The theme of National Heritage Week this year, as established by the National Trust, is 2020 Vision: Bringing the Past into the Future. This heritage week series will look at three architectural landmarks that are testimony to the future being built on the foundation of the past. Two of the buildings are 125-years-old in 2020 and the other is even older.
Buildings constructed in the past stand as witnesses of a community’s journey and hold the stories of building styles and materials, community industry, economy, and lifestyle. For many Canadian communities, the mid-20th century saw a rapid acceleration of the practice of tearing down the past in favour of a perceived fresh start. Fortunately there is a growing desire to retain the accomplishments and beauty of the past reflected in architecture. Old buildings are being refurbished and repurposed to suit the needs of the present and the future.
Written by Marlene Campbell