Sunday, December 27, 2020

Rockcliffe Tavern Minden, Ontario

 In business 130 years, the oldest business in town. But, now for sale and expected to be demolished. These photos from Google Street View, 2012, show it when it was still open. It is boarded up and closed for business since 2018 (I think). If you live in north Ontario, not far from Bancroft, get some photos before its gone.





Bill Smith has a photo of Rockcliffe Tavern boarded up.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Fort Frances Place Over the Years

It looks like a wreck, especially at the back, in 2009. Someone must have bought it and fixed it up a lot. In 2012/ 2015 pictures it is a lot better cared for. It is for sale now on the real estate site. But, now all the door overhangs are gone, removed at some time. So, it looks good but it's lost most of its history.





Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Considered Of No Value in Ontario

I found this property listed for sale. The listing says the buildings on the property are considered of no value. What a sad thing to say about a house someone built more than a hundred years ago.

Located in Durham, Ontario. This would be a place to photograph, before its gone.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Lost in Time

This old house really has that feeling of being lost in time, especially with this screen capture. Found this location from Hiking the GTA. Its on my list of places to photograph.

Melville... I Think it was a School

I found something about a zoning amendment from Clearview Township, about this location in Nottawa. But, that was from 2010. A long time ago and, it seems, nothing has been done. "Melville Estates Inc., plans to convert the former school into a 22-unit residential complex." But, that was years ago, coming up to ten years ago. Time flies.

I've planned to go for a look. Just noticed it when we took a detour along the way from Collingwood. 



Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Queensway Motel in Espanola is Closed

We stayed there a few years ago. It was in the nicest spot at a wide curve in the road with tall pine trees between the motel and the traffic of the roadway. The motel was being renovated then, a few rooms at a time the owner said. She gave us one of the newly renovated rooms. It was lovely. She was very nice. Mostly, I loved that layout and the space the motel was in. I've remembered it for years.

But, its closed now. I read there were a couple of fires. One in 2018 which was reported as suspicious in some way. No details about that. I'm sad its closed and likely won't be opened again as a motel. I hope people who live there in the future will get to see that lovely, peaceful, sweeping curve in the road when they look out their windows. I hope it doesn't get developed out of existence.

I found a postcard of the motel for sale on Amazon. They wanted a lot of money considering you really can't see the motel through the pine trees. I think the postmark on the back says 1965. There were a lot of trees then, it was probably still on the newly built side then. There are fewer trees still standing in the most recent view I found on Google. I searched the real estate directory/ site but nothing showing up there. It is likely already sold or unlisted.

93 Glebe Avenue - Expected to be Demolished in Ottawa

This is the photo from the real estate listing. When I looked it up on Google Street View I found it has a neighbour, similar in style. The other house is being renovated. Most of this street is being renovated and enlarged or demolished and bigger residential space is put up in place of the old house.

The real estate page for this house does not have any photos of the inside or the backyard. They really expect it will be be demolished. What a loss to the neighbourhood. It is such a cute house with a little European style. Look at the old windows and the doubled chimney. I wish there were indoor photos to see the fireplace and other features. I hope someone hasn't gutted it or tenants haven't beat it up to the point of being too far gone. Maybe someone will buy and renovate it too, like its neighbour.

Save the little house. Why do people want to build huge houses now? You can only live in one room at a time. I'd much rather have a small, cosy house with a little style and some history.