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Friends of the Foundry/Handout
The Ontario government doesn’t need to tear down a group of heritage industrial buildings in Toronto’s West Don Lands in order to decontaminate the site and allow housing to be built, a group of architects and community activists say.
The derelict red-brick buildings of the former Dominion Wheel and Foundries Co., the oldest of which dates back to 1917, have been at the centre of a political battle for weeks, after a local neighbourhood association won a court order blocking the province’s demolition, idling heavy equipment that had already started clearing the site.
In an email on Tuesday, the Ontario municipal affairs and housing ministry said it has sent invitations for virtual talks to the West Don Lands Committee, the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association and the Corktown Residents and Business Association. These meetings will be taking place shortly, Stephanie Bellotto, press secretary for Steve Clark, municipal affairs and housing minister, said in the email.
Bellotto said the ministry has encouraged the neighbourhood groups to bring members of the International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA) to the talks. The group has proposed to regenerate the buildings as a place for musicians to work and perform and as a community hub for Corktown.
Ford government selling Dominion Foundries land, but isn t revealing buyer cbc.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbc.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A gritty piece of Toronto heritage under threat theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A Toronto group that calls itself Friends of the Foundry staged a "love-in" on Valentine's Day for four industrial heritage buildings it is trying to save from demolition downtown.