Forty undesignated heritage buildings along Colborne St in Brantford may be demolished starting Tuesday. This is perhaps the longest stretch of pre-Confederate buildings in Ontario, but the buildings were expropriated by the city and have been allowed to decay and deteriorate for 30 years. The city is bitterly divided on whether to try to save this stretch or have the (by now) eyesore razed. Demolition of the windows and interiors has already begun in anticipation of a final vote. See also Violet Sky
MyWorldTuesday
15 comments:
That's happening in so many areas and I suppose it's good in a way, but I always hate to lose those pieces of our history. That's what I loved about Europe -- all of the old and very, very old places where you could see and feel the history. Thoughtful post for the day. Hope you have a great week!
Sylvia
it's a pity that these heritage buildings will be gone forever. i guess it's happening everywhere.
So sad that they didn't restore these buildings years ago when they started deteriorating.
How sad, I will be among those protesting and requesting the council to refurbish this.
So sad these buildings couldn't have been restored. So sad to lose such a piece of history that can never be replaced.
It's a damn shame. Is it too late now?
I was just checking for news of the council meeting held last night.
The vote this time around was 8-3 in favour of demolition - last time (in February) it was 6-5. So the margin gets wider the more this drags on, and the worse the buildings deterioate.
With its history long forgotten, many choose to tear down rather than restore old architecture.
Its sad to see it left to ruin when it could have been useful.
The really sad part is that their history is not long forgotten.
The city is in a decline, but to tear these down, hoping a developer will come in and build on the land is so short-sighted.
I have mixed emotions, too. To loose or to keep the heritage buildings. I hope the government or the people vote for the right decision.
What a shame!
Photos in the paper today show them being torn down- what a shame!
Yes. It didn't take long before the demolition crew was called in (less than 12 hours, actually). It is expected to take 3 months to remove the history.
Decisions like this are tough for communities... So much emotional and historic attachment..
My first thoughts always lean toward refurbishment into retail/office space to increase economics while preserving the beauty...
In the end very few preservationists showed up to protest. I think the immediate community who were directly involved, were sick of seeing the street looking so dilapidated and wanted to just move on in any way.
Post a Comment