The sun is shining on Aileen Carroll, but the sun is setting on Ontario’s built heritage

Alma burns, May of 2008

From Bob Foster:
With the release of the “sunshine list” (the $100,000 salary club),it’s appalling to see Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll is making $164,623.53,especially since she has FAILED miserably in her duties as culture minister,and what makes it more shocking is,this minister is also collecting a pension from the federal government,all the while badly neglecting her duties.

Celebrate Demolition by Neglect Week

As heritage week draws to a close,on Sunday February 22nd 2009,let us not forget all the historic buildings we’ve lost under Culture Minister,Aileen Carroll,and all those buildings that are continuing to face demolition by neglect.Minister Carroll has stood up many a times in the legislature,to boast about the “improved & strengthened” heritage act,but she knows it’s window dressing at best,for she has not enforced the heritage act,as it was intended,instead allowing building after building to fall,or allowing owners to demolition by neglect,until the buildings are so unsafe,the culture ministry just gives the go ahead,to tear them down.Owners of historic buildings in the province of Ontario,are fully aware of Aileen Carroll’s lack of interest in protecting our built heritage,so to speed up the demolition process,they remove windows & doors leaving these historic buildings vulnerable to the harsh Ontario weather,and it doesn’t take an engineer to figure out,the longer the building is open and unprotected,the sooner the owner can apply for a demolition permit.Minister Carroll has failed miserably at protecting Ontario’s built heritage,and if there are any people that doubt that statement,I urge you to drive to the City of St.Thomas,and view what remains of Alma College.On the property at 96 Moore Street,you will find 2 historic structures that survived the horrific blaze in May of 2008,you will also find an outdoor amphi-theatre,all of which are continuing to face,demolition by neglect.We lost the main structure,and will lose the 2 remaining structures,if this minister does not take an interest.The property deserves to be designated as “Provincially Significant”,and if the culture minister could bring herself to realize this fact,St.Thomas,Ontario would then have a reason to celebrate “heritage week”.

Robert F.Foster
Brampton,Ontario

Smoke Clears,Dust Settles,Snow Melts and still no word from Aileen Carroll.

Alma fire, May 28, 2008

From: robert_foster2007@hotmail.com

Minister Carroll,
I was reading a quote you recently made regarding heritage volunteers,the quote was “The achievements of these dedicated volunteers help to strengthen communities across Ontario,” said Culture Minister Aileen Carroll. “Their hard
work ensures our rich heritage is conserved and celebrated for generations to
come.”.How could you make such a statement,when you yourself DO NOT “conserve and celebrate”,in fact your motto should be “search and destroy”.It never ceases to amaze me,that you have been quoted on many occasions praising the hard work of heritage voluteers for their tireless efforts,on behalf of our built heritage,then head back to your Queen’s Park office,to sign the demolition papers on some beautiful and historic building,that could be saved with a little help from the ministry of culture,but you would rather bring it down,then assist in bringing it back.Your words are hollow and mean nothing,when it comes to our rich heritage.96 Moore Street has sat abandoned and neglected since the May 2008 fire,the chapel is further damaged,do to the gaping hole in the roof,the music building continues to deteriorate,thanks to the brutal weather here in Ontario,and the outdoor amphi-theatre will surely be unrecognizable,once the snow melts away,so even though the smoke has cleared from the devastating fire in May of 2008,the dust has settled on the demolition that followed the fire,and the snow and ice slowly melts to reveal that nothing has changed on the property in 9 months,one has to wonder what exactly you meant when you said “Their hard
work ensures our rich heritage is conserved and celebrated for generations to come”,because at 96 Moore Street,in St.Thomas,nothing has been conserved and there is no sign of celebration,however “demolition by neglect” has been evident for many years.I do applaud all the heritage volunteers and heritage advocates,who stand up for our built heritage,now if we could only put someone at the helm of the ministry of culture,who has the same passion,we would be well on our way to “conserving and celebrating”…
Quote taken from the following news article:
Aileen Carroll

Robert F.Foster
Brampton,Ontario

Aileen Carroll is waiting for a light bulb moment

Culture Minister Aileen Carroll

Minister Carroll,
I’m pleased you’re promoting energy efficient lightbulbs,but could you possibly spend a little more time promoting our built heritage.We’re still waiting for a response from the ministry of culture,on designating 96 Moore Street in St.Thomas,Ontario as provincially significant.I understand the need for energy efficient lightbulbs,but I dont believe you were hired,to worry about our energy problems in Ontario,and we would appreciate a little more focus on our built heritage,as we’re losing historic buildings at an alarming rate,on your watch.The difference between the lightbulbs you’re promoting,and our built heritage is,lightbulbs can be replaced,our built heritage cannot.Please respond to our request,to have the property where beautiful & historic Alma College stood for 130 years designated,so the 2 remainings buildings,and the outdoor amphi-theatre,will have government protection.

Robert F.Foster
Brampton,Ontario

Alma not our responsibility, Mayor Cliff Barwick

St. Thomas Mayor Cliff Barwick says a clean up order should be in place by spring, but it is up to the province to decide what happens, not the city.
Supporters who had wanted the property declared a heritage site before the fire destroyed the buildings, continue to mourn the loss.
Watch Alma video

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

Alma College: What was lost, what was learned

By: Susan Gardner
Catherine Nasmith’s article in the May/June issue of the Ontario Planning Journal was a compelling call to action. “Who will save Alma College?” she asked. She referred to the fires, development pressures and weak municipal councils that continue to chip away at our stock of heritage buildings, despite strengthened legislation in the Ontario Heritage Act giving municipalities the power to stop demolition. In her closing, Nasmith warned that we may get the nightmare of watching Alma College reduced to rubble. These were chilling words—particularly chilling because that is indeed what happened.
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