Day Trips: St. Marys. "Stonetown's" Charm Deserves a Visit

When I feel like escaping the city and seeing an attractive small town - which I often do - I generally look no farther than St. Marys, a gem slightly over 40 km northeast of London. There are many reasons why: I can be there in about 40 minutes; I can enjoy small town atmosphere; and - best of all - I can admire architecture in a place that looks like the Ontario of yesteryear. 

First, the name. Why St. Marys? Many sources have suggested that, when Thomas Mercer Jones, commissioner of the Canada Company, visited the town in 1845 with his wife, Mrs. Jones was asked to come up with a name. The story goes that she chose to name the community Mary after herself. A more likely explanation is that local land surveyor John McDonald named the town after his wife, also a Mary, but humbler and lesser known.* So the name comes from an act of chivalry, not ego. 

But the official nickname is "Stonetown." The stone in question is limestone, which exists in abundance in the area and from which much of the early town was built. St. Marys Cement capitalized on this resource and became one of the major producers of cement in Ontario.

From the road into town, St. Marys Cement looks like some kind of weird, futuristic city. 

Not surprisingly, mining all that limestone left big holes in the ground. "The Quarries," as they're known, are two former limestone quarries on the south edge of town. The area became a popular swimming spot for the locals after it filled with water in the 1930s. In 1945, the town bought the quarries and much surrounding land, and the area is now Canada's largest outdoor freshwater pool.** This awesome hole looks very inviting on a hot day.

One end of Canada's largest outdoor pool. 

Limestone

But the most interesting aspect of the limestone deposits from an architecture enthusiast's point of view is the number of limestone buildings throughout town. The most impressive is likely the Opera House on Water Street, designed by architect Silas Weekes in 1879-1880. Built by the Oddfellows who met on the third floor, the building had an 800-seat theatre on its second floor and stores at street level. For decades the theatre hosted travelling theatre troupes, musicians and campaigning politicians until the Oddfellows sold it in 1904. 

The building is mock-Medieval at its best, complete with bartizans, lancet and quatrefoil windows, and crenelations along the top. When first built, there was a large central gable at top matching the two below, but it didn't survive the building's 20th-century stint as a flour mill. No matter. The building has survived almost intact and, thanks to the Lions Club, was rescued and turned into stores and condos in the 1980s.

Oddfellows Opera House, 12 Water Street.

The Opera House is so ornate it might be mistaken for a town hall. But no, that's over on Queen Street East. It's a real beauty too, with stepped gables, towers, turrets, sandstone-trimmed round arches and sandstone and limestone chequerboard trim. Note the twisted belfry, apparently inspired by Santa Croce, Florence. Architect George Gouinlock completed this treasure in 1891 and went on to design the Canadian National Exhibition buildings in Toronto. Note that this is still St. Marys Town Hall. 

175 Queens St. E., a very romantic Town Hall.

If the Town Hall is a castle, perhaps this is the dungeon?

The first truly magnificent home in town was built by George Tracy in 1854. His builder was the Scottish-born stone mason Robert Barbour who came to work on the Tracy mansion but stayed for the rest of his life. Many of the other buildings in town - both grand and humble - were his work. This has been the St. Marys Museum & Archives since 1959 and my family has discovered much about our own St. Marys roots here over the years, thanks to helpful staff. 

177 Church Street South, St. Marys Museum and Archives, hidden behind summer foliage.

Many of the town's limestone buildings are commercial. The gabled house at the end in the picture below was built for a miller and businessman named William Veal Hutton in 1858. He also owned the four-store commercial building that adjoins his house. These buildings are changed since they've been built to some extent; the building on the corner, for example, didn't always have a mansard roof.

83-91 Queen Street East and 6 Water Street North.

There are many limestone cottages in town built for folks humbler than the Tracy family. Below is one of the last homes built by Robert Barbour, ca. 1865-66. The little windows in the gable are an unusual touch. 

216 Thomas Street.

Another simple building, except for the elliptical fanlight over the door.

