Aileen Carroll misses the call, again

Minister Carroll,
It’s an absolute DISGRACE that once again,you have allowed another historic building to be demolished.The Erie Street United Church,in Ridgetown,Ontario is another glaring example of your complete FAILURE as Minister of Culture.What will it take for you to see the value in Ontario’s heritage?.We lost Alma College in St.Thomas,Ont on May 28th,2008 due to your lack of interest.It has become very apparent that you’re more interested in opening art galleries,and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Ontario Science Centre,for which you were all over the news “bubbling” with enthusiasm for this “regal” event.Could you possibly put some of that enthusiasm towards our built heritage?.At the rate you’re going,you could wipe out all of Ontario’s built heritage,with one term in office.These buildings have stood upwards of 100 years,withstood the brutal Canadian weather,have given back to the Province of Ontario in spades,and your way of re-paying the favour,is to send the wrecking ball to their front door.Premier McGuinty needs to rein you in,before you completely wipe out Ontario’s identity.Every building you demolish,is like tearing a page from the history book,every time a building falls to the ground,so to goes with it the legacy that took a 100 years to create.I’m not only sad for the people who are fighting for our heritage today,I’m also sad for the people who years from now,will only have photograph’s of these beautiful & historic buildings.It’s a very sad time for our built heritage,and I can safely say the biggest threat to every historic building in the Province of Ontario,is Aileen Carroll.

Bob Foster
Brampton,Ontario

An Alma Christmas story

Aileen Carroll,
I recently drove the 2 hours from my hometown of Brampton,Ontario,to the beautiful City of St.Thomas,it was a windy & snow-swept day,and as I pulled up to 96 Moore Street,the place in which beautiful and historic Alma College stood for 130 years,tears came to my eyes,as I was looking over to the quaint little chapel,because one of the roof tiles blew completely off,and tumbled across the rubble filled property.

A letter to culture minister Aileen Carroll from Bob Foster re: her pension

Aileen Carroll

Ms.Carroll,
I was doing some research,and found a video clip on YouTube,in which you were asked how much you were receiving from the federal government,in pension money,and in the video clip,you seemed quite annoyed at the question,and refused to give specifics.I have to wonder how a politician,who is receiving a federal pension of $46,000,and collecting over $160,000 as culture minister, can still refuse to answer the Ontario taxpayer’s questions.Since I am a Canadian,and I live in Ontario,I feel that I have a right to know,if you will finally step forward and designate 96 Moore Street in St.Thomas,as provincially significant.You are receiving quite a bit of money from the federal and provincial government for your work, so I feel at the very least, you owe the Alma supporters an answer.Our politicians are paid with tax dollars,and since quite a bit of those tax dollars are going directly into your bank account,from the provincial and federal level, do you not feel obligated to answer?

Watch Aileen Carroll video

Robert F.Foster
Brampton,Ontario

Letter to culture minister Aileen Carroll

Aileen Carroll

As I watched question period,you rose and spoke about the Ontario Heritage Trust,in response to
another members question,regarding former premiers.You stated that you value the input of the OHT,and that they have been a great asset to the ministry of culture.I have to ask why you did not value their opinion with regards to Alma College.The OHT reported to the culture ministry,that Alma College was indeed eligible for provincial designation,but you ignored the report,and the end result was,the college being set ablaze,and lost forever. I’m not sure of the all the rules & regulations in your ministry,but I find it very suspicious that you ignored Alma College,when it was listed as the number one endangered building in Canada,you hid the OHT report,as thousands of Alma College supporters were gathering petition signatures,and even though 2 buildings survived the inferno,at 96 Moore Street,you have failed to designate the property.The Alma supporters thought for sure,that once you had seen the devastation that was brought to this property,you would move immediately to protect what remained,but again we were mistaken.The Ministry of Culture seems to be unaware,of the “demolition by neglect” that is spreading across this beautiful province.Owners of historic buildings now know,if they simply let enough time go by,the culture ministry will never step in,and city’s cannot help protect these historic buildings,without government assistance,so its a waiting game,of which the owner will win every time.It’s very sad to see so many buildings abandoned and neglected.It’s true they built these structures to last,and in most cases they withstood the hands of time,what they couldn’t withstand,was the hand of Aileen Carroll…

Robert F.Foster
Brampton,Ont