The Avro Hangars
Page 3 of Mike's log
16 September 2003 (CDT)
The "Jaws of Death" seem to be taking
a vacation. Bay 1 is still intact as is a portion of the Details Building,
in fact I cannot see any Heritage destroying machines or the associated
dust cloud today. Has carnage taken a holiday or have they all gone
into hiding in fear of Hurricane Isabel that is presently on course
for YYZ? Only time will tell but for the moment other than an occasional
pickup truck driving by, there seems to be little or no activity at
the Avro site.
12 March 2004 - 1751 hrs (CST)
Well, as I predicted, Murray Demolition did just what I thought they would do. During the last two weeks that very long and lovely old historical building that was doing such a good job of hiding the "Jaws of Death" from the public eye came crashing down to the ground and got hauled away in dump trucks. It rather reminds me of a similar scene in 1959 only this time the dump trucks were filled up with what used to be Bay 1.
The Avro office building is not fairing much better and although some care seems to be taking place in its destruction, it is still very sad to see all of the "stuffing" hanging out where those grand outside walls used to be.
Perhaps we shouldn't tell them when or who built what is now the "International Centre" as I am told that there still exists one Iroquois test cell in this facility but alas, it is now a Bingo Hall.
Every time that I go to the "International Centre", I find myself staring at the heavy wooden beam ceilings trying to envision this building about 45 years ago and what may have been taking place then on the very spot where I am standing.
We are lucky that our memories, imaginations and thoughts unlike structures cannot be destroyed and trucked off to the unceremonious scrap heap.
Well, that's my opinion.