52 Ontario Street South ca. 1858

An adorable but primitive home built about 1850 for Gilbert McIntosh, owner of a nearby woollen mill. A rear addition dates to the 1860s. Surrounding wall is a nice touch.

St. Maria Street, west of Water Street South.

Looking for someplace to stay while in town? Well, there's Westover Inn if you feel like splurging. Built in the 1860s for the Hutton family, Westover Park, as it was then called, was surrounded by extensive gardens. The gardeners were William and Joseph Hutton, brothers of the aforementioned William Veal Hutton who retired here at an early age.

300 Thomas Street, side view.

Of more interest than the solid but stodgy-looking manor is the nearby carriage house, designed in 1911. It's an elaborate combination of stone, planks, shingles and stained glass grander than most people's homes at that time. And possibly now.

Not your average carriage house.

Early in the new 20th century, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie pledged $10,000 to build St. Marys a library, one of a growing list he'd built in Ontario. You'd think the town would jump at the chance to get a rich guy's money but not everyone was thrilled. Carnegie had a reputation for running sweatshops and squashing strikes so that socially-conscious townsfolk preferred to find funds elsewhere. But when put to a vote in a municipal election, Carnegie's offer squeaked through, so most residents must have wanted a library enough to hold their noses. While designed in the favoured Carnegie classical plan, the library was completed in the usual local limestone. Of course.

15 Church Street North, complete with pediment and columns in classical style, ca. 1904-5.

The library, by the way, has a lovely Rotary Reading Garden attached, featuring this game table. The Rotary Club of St. Marys built the garden in 2000 to commemorate their own 80th anniversary as well as the 100th anniversary of St. Marys Public Library. 

Rotary Reading Garden monument is a pile of books. Of course. 

Town of Churches

OK, so you're not churchy. That's fine, but St. Marys has some of the loveliest church buildings anywhere so indulge me while I show them off.

Below is St. James Anglican Church, consecrated in 1859, although the tower wasn't added until 1886. More Gothic Revival here, with crenelations and turrets. First rector was Archibald Lampman, father of the famous Canadian poet.***  

65 Church Street South.

St. Marys United, formerly Methodist, Church built in 1879.

85 Church Street South.

St. Marys Presbyterian Church built 1879-80 in the Gothic Revival style. Note tin-topped steeple. 

147 Widder Street East. (No, not all the churches are on Church Street.)

Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church was constructed using the local limestone in 1892-93 on a magnificent hilltop site. Lovely tall trees on the property make it tricky to photograph until the leaves start falling in autumn. 

Corner of Peel and Widder streets. 

A small Baptist congregation built First Baptist Church on Church Street in 1902. Tinier than the other church buildings in town, it's nevertheless attractive. While the front is on a level with Church Street, the basement is above ground and can be seen from the Jones Street hill. 

34 Church Street South.

A 1900s postcard shows Knox Church, which once stood on Church Street opposite St. James Anglican. The building was abandoned in the 1950s when the Presbyterian congregations merged. The building was demolished in 1969 and the site is now apartments. 

(Author's collection)

Fabulous Homes

St. Marys has some of the loveliest and best-preserved homes in Southwestern Ontario. Take this Italianate-Second Empire style residence built by local businessman George Carter for his daughter Charlotte and her husband Henry Lincoln Price as a wedding gift. The latest owners are committed to preserving the home and gardens so it remains one of the town's showpieces for years to come.

236 Jones Street East.

I love the little place below too. Built ca. 1880, this home's gabled front faces Wellington Street while its veranda faces the garden. Some woodworker had a great time here, adding bargeboard, turned posts, brackets, and all kinds of lesser ornamentation. The white and green paint job is dramatic and, as is often the case in St. Marys, the home has a lovely garden setting. For an older picture and a bit of history, see here.

146 Wellington Street North.

This plain, simple cottage built ca. 1870 possesses an admirable view of the Thames just across Robinson Street. Designated by the town of St. Marys in 1987 (see plaque next to door), it's also on Canada's Register of Historic Places. Around the corner is its rubblestone carriage house, now renovated into a separate residence. 

