The Canadian Destroyed Buildings Thread II

[flar]

More Hamilton silliness, this time some streetscapes and entire blocks that were obliterated in misguided urban renewal attempts.

The entire northwestern part of downtown was wiped clean in the early 70s


This street was expropriated and destroyed to create a grand boulevard entrance to Hamilton from Toronto (York Blvd).

[flar]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Oh my gods... poor Hamilton. At least the Piggot Building survived. Wow though, I had no idea.

The city looked almost European with all those low rise, high density buildings.

The Pigott Building was nearly lost as well, it sat abandoned in the 1980s. Various parts of it were looted. The stained glass windows in its lobby were found in a second hand store. Luckily it was eventually designated as a heritage building and restored as condos.

[KnoxfordGuy]

Saint John does still maintain a lot of historic buildings that are all over 130 years old! streets of them due to the great fire of 1877. this is only a taste of what has been saved in Saint John. Just to perk up the spirits of those that are sad that all these amazing buildings are gone (like me ) Look up Prince William Street on Google Earth and you will all be pleased, also King street. oh hell, there are tones, just look at Saint John on Google Earth!

mine

mine

NOT MINE

NOT MINE

[vanman]

Holy Shit Hamilton should be the Quebec City of Anglo Canada!

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by flar

The entire northwestern part of downtown was wiped clean in the early 70s

I understand that the buildings in red have been demolished. It reminds me of the crazy projects for Montreal in the 60's. Where the southern part of the Plateau was to be replaced by something like this:




The Highway 720 was supposed to run through Old Montreal along the river, 40% of Old Montreal would have been torn down, and a new highway was supposed to be built along Papineau, destroying the old neighbourhoods of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve on its path.



Thank God it didn't happen, even though 850 houses were demolished to make place for Highway 720. But I take this over Old Montreal anytime.

[MolsonExport]

From the perspective of destruction of urban fabric, Hamilton is much more St. Louis and much less Q-C.

[MolsonExport]

Parts of McGill Ghetto were destroyed by this Drapeaunian crap. Fortunately, only a small portion of La Cite complex was completed.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by flar

More Hamilton silliness, this time some streetscapes and entire blocks that were obliterated in misguided urban renewal attempts.

The entire northwestern part of downtown was wiped clean in the early 70s

What got replaced during the 60's, 70's and 80's is Jackson Square, Central Library, new City Hall, Convention Centre, Hamilton Place, Art Gallery of Hamilton, CIBC twin towers, Stelco Tower, Standard Life Centre, One James N building, Robert Thomson Building, Hamilton School Board, Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, downtown transit terminal and Copps Coliseum.

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

The Windsor Hotel burned down in december 1957. Only the south part burned down. The other part still stands today.

That's right I forgot. I love the CIBC tower but I think it could have been built pretty much everywhere. Stupid fires.

[davidivivid]

The 70's... Huge chunks of downtown, including hundreds of 200+ years old buildings, were torn down.

On the first picture, you can see that a neighbourhood in the lowertown was cut in half in order to build a freeway, which was partly torned down 10 years ago.


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2010/09/10/la-construction-du-hilton-quebec/


On this second picture, everything on the left end side was torn down to make way for government buildings... Since this neighbourhood is located near the Parliament in a strategic location in the upper town, many buildings destroyed were richer than average.


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2010/09/10/la-construction-du-hilton-quebec/


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2010/09/10/la-construction-du-hilton-quebec/


On Grande-Allée, facing the Parliament, used to stand some of the most rich, georgous victorian mansions in the Province. I've found pictures of these mansions :


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2008/08/29/limportance-du-patrimoine-urbain/grande-allae-2/


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2008/08/29/limportance-du-patrimoine-urbain/grade-allae-1/


http://quebecurbain.qc.ca/archives/2006_11.html


However, during the "modern" construction phase of parlement hill in the 70's, these mansions were destroyed and replaced by the following building, which people in Quebec refer to as "le calorifère", or the heater.


http://www.siq.gouv.qc.ca/pageInterieur.asp?type=client&html=DD_visezvert_071129.html

It is very approximative but I'd say that many if not most buildings situated in the areas surrounded in red were torned down in a very short time frame in the early 70's. P.S. The following picture was taken in 1929.


http://www.quebecurbain.qc.ca/2004/04/page/5/

[Rico Rommheim]

Makes me sick to my stomach just seeing this.

