Another example of our wasteful throw-away society
To the Expositor:
We are a wasteful society. Not only that, we are a destructive society. We can’t even find room for all our garbage. We throw out everything, even reducing solid, sturdy buildings to rubble because we lack the vision to repurpose them. So tons of rubble go to the garbage dump, or landfill, filling in marshland that we want to build cottages on. Never mind the impact on wildlife, never mind that marshes help regulate the water table.
When the Central Manitoulin Council voted to disband the Old School Repurposing Committee, they in essence voted to demolish this solid brick building. They turned their backs on a landmark heritage building that helped make Mindemoya special, and doubled down on the principle that waste is good. The cost of demolishing this building, taking care of hazardous materials properly, is estimated up to $150,000.
I’ve been told that people who want to save the Old School are just clinging to the past. Well, I’ve been trying to get a lot of change from others who cling to another past, people who cannot see that fossil fuels are causing untold damage, and will ultimately destroy life on earth as we know it unless we embrace radical change now.
My challenge to those who deride refurbishing, is to build properly built structures that will stand for 100 years or more, that won’t use fossil fuels, that incorporate new environmentally sound technologies, like orienting buildings so rooftop solar panels can supply energy, instead of propane, which releases greenhouse gases. Build carbon neutral.
But we are a wasteful, throw-away society. I’m sure there will be lots of arguments against the new, environmentally sound technologies and conservation design. And the four councillors who voted against the Old School Committee will celebrate this landmark building’s 100th anniversary by smashing it to rubble.
Jan McQuay
Mindemoya
