It's hard to shed a tear, but we should.

I knew it was coming down and I got a picture before it was demolished. It stood for about 150 years and for many of those years it was in decline. It lingered on the corner of Wellington Street and Horton Street long after the rest of the historic streetscape had disappeared and faded from memory.

No one saw it as an important historic building, and maybe it wasn't. Reportedly, it did have a few of its original wooden doors and a little of the original woodwork remained. It was a victim of urban building abuse and has now succumbed to the multitude of nasty blows inflicted on its once clean, elegant Georgian architecture.

Good-bye! We never really knew you.

It's Thanksgiving Day in Canada!

I shot this carefully stacked pile of Coke cartons back in June; it was stacked to celebrate Canada Day in one of the giant Loblaws grocery stores, possibly the one on Wonderland Rd. at Southdale Rd. I didn't have a chance to run it back then, but I think it is perfect for today.

Have a good Thanksgiving,
Cheers,
Rockinon

From Red-tailed Hawks to Fuzzy Bears

Two red-tailed hawks were riding the up drafts, hovering over the weed covered field in southwest London, Ontario, but when the camera appeared, the two hawks dove, banked and disappeared.

But, if you stay alert, there is always a picture to be made. And fuzzy bears hang around a lot longer posing for their picture than silly old hawks.

A Soho charmer

This is another home in the SoHo, South of Horton, area of London, Ontario. This home is on the southern edge of the city core near the Thames River. As I have revealed in days past, there are homes in this area going back 130 or more years and a few still look quite good. Sadly, many of the homes have been demolished or so modified over the years that they have lost all their charm — but not this place. This home, surrounded with greenery, is a real charmer. I've posted more about this neighbourhood on Rockin' On: the Blog.

Going, going, Georgian heritage soon to be gone

For years I have admired the white, vinyl-sided, building at the corner of Wellington Street and Horton Street in downtown London, Ontario. Much of the building was often empty and it was clear for years that one day it would be demolished. Well, that day is at hand.

I may be one of the only people in London to mourn its loss. I am just guessing, but I think this Georgian style building may have been originally a hotel serving the railroad trade back in the 1860s. Before it was sided with plastic and divided up at street level into stores, this building had a simple elegance.

 I understand that a recent inspection of the interior showed that over the years substantial renovations have been done. Some of the original wood trim, a number of the solid wood doors, some flooring and even heritage windows remain but all has deteriorated. Its landmark status has been lost as the street scape in the immediate vicinity evolved, or devolved, over the years.

The folk who bought the property and who are going to demolish this heritage building are the very people who build the new, and oh-so-bland, Salvation Army shelter at the opposite end of the block. If I had my druthers on which building should go and which one should stay, I'd be hard pressed to make a decision.

Grasses

Tall grasses are everywhere. Many are not native to Canada and cannot live through our harsh winters. This grass was sighted at the Loblaws gas bar on Southdale Road at Wonderland Road. This grass easily stood seven feet tall and waved with grace in the wind.

A home with warmth

This is another home in a forgotten part of  the London core. This home is in the far western edge of SoHo, South of Horton, near the Thames River. There are homes in this area going back 130 or more years and a few still look quite good. Sadly, many of the homes have been demolished or so modified over the years that they have lost their charm. I'm try to learn a bit more about this neighbourhood and will post my findings on Rockin' On: the Blog.