Too Little Too Late

Should be emblazoned on City Of Toronto coat of arms.

Councillor makes bid to save city's heritage
Proposal, now before city council, would require owners to maintain upkeep of historic buildings
May 22, 2007
Thulasi Srikanthan
Staff Reporter

Toronto lost one of the most important buildings in its history when heritage building Walnut Hall fell victim to deteriorating conditions this weekend, said councillor Kyle Rae yesterday.

"It's a real shame because it was an (1850s) building and the first apartment building in the city," Rae said. "It's a great loss for the city."

Rae has a proposal in front of council that would compel owners of historic buildings to maintain minimum standards of upkeep. If introduced, failure to live up to the proposed standards would lead to fines up to $5,000, or the city compelling owners to take action or face foreclosure.

He was in Montreal for a conference when the crumbling walls of Walnut Hall compelled city crews to demolish the four-storey building because of safety concerns. The hall was built in 1856 and designed by Irish-native John Tully.