108 Robinson Street.

Details

Not every house is spectacular or worthy of designation but many less imposing residences do have nice touches here and there. Note the colourfully-painted trim on the ca. 1900 frame home below.

253 Water Street South.

A yellow brick house on Wellington Street has a sunburst of spindles over the door and nice stone trim on the nearby window.

164 Wellington Street South.

An unassuming house with an ornate gable. When bargeboard was no longer the rage, later builders  continued to add a little bit without going nuts. In this ca. 1900s home there are circles, diamonds and triangles. How many triangles can you find? 

106 Water Street North.

Red brick building with stone window arch. Former home now an office. 

48 Wellington Street South.

While this window looks like it might be on a church, it's actually on a home.

84 Church Street South.

Town of Hills

When I say hills I know that anyone from a mountainous part of the world won't be impressed. But in flat Southwestern Ontario, St. Marys comes across as truly hilly. Builders were up to the challenge, though.

This limestone 1850s store is built on a hill rising from the street, with the shopfront at the lower level level and the shopkeeper's residence on the second floor above. 

234 Queen Street East.

This home is built on a hill sloping downwards from the street.

100 Water Street North.

Of course some homes were built entirely on top of a hill, creating an ostentatious look.  

183 Widder Street East.

Other Cool Stuff

Historical Signage

Rather than regarding history as something better forgotten, St. Marys embraces its past and highlights it. Photos and signs like the ones below on Queen Street East help visitors and townsfolk imagine days gone by. 

Speaking of Queen Street, it has actual thriving businesses, something not all small towns can boast of these days. It may help that St. Marys hasn't much in the way of suburban shopping plazas to draw away customers. It also helps that there aren't many larger communities nearby to lure people away (Stratford is about a 20 minute drive). But it might also be that Queen Street East appears well looked after, safe and inviting. That patio is a nice place to stop for a cold drink on a hot summer day. 

More limestone commercial buildings. If you haven't been to Eclectic Treasure, by the way, you should. It's one of the best antique/collectible/used/junk stores in Southwestern Ontario, crammed with stuff from one end to the other. 

Arthur Meighen

Canada's ninth Prime Minister isn't one of our better known, probably because he was only in office from July 1920 to December 1921 and again for a few months in 1926. But he was born in the nearby hamlet of Anderson (where there's a plaque dedicated to him and not much else****) and is buried in St. Marys Cemetery. This statue of him in Lind Park looks too emaciated to be flattering but at least it's there.

Meighen was home-town proud and a fine speaker:

"St. Marys is St. Marys still. It is the old family home, and there cling to it endearing recollections which can circle around no other place on earth. This is the home of boyhood and young manhood, the home where first were learned those simple truths last to fade from the mind, the home of earliest friendships, the most sacred and inseverable of all, the home around which linger memories of brothers and sisters now far away and of one generation which has gone forever. Time changes much. It destroys and builds again, but the attachments and affections I have described abide to the end."

On his first visit to his hometown of St. Marys, Ontario, since becoming prime minister, Aug. 16, 1920. (Quoted in National Post, June 16, 2024 )

Water, Water Everywhere

St. Marys was built at the confluence of the North Branch of the Thames River and Trout Creek. The Thames cascaded over several limestone ledges here, providing power for pioneer mills. Today one can still see the mill race northeast of Queen Street East as it runs from Trout Creek south to the Thames. The river itself can best be enjoyed from "The Flats" or Milt Dunnell Park. I like the way the town has provided access to its waterways for scenic and recreational purposes, instead of forgetting about them when water power became obsolete. 

Speaking of scenic, note the view from the nearby Grand Trunk trestle, now a pedestrian walkway. While it's chilly up there on a fall day, you can't beat the view of this bend in the Thames.

The bridge itself:

In 1857 the Grand Trunk Railway was extended from Toronto to Sarnia. As it passed through St. Marys it was necessary to build high trestles over the Thames and Trout Creek. The first train over the river was in November 1859.

