Letter to The Villager - May 14, 2010

LETTERS - THE VILLAGER, MAY 14, 2010

Good neighbours are good stewards

To the editor:

Unfortunately, it seems that the butchery of an historically interesting cottage at 66 Baby Point Road is a done deal, along with the degradation of the streetscape that will entail.

As Councillor Bill Saundercook is quoted as saying, the owners are very likely well within their rights." This, of course, is where the problem lies. Owners of such structures need to be made to understand before they buy that, as well as some rights of owner-ship, they are assuming responsibilities of stewardship.

People usually understand this with relation to other types of heritage: would anyone be stupid enough to hand a newly-acquired Rembrandt to another painter (even if the second painter was Monet or Picasso) to paint over it? Would the owner of a Frank Lloyd Wright house ignorantly demolish it to build a modern house, even by the best modern architect?

Robert Home Smith's architectural and streetscaping work in this city, although not world-famous, is remarkable in its style, sense of flow, creation of interlocking vistas, and, apparently, domestic comfort. It is one of the pieces of our urban fabric, which contributes to Toronto's character, in the same manner as the humble bungalow districts in Illinois and California, cottages and townhouses in Britain, and streetscapes or heritage districts in many other parts of the world.

Apparently Toronto doesn't have effective bylaws to protect its buildings from the "rights" of those who don't care about their neighbours, or the character and history of the city as a whole, and who are too self-centered to accept the obligations of steward-ship. We need to start building a framework of more effective by-laws now so that those who come after us don't wonder why they are living in such a boring city.

Megan E. Finlayson