Toronto, ON

St. James Anglican Cathedral - Masonry Restoration, Wood Window Restoration

D.J. McRae provided construction services for St. James Anglican Cathedral for over 20 years under numerous Deans. We have completed additional work at other buildings they control including the crematorium and St James the Less Chapel. The Cathedral is a landmark building both for the Anglican Church and the City of Toronto. Change Bells: As a 200th Anniversary celebration, the Cathedral undertook this project and contracted D.J. McRae to be responsible for the installation of the bells within the tower. There were a total of 12 change-ringing bells, which were shipped over from Great Britain. 10 bells were originally cast in 1828 and came from St. James Bermondsey (London suburb) and two other bells were cast by Britain’s Whitechapel Foundry (who originally made the other 10 bells). Masonry: Pinnacle replacement, stone carving, stone brick replacement, pointing.
Roofing: Slate, copper roofing and flat roofing.


Painting: Interior painting various locations.


Demolition: Interior selective demolition including basement, church offices.


Complete interior restoration of St. James the Less included Joss cleaning of interior brick work, waterproofing, concrete, painting and wood work. * D.J. McRae received the Award of Merit from the Toronto Historical Board, and the Toronto Construction Association award for Project Restoration of the Year for the restoration of St. James the Less.

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Queen's Park (Legislative Assembly of Ontario) - Masonry Restoration

This project included stone conservation, stone replacement, window restoration, poulticing and interior window restoration and excavation. The stone component involved stone conservation of the west courtyard. Details included various Dutchmen, pointing, DHL and extensive stone replacement in excess of 225 stones. A site cut shop and having the skilled trades to perform all carving enabled this project to run smoothly and on time. This feature enabled us to meet the strict deadline, procure stone overseas and provide excellent quality. Eliminating an outside stone shop was crucial in this project. We feel we are able to offer a great advantage in this area. We obtained Portland Brownstone stone from the United States to perform the delicate carving of the beasts at the south entrance. We followed up various correspondence methods required, provided an employee to drive to Connecticut directly to ensure procuring of the stone. We understood the importance of this detailed work and the measures required to complete this component. No contractor on previous phases was able or prepared to perform this task. We also performed the carving on Friday’s only, as requested by the client, without incident over a two-month span; this was beyond what was specified in the contract. This cooperation again illustrates our ability to adapt and the kind of service we can provide to this sensitive building and client. Window conservation on this project was extensive and included both exterior and interior modifications. Scope of work included Dutchmen, sill and glass replacement, epoxy repairs and painting. Work was performed during regular hours and beyond regular hours where required. Work included scheduling in high security areas, working in occupied offices including those of the Premier, Speaker of the House and the Opposition Leader. Detailed work description summaries were performed, including digital photos of desk layouts prior to moving contents, which ensured minimal disruption to these high profile offices. Site coordination with the client and security team was very involved and extremely crucial in the completion of these offices in a professional timely manner. Our forces were aware of these demands and met the criteria involved without any disruptions. Our flexible hour’s policy was also crucial in this area including all shifts and weekend work. We were able to perform in the most secure sensitive areas of Queens Park without incident.

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Contact Us

info@djmcrae.ca

101-100 Sunrise Ave
Toronto, Ontario
M4A 1B3 Canada
(416) 532-3078