But the CNR abandoned this line in 1989. Rather than seeing the trestle removed, a group of St. Marys townsfolk created a committee to raise funds for a walking trail along the former railway bed, including the section over the river. The Grand Trunk Trail opened in 1998.

(Author's collection)

Reverse side of postcard: 

"St. Marys, Ont. May 2, 1910, Dear Bell. This is the bridge Tom fell from. He fell from the left end. I gathered a lot of violets and wished you were here too. Georgie." Good heavens! Was poor Tom killed? Was Georgie gathering violets for his grave? And what was Tom doing up there to begin with? Perhaps future research will tell. 

Speaking of water, where else but St. Marys would one find this historic drinking fountain? Located on the corner of Queen St. E. and Wellington, it's known as the Weir Fountain. The plaque says it's maintained by the McConnell Club, a civic-minded ladies' organization named after St. Marys resident William McConnell, a community-building individual who died in World War I.

Then There's This

A cute little building on Water Street South. Apparently once a veterinary surgery and a euchre club.***** Metal roof with ice stoppers is an obvious update. 

143 Water Street South.

Visiting My Family

In St. Marys Cemetery, that is. You see, my great-great-grandfather, John Moore (1817-95) settled in St. Marys in 1852. Here he operated an iron foundry and agricultural implement business with his sons, including my great-grandfather Robert. My grandmother, Helen, was born in St. Marys in 1886. 

John's obituary in the St. Marys Journal on May 16, 1895 states that he served as a town councilor when the stone bridges were built about 30 years earlier. He lived on James Street North. He's buried with his wife Jane, a daughter named Eliza, and other family members.

Visiting the Moore family.

You Don't Have To Drive

Unlike most small towns, you can still reach St. Marys by train. Not only does VIA Rail still stop here, but an early railroad station is still in use. This Grand Trunk Station, the third one built in St. Marys, was completed in 1907. Designated by Heritage St. Marys in 1987, the station also serves as a gallery

* Katherine Ashenburg, Going To Town. Toronto: Macfarlane, Walter and Ross, 1996, p. 185.

** According to the sign.

***https://stjamesinstmarys.org/about

**** 

Plaque dedicated to Meighen at hamlet of Anderson, spring 2024. 

*****https://images.ourontario.ca/stmarys/52537/data?n=12

The Future of Southwestern Ontario's Past: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

"Progress would be wonderful, if only it would stop."  (Oscar Wilde)

I have happy memories of Sunday afternoon drives in the Ontario countryside. I enjoyed the patchwork of fields surrounded by fence rows and trees, the farmhouses that had sheltered generations, the quaint rural churches and schoolhouses, the old stores that were often still in business. But day trips over the past two summers suggest our countryside is changing. This is a sample of what I'm seeing:

Stores

Once there were lots of general stores, often containing a post office. The ground floor was the shop while the upstairs housed the family that operated it. Over the years, the more isolated country stores closed for a variety of reasons: the depopulated countryside produced fewer customers; automobile travel on paved roads allowed farmers the convenience of driving to larger communities with more choice of stores; the post offices closed with rural mail delivery in early twentieth century. 

However, many stores remain in business in extant villages as variety stores or specialty and gift shops. Some of the buildings no longer in use as stores have become community centres or homes. They're easily recognizable, some retaining their large display windows and awnings. Others are empty, shabby, unsympathetically altered, or demolished. 

The Good:

Residents of Delaware support Delaware Variety.

Legg's store at Birr contains a wide of variety of gifts. 

Former store at Sparta, Elgin County, has also been a gift shop for many years. 

Kirkton Market, a general store complete with post office and LCBO.  

The Bad:

Store at Fernhill intersection, Fernhill Drive and Poplar Hill Road, May 2022.

Bulldozed remains of Fernhill store, June 2022. Modern home being constructed in background.

Former site of Lobo General Store, Lobo intersection, Middlesex Centre.

