It started on this cold, damp and grey November morning with the sounds of bricks crashing, a chimney falling, glass tinkling as it tumbled to smashed concrete below..... the last of a period house, the centre piece of almost 90 years of residential history in the Baby Point Circle.
Done, demolished and dumped in a dirty truck. A chapter written by Lorne Bozinoff with an unhappy ending for all concerned.
If this were a Thai house, the spirits will be displeased. This is not a blessed "Feng Shui" place.
Home Smith once famously said "Do we want to be like Birmingham or Pittsburgh or do we want to be like Paris or London?". With neighbourly values like those displayed in the 66 Baby Point matter, and a development policy that aids and abets developers like this, it appears we are on our way to being the former.
Lorne Bozinoff President of Forum Research of Toronto is a specialist in public opinion with corporate and government clientele. Yet, he failed to consider the significant statistic of 150 of his neighbours opposed to his plan to demolish a 1923 Arts & Crafts home, and erect a home that is nearly three times the size of his local neighbours. The beautiful Arts & Crafts home was a striking anchor feature of the Home Smith Baby Point Circle, occupying the key position in the sweeping circle for which Home Smith's design is famous. His new home, a 6800 sq.ft home has been the subject of considerable controversy. Despite repeated attempts by the Baby Point neighbourhood to reach out to Mr. Bozinoff, he has failed on the scorecard of basic neighbourly values and proceeded in a decidedly questionable manner relative to his expertise in public opinion.
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