[Only The Lonely..]

Why do I get the feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of Winnipeg in this thread.


The Royal Alexandra Hotel (CP Rail)





The Empire Hotel






This whole city block was clearcut in the 70's






The Old Post Office





Which was replaced by this fine parkade:

[MolsonExport]

I can't stand the pain!

[Rumors]

Here's half of the Windsor.(My photos) ,,,

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I'm going to wait for MTLskyline to post his vast collection of fantastic, long-gone Montreal buildings.

Heh, I'll try not to disappoint!

Bonaventure Station was located approximately where the Dow Planetarium is now (perhaps another future demolished building?). It was destroyed by fire in 1916.

Bonaventure Station was Montreal's Grand Trunk Railway station (Grand Trunk Railway's assets were later absorbed into CN). CN later built Central Station in the early 1940s to consolidate all of its downtown Montreal operations in one place).


http://djgagnon.tumblr.com/post/8021490430/railroad-montreal-montreal-bonaventure-station


http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/large.php?accessnumber=VIEW-2514&Lang=1&imageID=159262


http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbexplo/4747596439/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbexplo/4747597289/in/photostream/


(scanned reprint, 1909 approx)

1916 fire!

(McCord Museum)


(McCord Museum)

Bonaventure station was rebuilt after the 1916 fire, although it was much more modest. (you can see the tower of Windsor Station lurking in the background). The remaining part of it was demolished at a later point.

CNR photo from: Canadian Rail; June 1976; SS Worthen article; CRHA.

[Rico Rommheim]

My heart doesn't bleed too much for the Bonaventure station. It was a "temporary" station anyways, and the GTR always intended on tearing it down for a larger station eventually.

What is really sad though is that every building in this picture is gone.

[MTLskyline]

Queen's Hotel (1892-1977, 1993)
PEEL STREET BETWEEN ST. JACQUES WEST AND ST. ANTOINE WEST


http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/graphics/queens-hotel-montreal-luggage-tag/

Originally Posted by McCord Museum

The Queen's Hotel, on Peel Street, close to the Grand Trunk's Bonaventure Station and not far from the Canadian Pacific's Windsor Station, opened its doors in 1893. Its reasonable prices must have attracted a varied clientele. It advertised itself as "a modern fireproof hotel." An elegant facing of dressed stone - very fashionable red sandstone - masked the modernity of its structure, which was partly steel.
Source: http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/VIEW-2701?Lang=1&accessnumber=VIEW-2701

http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/VIEW-2701


http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/MP-0000.846.10


http://acanadianfamily.com/2011/01/31/ca...ntreal-queen-s-hotel-and-windsor-street/


http://postcards.bidstart.com/QUEEN-S-HOTEL-MONTREAL-QUEBEC-CANADA-1907-/15872545/a.html


http://postcards.bidstart.com/QUEEN-S-HOTEL-MONTREAL-QUEBEC-PQ-QC-POSTCARD-1938-/17322701/a.html


http://etymonline.com/columns/postcards.htm

Looking down Peel, you can see them in the distance

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73416633@N00/364568872/sizes/l/

Their neighbour, the Hotel Colonial was just next door on Peel (photo from 1971)

http://coolopolis.blogspot.com/2007/08/montreals-greatest-ever-building-1971.html

This fellow has a good couple of photos of the demolition of part of the former Queen's Hotel in 1993.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30012802@N03/sets/72157622200363438/

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

My heart doesn't bleed too much for the Bonaventure station. It was a "temporary" station anyways, and the GTR always intended on tearing it down for a larger station eventually.

What is really sad though is that every building in this picture is gone.

If only this had been built instead of Central Station!


http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/03/30/three-visions-of-montreal/

[Rico Rommheim]

Yeah. Central station (the actual train station building, not the whole urban renewal complex) has to be the of the least ambitious train station ever built in a major Canadian city (never mind the biggest back in 1938).

[ssiguy]

This is the saddest thread, much more of this I'm going to need therapy.