seat 2000, a capacity  increase of 800 over the former wooden building. In April, 1960, Keith and his team again made the news when the architect’s sketch of the new grandstand hit the front page of The Guardian and was reported to be the most modern grandstand east of Quebec City. County Construction Company worked under pressure to have everything ready for the opening of the harness season on June 25th. The people sitting on the edge of their seats, hoping for their favourite horse to win, were oblivious to the amount of steel holding up the roof or the reason for the span of beams. The grandstand welcomed racing fans until September 29, 2003 when it was struck by another natural disaster - Hurricane Juan.

 Sources: The Guardian, January 14, 1960; April 5, 1960; April 1960.

Charlotteown YMCA Swimming Pool officially opened September 12, 1961

First indoor pool in Charlottetown

The YMCA in Charlottetown was founded in 1856 to serve the community by providing programs that developed a healthy “Body, Mind, and Spirit”. Over the next ten decades, the Alpha Y’s Men’s Club formed and the programs were expanded. In 1949 the YMCA moved into their new building, designed by Architects Blanchard & Harris, on the corner of Euston and Prince Streets in Charlottetown. Keith was a member of the Y’s Men’s and was a strong supporter of the Summerside group, but also attended some of the Charlottetown group’s meetings.

The Y’s Men had been discussing adding an indoor pool to their building to give the community the opportunity to enjoy swimming throughout the year. The decision was finally made in 1958 to focus on this venture, with estimates coming in around $150,000. During a successful fundraising campaign in 1959, citizens and businesses pledged funds over a three-year period. This tremendous effort meant the YMCA was in a position to proceed.

Keith worked with consulting architect George Ferman of the YMCA Building Bureau, New York, and PEI engineer, Laurie Coles. They planned the 60  x 25 foot indoor pool — the first in Charlottetown — with spectator accommodation for 200. Built in compliance with YMCA pool standards, it was equipped with proper filtering, drainage and heating systems. Although the media focus was on the pool, the expansion also included a new lounge, a large meeting room and giving the entire building a facelift by redecorating. 

County Construction Company began construction on the pool in May 1960 and had everything ready for May 16, 1961. Not only did the pool give people enjoyment, the opportunity for swimming lessons was well accepted and by1963 close to 2,000 children had attended weekly lessons in front crawl, back crawl, and butterfly. This programming continued during the years and many Island families remember the Red Cross summer Water Safety Program that helped thousands of children learn to swim. 

Sources: The Guardian, March 16, 1960; August 13, 1960; April 8, 1961; September 12, 196. http://peihistory.blogspot.com/2017/06

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