Cape Breton Deaths courtesy of CAPE BRETON GENEALOGY & HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE - <http://www.cbgen.org/>www.cbgen.org NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Cape Breton Post September 26, 2013 Thursday "Red Brick Row designated heritage property by council" SYDNEY MINES - The Red Brick Row housing project is now a heritage property after a unanimous vote at Tuesday's monthly session of municipal council. The townhouse complex is believed to be the oldest in Canada, dating back to 1829 when the General Mining Association took over coal mining operations in Sydney Mines. Its request for designation came from the Red Row Investment Cooperative, the group that has been working to restore the 12 attached company houses on Main Street. Rick McCready, municipal planner and heritage officer, scored the property using the heritage evaluation criteria authorized by the CBRM heritage advisory committee and concluded the property scores quite high due to its age and its unique role in the history of Sydney Mines. As a result he recommended that council initiate the process of registering the complex as municipal heritage properties. Previously, the application had been the subject of considerable discussion, some of which was due to the fact that the property is a townhouse complex and that each unit is held in separate ownership. However, the issue was addressed when all owners agreed to support the request. The structural stability of the complex had also been called into question, but McCready told council Tuesday evening that after a discussion with an engineer familiar with the complex he was satisfied it was "solid," though there is work still to do. Before Tuesday's vote, District 1 Coun. Clarence Prince told fellow councillors the complex was a beautiful property. "It is worthy of heritage designation because it is the oldest company housing in Canada," said Prince. "This is the site of the first coal mine in Sydney Mines and basically a lot of mining personnel lived in this particular housing." Prince also said it was worthwhile to fix up the complex and that those repairs would benefit the community. Mayor Cecil Clarke noted the new provincial housing strategy that could present opportunities for rehabilitation. At one time Sydney Mines was filled with rows of houses referred to by names such as King William Row, Cahill's Row, Mosquito Row and numerous others. However, with the exception of Red Brick Row, all of those row houses have disappeared from the community.