Thirty three church conversions in Toronto – Table 1 from Hackworth and Gullikson (2013)

Update A June 4, 2018 CBC article is entitled: “This pastor closed his church: Graham Singh is saving a Montreal church by first closing the doors, then opening them wider than ever.” [End]   In a previous post, I have summarized a paper by Hackworth and Gullikson (2013) regarding church conversions in Toronto. Below is […]

What is worth preserving?

What is worth preserving? Our attitudes toward ruins and historically significant buildings and cultural landscapes have a relationship to a wider conversation about what matters. After the Second World War, destruction of heritage properties and landscapes was the norm in much of the world, a practice which in some cases continues today. Jane Jacobs among […]

Update regarding 28 Daisy Avenue: Notice of passing of bylaw

Previous posts have discussed 28 Daisy Avenue. You can find them by clicking on the link at the previous sentence, or through a Google search for “28 Daisy Avenue Preserved Stories.” I especially like the information that there was a time in the 1910s and later where you could see clear to Lake Ontario from […]

Highland Creek was a centre of commerce in the early history of Scarborough

[Update: Highland Creek was highlighted in a CBC Radio Metro Morning broadcast in the fall of 2013. The CBC link (see previous sentence) introduces Highland Creek as follows: Highland Creek is in the south-east corner of Scarborough bordered … It has roots in the 1800s, and it’s been described as still having that “small village” […]

Heritage Toronto Tours Program

To access information about the Heritage Toronto Tours Program click here.  

July 1, 2013 Toronto Star editorial supports Mimico secondary plan

The article can be found here. I owe thanks to Abbe Edelson for letting me know about this editorial, which begins with the following opening line: “It may be counterintuitive, but the suggestion that both developers and residents dislike Mimico’s proposed revitalization plan may actually be good for the sleepy lakeside community.”  

Rhetoric of heritage preservation

Update: A Feb. 21, 2014 New Yorker article is entitled: “Why is academic writing so academic?” [End of update]   We can speak of rhetoric from a variety of perspectives. Rhetoric is a great topic for academic study. By way of example, early in his career Marshall McLuhan developed expertise in rhetoric as a field of […]

Heritage architect Julian Smith compares historical and cultural landscape concepts – Stephanie Calvet, Nov. 27, 2012

I found a Nov. 27, 2012 blog post by Stephanie E. Calvet of interest. I found the discussion, in Stephanie Calvet’s post, of the distinction between heritage landscape and cultural landscape of particular interest. I have, in this context, been researching back stories of relevance to the Wesley Mimico United Church redevelopment story. Deer Park […]

Burra Charter offers a guideline for adaptive reuse of heritage buildings

You can access the Burra Charter here. The full text of the document is of relevance. The following excerpts offer selected highlights. Preamble The document notes (p.1): Places of cultural significance enrich people’s lives, often providing a deep and inspirational sense of connection to community and landscape, to the past and to lived experiences. It […]

Feeling Congested? The City Is Listening, So Speak Up | June 25, 2013 | by Jack Landau | urbantoronto.ca

This is a first rate article. I recommend it highly.