Monthly Archives: March 2010

St Agnes Resurrected; will Bell ring?

The old St Agnes school south of Gladstone on Bell has been in private ownership for some time. It unfortunately had that “abandonned” look to it, which the neighborhood did not need.

The school, now owned by the adjacent Polish Catholic church, is undergoing major renovations as a educational, community, and recreational centre for the Polish community. It is nice to see quality renovations underway, including new windows and additional window walls being cut into the old brick exterior.

The dilapidated Bell Street towers apartment buildings across the street have also seen better days. Apparently the new owners are going to reclad the exteriors of the buildings. There is tremendous potential to do a design-challenged cheap job (black metal siding) or an design-proud recladding in traditional or modern materials. Givent the prominence of the towers to the skyline and their view from miles away along the Qway, I hope for the quality refinishing.

St Agnes Resurrected; will Bell ring?

The old St Agnes school south of Gladstone on Bell has been in private ownership for some time. It unfortunately had that “abandonned” look to it, which the neighborhood did not need.

The school, now owned by the adjacent Polish Catholic church, is undergoing major renovations as a educational, community, and recreational centre for the Polish community. It is nice to see quality renovations underway, including new windows and additional window walls being cut into the old brick exterior.

The dilapidated Bell Street towers apartment buildings across the street have also seen better days. Apparently the new owners are going to reclad the exteriors of the buildings. There is tremendous potential to do a design-challenged cheap job (black metal siding) or an design-proud recladding in traditional or modern materials. Givent the prominence of the towers to the skyline and their view from miles away along the Qway, I hope for the quality refinishing.

infill in Dalhousie South

Substantial-sized infill semi-detached homes under construction in Dalhousie south, near Carling. The foundation has a substantial ledge, which suggests the exterior may be brick. There is a detached garage in the rear, with access of the rear lane. In a well done move, the back of the garage, which faces the back of the house, has been finished with quality detail so it looks like a small house in the back yard rather than a garage.

The arrival of larger single homes in the neighborhood (rather than triplex or quadplex infills) bodes well for neighborhood stability as it is more likely to attract families. These infills are not cheap, which further indicates the buyers faith in the desirability of this neighborhood which still has its blighted / less-well-cared-for portions and, shall we say, party-oriented and alternate-universe oriented occupants.

infill in Dalhousie South

Substantial-sized infill semi-detached homes under construction in Dalhousie south, near Carling. The foundation has a substantial ledge, which suggests the exterior may be brick. There is a detached garage in the rear, with access of the rear lane. In a well done move, the back of the garage, which faces the back of the house, has been finished with quality detail so it looks like a small house in the back yard rather than a garage.

The arrival of larger single homes in the neighborhood (rather than triplex or quadplex infills) bodes well for neighborhood stability as it is more likely to attract families. These infills are not cheap, which further indicates the buyers faith in the desirability of this neighborhood which still has its blighted / less-well-cared-for portions and, shall we say, party-oriented and alternate-universe oriented occupants.

Green green grass of Dalhousie

This little patch of lawn on Balsam caught my eye. It is greener than its neighbours, and obviously recently raked as it is so clean compared to the foreground bit of turf. A closer inspection revealed its secret. It is synthetic. Fake. Manufactured.

I wonder how many times I have gone past it and not noticed; it did not look recently laid. It stood out now because it doesn’t change with the seasons. It is an effective bit of private streetscaping along the public boulevard.

Green green grass of Dalhousie

This little patch of lawn on Balsam caught my eye. It is greener than its neighbours, and obviously recently raked as it is so clean compared to the foreground bit of turf. A closer inspection revealed its secret. It is synthetic. Fake. Manufactured.

I wonder how many times I have gone past it and not noticed; it did not look recently laid. It stood out now because it doesn’t change with the seasons. It is an effective bit of private streetscaping along the public boulevard.

Goodbye Desjardin’s IGA/Loeb

The former Desjardins IGA / Loeb store on Booth Street at Eccles has been closed for several years. Demolition is now underway, making way for the new Cornerstone housing project, a four storey 40 unit apartment residence.
The new Cornerstone residence, coupled with the now-under-construction Z6 condo building (16 of 26 units sold) will give a modern new face to tired Booth Street. Both buildings have traditional brick exteriors with modern design touches.
The last large remaining eyesore on the street is the blighted zone known as Cousin Eddey’s garage/ Chado’s auto repair. The only saving grace there is that it is a large lot, which will make some developer happy some day.