Napier store in West Middlesex was restored a few years back to be used as a community centre.
On my last trip I saw broken windows.

Old store at Macksville, Middlesex County, complete with rusty gas pump. 

Auto repair site, with another antique gas pump, next to store at Macksville.*

Old store at Staffa, Huron County, complete with wooden windows and suicide door.

The Ugly:

Old store at Eagle, Elgin County. "Tudorized."

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? An old store in North Middlesex.

Churches

Once the rural Ontario skyline was punctured by church steeples. In the pioneer era, many churches did extra service as schools and community centres. But a depopulated countryside in a secular age means smaller congregations and reduced revenues. The cost of maintaining the aging buildings is so high there's often no choice but to close. Sometimes congregations amalgamate, leaving one or more buildings unused. 

We can't depend on the good will of religious organizations to preserve their buildings for posterity. There is a "feeling that the business of religions is assisting people and not buildings."** I get it. Raised a Christian myself, I'm aware that the real church is its people, not the structure in which they worship. Still, it's disappointing that some congregations would rather tear down buildings than see them renovated or repurposed. 

The Good:

Carlisle Church near Ailsa Craig is scheduled to become The Presbyterian Church Heritage Centre.
Stay tuned.

Former church at Birr, now an attractive home.

The Bad:

Site of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Richmond Street, north Middlesex. Church demolished 1993 after a brief stint as a Franciscan monastery. The brothers appear to have had a falling out with the Diocese of London.  Only the cemetery remains.

Site of Chalmers Presbyterian Church, former hamlet of Cowal, Elgin County. 

St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church, Churchville, Aldborough Township, Elgin County. 

Mayfair Baptist Church, Longwoods Road, Middlesex County.
Note crumbling steps, lack of paint, missing window. 

The Ugly:

Addition and remodeling at former Bethel Presbyterian Church, Richmond Street, north of London. Built 1862 in the Neoclassical style. Addition and alterations have no style. Seems to be a daycare.

Glass doors replace original wooden doors at Bethel. 

Former Covenanted Baptist Church east of Wallacetown, Elgin County, a church John Kenneth Galbraith attended as a boy.*** Renovation into a private home makes it scarcely recognizable. 

Schools:

The Common School Act of 1841 introduced compulsory property taxation for the support of elementary schools and doubled the amount of government support schools received. The now-maligned Egerton Ryerson did much to further schooling in what's now Ontario after being appointed Assistant Superintendent of Education in 1844 and promoted to Chief Superintendent in 1846.  A radical for his time, Ryerson believed education should be free and mandatory. He achieved his greatest ambition for education when it became compulsory in 1871.

Schoolhouses were generally built on one acre or half-acre lots, with the building in the centre of the lot facing the road. Often they began as log, were replaced by frame and either covered or replaced again with brick. Every school had a belfry but few remain today. Often when the schools closed, the belfry was auctioned off separately.

Inside, at one end, was a platform where the teacher's desk was located, providing a good view of the class. The platform also came in handy for recitals or concerts. If the building doubled as a church, as some early structures did, a minister preached from the platform. 

In 1876, Ontario had 5,042 schools in operation, many of them one or two roomed rural buildings.**** There needed to be a great many back in the days when travel was difficult and children couldn't be bused or expected to walk long distances. But by mid 20th century, the schools were obsolete, their facilities outdated, and fewer children in attendance. In the 1960s, central consolidated schools were built and children transported to them by bus. Most of the rural schools were auctioned off at absurdly cheap rates. 

In a great example of adaptive reuse, many schools were converted into attractive little homes for singles, couples, and small families. In many cases, a second story was inserted. Some became community centres or workshops. 

Increasingly though, schoolhouses are meeting the same fate as stores and churches - demolished or unsympathetically renovated. 

The Good:

Former S. S. No. 8, Ekfrid Township, now Tait's Corners Community Centre. 

Former Brooke Mosa Union School still stands near Lambton-Middlesex border.
Building seems unchanged.

Whalen Corners School is in fairly good condition.

