Discussion here:
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=77403
Story here:
http://www.yrng.com/yr/yr4/YR_News/News ... 7821c.html
Feds destroy historic homes
WOMAN HOPED TO SAVE ONE OF THREE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN BY TRANSPORT CANADA
Mar 10, 2007
Chris Traber, Staff Writer
More from this author
(Markham) - Michelle Dimoglou's dream of preserving a piece of Markham's history was bulldozed Tuesday by Transport Canada.
The 1875 home, hand-built by 80-something-year-old John Boyle on land granted to him after the American Revolutionary War, was one of three historic buildings on the Pickering airport lands that were torn down without a permit.
In addition to Ms Dimoglou's Reesor Road dream house, properties on Reesor Road and York Durham Line, all built between 1850 and 1890, were demolished by the federal agency.
"I am so saddened. What it means is that my family isn't going to relocate that home to a nice neighbourhood at Markham Heritage Estates," said the Lindsay mother of three young children.
"The house was pristine, all original. They didn't salvage a thing. We've been working since 1998 to get a heritage property. Now it's landfill," she said.
"My seven-year old son asked why they did that. If a child can understand that it's wrong, why can't Transport Canada?"
As custodian of the airport lands, Transport Canada has jurisdiction and doesn't answer to local authorities.
The agency, which was part of a special heritage steering committee, was aware of Markham's intent to preserve the properties.
The steering committee said the properties had historical significance and requested demolition be deferred until all parties could reach an agreement.
But the federal government didn't respond to the recommendation and discussions stopped after a meeting in December 2005, Councillor John Webster said.
Mayor Frank Scarpitti wrote a series of letters to Transport Canada, copying the federal Transportation and Finance Ministers. A "strongly worded and bolded" letter Jan. 23 was also ignored.
On Feb. 27, Markham council passed a resolution asking Transport Canada to hold off on the demolition and re-join discussions at the steering committee.
Transport Canada offered to let the town take photographs, pieces of the structure or relocate the homes.
Markham heritage staff visited the properties Monday after Transport Canada requested demolition permits, but security guards wouldn't let them in, Mr. Webster said.
The next day, bulldozers levelled the structures.
"Transport Canada is out of control," Mr. Webster said. "They have systematically ignored our attempts to save three important historical sites in the the Town of Markham. Forty-three more are at risk.
"These buildings are irreplaceable heirlooms. Transport Canada ignored all requests and ordered them destroyed. Transport Canada doesn't think they have to answer to anybody. They had no permit. They wrote their own rules. It's blatant. They figured they could get rid of the heritage homes before anyone could do anything about it. Obviously, they think we're all stupid."
Transport Canada was obligated to demolish the houses, regional communications advisor Tina Bouchard said.
"Transport Canada was legally committed to follow through with the demolition of these residential dwellings, as this was the ground for issuing the original notices of termination to the tenants under the Ontario Tenant Protection Act," she said.
Asked if the 43 additional structures on the land, many of them historically significant, were at risk, she said, "As custodian of the Pickering lands site, Transport Canada makes all important decisions related to the site."
She said the demolition is part of the government's long-range strategy.
"The department is undertaking prudent, long-term planning to ensure that, if demand dictates, a safe and viable airport remains an option for local interests," she said. "Transport Canada has been working with the municipalities on their local heritage plans for federally owned buildings on the Pickering Lands Site. Transport Canada will continue to facilitate local heritage plans."
Mr. Scarpitti blames "a breakdown in the system."
The mayor believes the federal government's absence from the steering committee during 2006 eroded communications.
"The system let us down," he said. "They were well aware of what we wanted. On a go-forward basis, 43 buildings remain. We're strongly recommending that we reconvene the heritage steering committee and adopt criteria and establish protocols so they can't go and knock heritage properties down."
Mea culpa! Did it from (poor) memory.
