"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Listen to me Carefully

Council recently resolved to inquire into possibilities of acquiring  the Aurora Armouries.

Last night a report was submitted  behind closed doors. It's odd how speedily some directions are followed.

The report confidential.  You can't know what Council knows.

Except  what you already know and with  a little digging you  can discover.

The land was given to Queen Victoria for a drill shed. For men to come there and march and counter march .present arms ,stand to attention, stand down , fall down on one knee and don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.

It was a time men marched into battle.  An American invasion was on the horizon.  Queen's York Rangers had their beginnings in New Hampshire under the name of Rogers Rangers ,they were an expeditionary  force,  Had there been an invasion, who's to say, it might  have been  the  Rogers Rangers soon to become Queen's York Rangers.

But I digress ... the drill shed sits within  lot lines of the property given to the Queen for  a nominal sum  in at that time sterling currency. Probably a shilling. Maybe
one and sixpence.

So.... facts established... land was  given to the  Old Queen for next to nothing  For a hundred years the Feds have had free use of it.

 Zoning would be unheard of .  Current use would be non-conforming.

No property  attached .No potential for adaptive re-use.

No parking possible.  Inadequate side yards. No rear yard. No space for planting to protect the neighbours.

None of the normal requirements. Like I said...non-conforming.

The Department of National Defence  recently sought heritage designation  for the building. The town obliged.

One wonders....why would they do that?

A  restrictive bylaw registered  against  title. No change can be made that would change the  character
of the building.

What character ?
It's a  drill shed.
The only thing remarkable is that it's still upright.

Now the question for readers to ponder ...what is the value of  a property without potential use in the private sector...that owes nothing to the public sector. ???

There will  likely be a test on this question.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

History.
Love the story.
Thanks 4 bringing it 2 my attention.
I'd fight 4 that building.
It represents what history in Aurora is about.
Like Aurora's bunker.
Tell us that story, please.

Anonymous said...

"Now the question for readers to ponder ...what is the value of a property without potential use in the private sector...that owes nothing to the public sector. ???"

There is a former drill hall in Newmarket (albeit not as old and is bigger). It serves well now.

Anonymous said...

My initial guess would be that this is linked to the value of the land.

Anonymous said...

Off topic
The Barrie area is a mess this morning. Storm seems to have taken the same path north as it did that last time when it went through the marsh, up 400 & took out the horse racing place.

Anonymous said...

Grow-Op for medicinal pot ?

Anonymous said...

How can anyone just dismiss an historical “treasure” like the drill shed? I think the Hydro fund should suffice. But of course….A study will be needed with a consultant attached.

Anonymous said...

9:19
Power off, all the trees around the hi-school are MIA, exams postponed, school full of people & pets.

Anonymous said...

A question back at you, E. Are you allowed to tell us if a building inspector has visited the drill shed & determined its condition. Or are we supposed to just accept it the way we do with Hillary, not being sure about the true state of the structure ?