SIMON, Charles Herbert Leopold
Charles Simon, a gentle soul who humbly carried the mantle of Canada’s grandfather of green architecture, passed away in Guelph on Feb. 19, 2026 at the age of 89. A visionary whose ground-breaking environmentally-conscious building designs pre-dated the oil crisis of the 1970s, Charles’ work ranged from intimate private residences to large housing communities and master plans for entire new towns – believing that good architecture must serve people and honour its place on the landscape. The only architect or planner ever granted an Honourary Membership in the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Charles taught landscape architecture at three universities – ensuring that his philosophy of contextual, ecologically sensitive design would ripple outward through future generations of practitioners. Born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1936, Charles and his Swiss German family escaped to England to flee the persecution of Jews in Hitler’s regime. He earned an architecture degree from the University of Manchester, and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Illinois. He moved to Canada in 1967, maintaining his practice until 2020. Charles built the first engineered passive solar house in Canada, the Forster Residence in Arkell, Ontario; the largest passive solar housing project in Canada, the Grenville Christian College Staff Housing in Brockville, Ontario; the first women’s housing co-operative in North America; and Waterloo Cedars Joint Worship Centre, the world’s first Christian-Jewish joint worship centre. He led the Toronto Island Housing Community master plan, and the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA Environmental Learning Centre. He earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustainable Building from the Toronto Regional Green Building Festival in 2006. Charles is predeceased by his second wife Anna Simon, sister Hanna Shapiro, and first wife Joan Simon. Charles is greatly missed by his nieces and nephew Taya Lowe, William Katz and Sarina Perlino, his Swiss and California families and Anna’s family in Poland. For nearly a half-century, Charles was a beloved community member in the picturesque village of Eden Mills west of Toronto, where he was best known for reviving the landmark circa 1842 mill into his residence. In their final years Charles and Anna ensured the wetlands around their home would be enjoyed for decades to come, through the generous donation of the land to rare Charitable Research Reserve. “Charles was a pioneer, a mentor, an accomplished and ambitious designer as well as one of the most gentle and generous souls I have ever met,” said Eric Haldenby, professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture. “His most distinct legacy is the manner in which he saw architecture as a way to improve the world – environmentally, socially, spiritually, and simply as a place of respect and harmony.” Charles volunteered with the Eden Mills Community Club and supported the Eden Mills’ Writers Festival. Charles was involved in village planning and helped lead the Eden Mills: Going Carbon Neutral project from 2007, recognized via Canada’s Clean50 Top Project Award in 2020. Canada has lost one of its original environmental visionaries, but Charles’ impact lives on through his teachings and designs. Donations in Charles and Anna Simon’s memory to rare Charitable Reserve https://www.raresites.org/donate. Arrangements entrusted to the Wall-Custance Funeral Home & Chapel 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.
