November 4: Some months ago I wrote about a guy living across the street who seemed to be obsessed with using power tools – a leaf blower in particular – for hours on end. The noise was grating and annoying. I was somewhat relieved when the house was sold in the spring for $1.5 million, but today there’s a new noise from across the street: the house is being demolished by a power shovel.
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‘ve also written about the loss of these old homes and the monstrosities that seem to frequently take their place. Just as I was beginning to feel like a lonely old codger standing on the front porch railing against progress, I came across a lengthy article by Historian Michael Bliss. Speaking about Leaside, he says in part:
Many of its old houses are being euthanized. They are razed rather than cremated; but the phoenixes rising on their sites are often utterly unLeaside-like, silly stone faux chateaux reflecting the architectural dementia that’s epidemic in Toronto.
What a wonderful phrase, and so apt to the residential real estate market in this city. Things are so nutty that a home in Bennington Heights came up for sale and was bought by the neighbour, demolished, and the lot left vacant because they were concerned that there would be a monster home built there. Granted, they have created a small assembly that is worth a fortune in a great neighbourhood that will only increase in value, but this seems a pretty extreme way to protect yourself. Architectural dementia indeed.