The Bad:

Maple Lodge School, north Middlesex, derelict when photographed in 1997. Still had two little privies in the shadows out back, one for boys, one for girls. 

Maple Lodge, Summer 2022.

A former school in north Middlesex, May 2022.

Former S.S. No. 19, Hay Township, Huron County, built 1899. Looks empty.

Former S. S. No. 4, Biddulph Township, known as "Cedar Swamp schoolhouse." This building is said to be where the Vigilance Committee met before the Donnelly massacre.*****
If that's true, it should be an historic site. 

The Ugly:

Another former school building under renovation. Presumably a work in progress. 

Rural Homes:

Of course, houses were built in greater numbers than other buildings and, since their function, housing, is still needed, houses are the most likely buildings to survive. The earliest ones are usually gone, of course, since people no longer wanted tiny cabins, upper floors in which they couldn't stand upright, drafty log walls, and small windows with tiny panes. I don't blame them. 

Still, I always wanted to own a Victorian farmhouse out in the country. I was in love with the gingerbread trim, the shaded verandas from which the family could view their fields, the aura of age and tradition. They were monuments to our hardworking, long-suffering pioneers. Yes, an older home can be a lot of work, not to mention a money pit. Often they're worth it.

Many older homes have unsympathetic upgrades, totally out of character with their traditional appearance. In fact, the homes that don't have inappropriate upgrades are often ruins. 

The Good:

Well-preserved home at Florence, Lambton County. Nothing special, just nice. 

Some well-preserved homes are museums, such as the Backus-Page House, Tyrconnell, Elgin County.

Old farmhouse recently moved to new location in Morpeth and under restoration.

The Bad:

Abandoned home near Alvinston, Lambton County. 

One of my favourites, but this cobblestone home on Longwoods Road is not in the best of condition.

Falling into ruin at Nanticoke. 

Sad old ruin in the former Westminster Township. Courtesy of Paul Grabowski.

The Ugly: 

Once there'd have been a central doorway under the gable with matching windows either side.

A McMansion near London, complete with port hole at upper left. Ahoy, mateys!
If you enjoy making fun of McMansions, you'll love this American architect's blog.

Other Rural Buildings:

There are other buildings in poor condition. Many of them are barns, but I've argued elsewhere that we don't need to save every old outbuilding.  Industrial buildings were often demolished as they became obsolete. But there are other work and business places.

The Good:

Union Hotel, Normandale. Wow.

Preserved train station at Waterford, most recently a quilt shop.
Former train tracks now a walking path by the river.

The Bad:

Empty service station, Morpeth

Former Victoria Hotel, Carlisle. A primitive building in rough shape.
Apparently under renovation so things may be looking up.

Old drive shed, West McGillivray. 

A former something-or-other in Norfolk County. 

Cemeteries:

OK, cemeteries aren't buildings. But a lot of the older ones aren't cared for. Depending on the cemetery, ground upkeep may be the responsibility of a church or possibly the township. But churches are closing, townships have limited budgets, and individual graves are usually left to surviving relatives to maintain. Sometimes there is no family. Often no one cares. But for those of us who enjoy Tombstone Tourism, the result may be dispiriting. 

The Good:

Before: The grave marker of little Patrick Glavin, St. Peter's Cemetery, Richmond Street, just south of the Huron County border. Patrick, who died age 4, July 20, 1843, was the first burial at St. Peter's. His stone was knocked over and in danger of being buried.  

Patrick's grave marker is again upright and repaired, after a heritage preservationist prodded a local church into doing something about it. 

Wooden grave marker of pioneer George McConnell at Birr Cemetery,
encased in brick by London & Middlesex Historical Society.

The Bad:

One of many damaged markers at West Cemetery, Middlesex County.

Gateway to Southgate Cemetery northwest of London, once restored by Ray Lawson and family, now in urgent need of repair. 

Child's grave, West Cemetery. Inscription now unreadable. 

Why so much Bad and Ugly?

