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Wowchuk Property

Located on the corner of Germain and Princess streets, this property was quite controversial in the earlier years of its development. After the 1877 Fire destroyed the original building, the lot lot remained vacant for some time. A company by the name of McColl Frontenac Oil Co., Ltd. secured the property in August of 1912. They proposed to erect a garage which spanned the whole frontage on Germain Street between Princess and Horsefield Streets. The residents of Germain Street argued adamantly that the property should not be scarred by another garage or fueling station. The residents claimed to have spent several years beautifying the property, and protested the claim that McColl Frontenac Oil Co., Ltd. laid before them. They also argued that several refueling and service stations already cluttered the immediate area, and because of this fact, most shop owners owned only a very small portion of their potential market.

The city's Common Council seemed to support the Germain Street residents at first, but their support wavered as the company fought the opposing parties head-on. Did the persistence or deep pockets of the McColl Frontenac win over the Council? Or did the struggling citizens, combined with the support of more than a thousand people, ultimately stand in triumph over the influential oil company? Read the following newspaper articles to find out!

During the recorded life of the site, a lavish apartment house was also proposed to be located on the Princess Street property by a man named D.R. Jack. It was to consist of six floors, and all the modern conveniences of life, which in 1904 was anyone's guess. The apartment would have housed servants akin to employees who now work in hotels. The owners did not want to cater only to the weathly, even though the level of courtesy expected between residents seemed to indicate otherwise. The reason why the proposed apartment was unaccepted is unclear, but was probably related to the property owners' exorbitant pricing strategy for the area.

The entire prospectus for the proposed apartment house is available for your viewing pleasure. It was well presented and probably took weeks to prepare and type set. The prospectus (shown above and to the left) was designed by Mr. D.R. Jack; the illustration of the building was drawn by an architect by the name of F. Neil Brodie.

The garage was renovated and became a dental office, which happens to belong to Dr. Wowchuk. The Wowchuk property of today houses a dental clinic, which is now a benefit to Germain Street residents rather than a public eyesore (according to Germain Street residents in 1932).

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