Friday, October 22, 2010
TLTV Ep 105 - Evergreen Brickworks
From 1890 to 1980, the Don Valley Brickworks was one of Canada's pre-eminent brickyards. At its peak more than 43 million bricks a year were manufactured for use in the construction of homes and buildings across Canada. Many of Toronto’s most prominent buildings were made from Don Valley brick – Massey Hall and Old City Hall are two examples. In the late 1980s the site was expropriated by the City of Toronto, the TRCA (the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority), and the Provincial government.
In the 1990s the City and TRCA raised approximately $6 million to restore the site’s quarry as a park and natural area. The Don Valley Brick Works Park is awe-inspiring: a haven for wildlife and naturalists alike, it is at the heart of Toronto’s ravines. Opened in 1996, the park is managed by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation. The Don Valley Brick Works Park is worth a visit in any season.
Evergreen’s focus has been the site’s 16 historic factory buildings. The buildings – a collection of brick structures from the early 1900s and industrial sheds from the 1950s – have been revitalized through a process called “adaptive re-use.” The result is Evergreen Brick Works – a community environmental centre with programs that celebrate the site’s unique geological, industrial and natural heritage.
In 2010, Evergreen Brick Works was named by National Geographic as one of the world’s top 10 geotourism destinations.
The site will be animated with year-round programs and activities that include a native plant nursery, demonstration gardens, an organic farmer's market, conference and event facilities, youth leadership and children's camps, and family programming. The new office building on the site will be LEED Platinum and will showcase environmental techniques like green walls and a green roof -- it will be one of the "greenest" buildings in the Western Hemisphere.
In this episode we'll begin in the main centre and then venture out back to the old brick quarry that is now a pond filled with wildlife. Finally, we head inside the old brickwork factory to see the restoration efforts and to view the incredible graffiti that covers the walls and brick ovens.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
TLTV Ep 105 is almost ready!
TLTV's 105th episode is almost ready and should be online by the end of the week!
Episode 105 focuses on the Evergreen Brickworks. Formerly known as the Toronto Brickworks, this former brick quarry and factory used to produce bricks for most of the pre-1980 homes in The GTA as well as some of the city's most prominent buildings, like Massey Hall and Old City Hall. The site was all but abandoned until the 1990s when certain parties bought the site and restored the area. The brick factory is still under renovation, but much of the urban graffiti that covered the inside of the building is being left in place, which you will see in this episode. The whole project is so environmental that National Geographic named it one of the world's top 10 geotourism destinations. In fact, the office building being built on the site will be so environmental when finished that it will be one of the greenest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. A popular farmer's market, conference & event facilities, camps and family programs round out what will be a major GTA landmark for many years to come.
Stay tuned!
Episode 105 focuses on the Evergreen Brickworks. Formerly known as the Toronto Brickworks, this former brick quarry and factory used to produce bricks for most of the pre-1980 homes in The GTA as well as some of the city's most prominent buildings, like Massey Hall and Old City Hall. The site was all but abandoned until the 1990s when certain parties bought the site and restored the area. The brick factory is still under renovation, but much of the urban graffiti that covered the inside of the building is being left in place, which you will see in this episode. The whole project is so environmental that National Geographic named it one of the world's top 10 geotourism destinations. In fact, the office building being built on the site will be so environmental when finished that it will be one of the greenest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. A popular farmer's market, conference & event facilities, camps and family programs round out what will be a major GTA landmark for many years to come.
Stay tuned!
Monday, October 18, 2010
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