Sharon Temple

"As an example of a specific positive experience of quality in the built environment, I remember visiting Sharon Temple in East Gwillimbury, York Region, before the pandemic. The temple is a unique piece of early 19th-century Southern Ontario architecture that’s steeped in significant historical connections. The Children of Sharon were strong and early supporters of a democratic Canada. They elected Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine as the representative of their local riding in the 1840s, paving the way for him to become the first head of a responsible government in Canada along with Robert Baldwin. The form and setting of Sharon Temple have many positive qualities, including the building’s four identical sides comprised of beautiful geometric shapes whose symmetry suggests everyone is welcome. It’s a place of music and of light. It carries for me personal memories of restoration work I did at the temple in the 1990s, which helped facilitate a continuation of almost 200 years of occupation. The Illumination of Sharon Temple – which has taken place on this site every September since 1831 – stands out in my mind as encapsulating this place’s positive quality. During the Illumination that took place when I was working on the property, I was tasked with the challenging but rewarding job of lighting the candles on the temple roof. Participation, sublimity, continuity, and an awareness of the past and future are all indicators of quality in built environments. That said, these can manifest in myriad ways." (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.78). Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/nDpLHtXyd8R28vJY7