City Directories for ESA Research

I have been peer reviewing a number of Phase 1 ESA reports lately, and as always there are a few that are very good, many that are adequate, and a disappointing number that are deficient. A common theme to the deficient reports is a general failure to not only complete all the necessary historical research, but also a lack of perspective in understanding the significance of the data as it pertains to the historical development of the subject site, and off-site properties within the ESA Study Area. This often leads to inaccuracies in determining the First Developed Use of the property, and identifying Potentially Contaminating Activities (PCA) and their associated Area(s) of Potential Environmental Concern (APEC). This month I will discuss the use of City Directories as part of the historical research for conducting Phase 1 ESAs.

A bit of history:
City Directories, or Street Directories, were first developed as a precursor to telephone books (if you remember them). You may have also heard of them by different publishers names such as Vernon’s, Might’s, Polk’s, Criss-Cross, Henderson’s and others. They were originally intended as a sales and marketing tool, and contained an alphabetical listing of residents/occupants by municipal address (where such addresses were available), along with business listings. The first City Directory published in Canada was for Quebec City in 1790 by Hugh Mackay. By the mid to late 1800’s extensive collections were available for urban centres across Canada. Some rural areas were covered by county directories; however the coverage and listings are generally less extensive and detailed than the urban directories. By the 2000’s many of the printed editions were offered in digital format, and in some cities, the earlier editions have been digitized for greater access. These directories are useful for historical research when conducting ESAs, and are commonly available for review in municipal and university libraries, provincial and national archives, as well as some online sources.

How do we use City Directories for ESA research?
Along with aerial imagery, Fire Insurance Plans and other records review, City Directories are a great tool in determining the development history and occupancy of a Site. Information can be discovered regarding First Developed Use, historical commercial and industrial activities, and changes in occupancy – not just at the subject site, but for other properties in the study area. The directory search is often sub-contracted; personally I prefer to do the research myself in order to catch all the little details, to be able to double check data, and to dive a little deeper as needed. Some things to consider: go back far enough in time to at least the First Developed Use and review data in 5 to 10 year intervals as necessary; research not just the site but surrounding properties as well (this may encompass several streets); watch for ‘red flags’ (gas stations, auto garages, dry cleaners, industrial operations, rail lines, and more); document changes in occupancy and durations of activity; corroborate the directory data with other sources (FIP, aerials, interviews, etc.).

Some pitfalls and errors:
Whether you conduct the research yourself, or sub-contract the work to others, there are a few potential errors to watch for: the research was limited in that it didn’t go back far enough or the time intervals were too great such that data was missed; significant site activities may be missed when no municipal addresses are available (watch for listings for ‘North/South/EastWest side of street’ and correlate to street intersections, rail lines or other addresses to locate the subject site); watch for historical changes in Street names (e.g. historically ‘Main Street’ was re-named to ‘King Street’); be aware of compass directions in street names (for example my home municipality has a King Street North, South, East and West – very confusing); don’t forget off-site listings – I see far too many searches that are limited to the subject site alone, and neighbouring or nearby gas stations, dry cleaners, etc. get missed: be aware of short term occupancies, especially for dry cleaners in a retail mall – a lot of environmental damage can occur in a short time for some activities. Lastly, be thorough, consistent and detailed in your research and the interpretation and assessment of your findings – there’s a lot more to it than simply marking a check box then cutting and pasting data into your report.

Bill Leedham, P. Geo., CESA
Bill is the Head Instructor and Course Developer for the Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada (www.aesac.ca); and the founder and President of Down 2 Earth Environmental Services Inc. You can contact Bill at info@down2earthenvironmental.ca