There are lots of reasons for the changes:

• Financial concerns are impacting renovation decisions. Owners replace wooden or aluminum windows with vinyl ones they think will last longer and reduce their heating costs. Metal roofs are marketed as "the last roof you'll ever need." This situation has been exacerbated by inflation.  
• There aren't enough people trained in the heritage trades, like masonry or woodworking. We need more workers with the skills to make necessary sympathetic repairs. ACO has a short list.
• Ontario's earliest pioneer buildings, including the log cabins the settlers inhabited, were strictly functional. Over time, as they became more prosperous, families replaced their first shelters and business places with more aesthetically pleasing buildings. With the rise in modernist architecture, function rules over aesthetics once again.
• An absence of architectural knowledge. I know we can't legislate taste, but the Ugly wouldn't make it into Architectural Digest.
• A lack of respect for our heritage. We've all heard people argue that Canada is a young country without much history and what history we've got is boring. Not so. We have lots of history and it's fascinating. Of course, our history can be made boring and often is. How well is it presented to schoolchildren and New Canadians? 
• Folks don't grasp that older buildings represent our local materials and traditions. Not so the ubiquitous modern replacements, international in style, deprived of locality and period. 
• The idea that the demolition of older buildings is "progress." Probably caused by the buildings looking shabby and dilapidated, eyesores to be destroyed, not repaired.
• A lack of respect for the civilization that constructed the buildings. I suspect some of our buildings, like our place names and monuments, are associated with the bad old days of bigotry and oppression. Some may prefer to obliterate reminders of that past.
• Self-appointed expertise. There are architectural professionals who can advise property owners about proper restoration methods and materials. But Do-It-Yourself-ers don't always care for advice, especially if they need to pay for it.  
• A rise in rugged individualism. How many times have you heard, "I can do whatever I want with my own property!" Yes, but should you?  
• Folks are no longer willing to accept any discomfort or inconvenience. Warmth trumps aesthetics. People want the best of everything, including mod cons in an older home. Are we a spoiled bunch, or what? 
• Everyone is accustomed to "modern," however they define it. They don't see the charm or value in older buildings when all their lives they've been surrounded by concrete, steel and vinyl.

Many people will accuse me of trying to fossilize Southwestern Ontario. I admit I admire our ancestors. They had their faults, but they also built a society based on stability, consistency and endurance, qualities I respect. Rather than losing the world they built, I'd like to incorporate it into our own time period and leave an inheritance for future generations. 

Solutions?

• Economical replacement building materials that look similar to those used in the past.
• More training facilities for those interested in learning old-time building trades, along with scholarships to attend those schools. 
• Educating the public to make better choices. Lots of people want to do the right things for older buildings but aren't sure how. That's where organizations like ACO come in. 
• Building a society with more respect for our history, regardless of its imperfections.
• Having more concern for future generations. As environmentalists know, the greenest building is the one already standing. We need more adaptive reuse. If we can recycle pop cans, why not built heritage?
• Where buildings can't be saved, they should be deconstructed, not demolished. Often wooden doors and windows, stained glass and wood trim can be reused in other buildings requiring restoration.

Without the solutions above, future generations won't know what an historic building looks like unless they visit Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Fanshawe is a nice place but why should all history be in a museum? Surely there's no harm in our country roads displaying some tradition. Why not go for a drive and see wooden windows, gingerbread, and slate roofs? Or at least some decent replacements. Too much modernization takes the charm out of rural living. Some happy medium must be found.

*   Thanks to Cindy Hartman for her automotive expertise.  

** Harold D. Kalman, The Conservation of Ontario Churches, 1977, p. 5. Church closures have increased astronomically since the publication of this book. 

*** John Kenneth Galbraith, The Scotch. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1964. p. 93. 

**** Anne M. Logan, School's Out! A Pictorial History of Ontario's Converted Schoolhouses. Boston Mills Press, 1987. p. 15. The number of schools attractively "converted" has decreased.

***** Orlo Miller, The Donnellys Must Die, Prospero Books, 2017 p. 142.