Ontario Canada is the home of North Country Slate. This is where it began, and we have done restoration, new residential and commercial building projects the full length and width of the province. From Cornwall to Windsor and St. Catherines to Thunder Bay, North Country Slate shingles adorn buildings at Queens University in Kingston, the University of Toronto and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Laurier House in Ottawa and the Goderich Town Hall.
St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto is crowned by a North Country Unfading Black slate shingle roof with North Country Unfading Green and North Country Unfading Red to create a pattern and our slate shingles have been chosen for many, many other religious buildings across the province.
The upscale neighborhoods of Forest Hill, Post Road, High Park, Rosedale and the lakeshore of Oakville possess innumerable spectacular private homes that are sheltered by North Country black, green, gray, purple and mottled slates from quarries in Vermont and Quebec. The maintenance and restoration of older treasured and historic homes across the province is a constant part of our business.
Significant inventory is held in our Toronto distribution yard and support in person from our technical representative, John Neil, is only a phone call away due to our proximity to this market. John is familiar with all qualified slate roofing contractors working in the province and is a vital resource for architects, designers, restoration professionals and custom home builders on all things slate.
Look for North Country Slate roofs in Toronto, Peterborough, Burlington, Kingston, Hamilton, Aurora, Cambridge, Belleville, Goderich, Mississauga, Ottawa, Windsor, Woodbridge, St. Catherines, Muskoka, Thunder Bay, Brockville, King City, Guelph, London, Oshawa, Chatham, Oakville, Sarnia, Burlington and Milton.
The Royal Conservatory of Music – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
McMaster Hall was built in 1881, with rock- faced masonry, decorative stone and brick patterns designed by the Toronto architectural firm of Langley, Langley and Burke this structure typifies the High Victorian style popular in the 1880’s.
The building was originally known as the Baptist Theological College, a residential facility for the training of ministers. Since 1962, the Royal Conservatory of Music, a Toronto institution founded in 1886, has occupied the site.
The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995, in recognition of the institution’s significant influence on music education in Canada.
In 2010, the building received the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for the William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship Category
A $1.5-million renovation began in 2003 on the neglected façade and slate roof. North Country Semi-Weathering Gray/Black 20”x10”x1/4-3/8” was selected to match an existing section of the slate roof on the building’s north side that was replaced in 1994. Over 60 squares of ASTM S-1 slate was installed to meet the projects tight deadline.
Special consideration was made as slates were punched 8″ down from the top so they could be properly installed on wood battens. Traditionally a European slate roof system, the installation method of counter batten and batten system provide natural ventilation above the roof deck. Commonly constructed of 1×4 and 1×6 lumber, the spacing and layout of the battens is crucial to ensure the slate nail hole location align with the wood battens and are properly supported at the top and bottom of the slate. It is also important that proper headlap and exposure of the slate shingles is maintained.
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto the Royal Conservatory of Music continues to be one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world. Some say the imposing manner of the building demonstrates the prestigious nature of the institution. It appears to be rich in talent both inside and out.
