Description of Historic Place

The Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls is an elegant, modern, two-storey rectangular building clad in a smooth sandstone finish and featuring framed panels of windows and asymmetrically placed entrance doors. Classically inspired, the building’s exterior elevations are divided into three-parts which consist of a plinth of darker stone at the basement storey, the main storeys, and a simple metal cornice line. The Grand Falls GOCB is located on a corner lot on the main thoroughfare, in the administrative and commercial centre of Grand Falls. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value:
The Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls is associated with the national historical theme of the expansion of federal government services in the post-WWII period. Built to house several major government tenants, the Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls also illustrates the expansion of the community of Grand Falls during a period of economic prosperity in the late 1950s, as it became an important center for potato production and exportation.

Architectural value:
Designed in the modern aesthetic, the Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls is a good example of a more conservative, modern architecture. This is exemplified by the classical approach to the design of the building’s two-storey composition, which consists of a rectangular volume with a clearly defined plinth, main storeys and cornice line. Constructed of good quality, traditional materials and competent craftsmanship, the building’s modern influence can be seen in the asymmetrical arrangement of the framed panels of windows and of the entrance doors, as well as the subtle use of a grid pattern for the detailing of the exterior sandstone cladding.

Environmental value:
Described as one of the largest federal buildings in the region, the Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls reinforces the urban character of the town center of Grand Falls. The Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls is located on an L-shaped lot at the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Pleasant Street, in the administrative and commercial core of Grand Falls. It is well known to the local community as the Post Office and government services building, and to the local farming community as the Department of Agriculture.

Sources:
Leslie Maitland, Government of Canada Building, Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Federal Heritage
Buildings Review Office Building Report 99-104; Government of Canada Building, Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Heritage Character Statement 99-104.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Government of Canada Building in Grand Falls should be respected.

Its role as an illustration of the post-WWII expansion of federal government services is reflected in:
-the aesthetic design of the building which consists of a conservative, modern architecture which was typical of federal buildings in the 1950s.

Its conservative, modern aesthetic, and good quality materials and craftsmanship as manifested in:
-the horizontal massing and composition which consists of a simple rectilinear volume;
-the continuous cornice line, projecting stone window surrounds, and granite plinth which emphasize the horizontality of the composition;
-the asymmetrical placement of the building’s windows and entrances;
-the subtle use of a grid pattern for the detailing of the exterior sandstone cladding;
-the use of traditional materials for the exterior elevations such as the granite-clad base and sandstone walls.

The manner in which the building reinforces the urban character of the setting as evidenced in:
-the building’s visual prominence and strong federal presence owing to its scale, design, and prominent corner location.