Long & Bisby Building

828 Sanatorium Road Hamilton Ontario

CURRENT OWNER: Valery Homes

This building was erected in 1920 as a nurse’s residence on the grounds of the Mountain Sanitorium (later Chedoke Hospital and most recently part of Hamilton Health Sciences). It was named after W.D. Long and Mrs. George H. Bisby, who donated the land for the sanatorium in 1906, and was only the fourth sanitorium to be built in Canada to treat tuberculosis patients. It is a representative example of Edwardian Classical architecture, designed by prominent local architects, Witton and Walsh.

In 2006 the property was sold to Deanlee Management Inc. and in 2012 was resold to Chedoke Browlands Development Inc. (Valery Homes). In 2014 demolition began on all of the buildings located in the parcel of land between Scenic Drive and Sanitorium Road. The Long & Bisby Building located between Sanitorium Road and the escarpment Road was spared. However, a demolition permit was received by the City for the Long & Bisby Building in 2018. Hamilton City Council at its September 26 meeting voted to defer a recommendation from the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee to designate the property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. In exchange, Valery Homes agreed not to demolish the building and to have a heritage impact assessment undertaken. On September 29, 2018, it was reported by HamiltonNews.com (https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/8934630-valery-homes-agrees-not-to-demolish-former-mountain-sanatorium-building) that Valery Homes had agreed to preserve the building, which is the last remaining facility of the former Mountain Sanitorium complex.

Some good news, announced in October 2020, is described with an artist's rendering of the proposed restoration in the Buildings section.

DETAILS OF THREAT:
The current owner has allowed the building to deteriorate and taken no measures to prevent access and vandalism – a clear case of “demolition by neglect”.