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A sketch of Glengarda Ursuline School, designed in 1938 by J.C. Pennington.

The building opened in 1939, and stood until 1998, when despite being designated, the Mady Corp tore it down for this…


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In a booklet issued about the history of Glengarda, to coincide with the new Condos the following is stated:

“Mady Development Corporation was quite prepared to save most of the school building and incorporate it into it’s planned residential development. Those plans were scuttled when the company encountered stiff resistance from local heritage groups who were unprepared to compromise.”

The reaction was so spiteful that even the Gates along Riverside Drive were taken down so no trace remained. Thankfully the Ontario Heritage Act was strengthened a few years back to prevent this type of demolition from occurring again. At the time, even though a building was designated it’s demolition couldn’t be stopped, unlike today.

At least the demolition of Glengarda featured on the cover of the report on the Loss Of Heritage Properties in Ontario, published in 2002.
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Andrew

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  • I think the new Glengarda towers are a pleasant addition to the riverfront. I don't miss the convent building at all. It always seemed menacing.

  • Wow, that is venomous...'98 was a busy time for me so I might have missed some of the discourse on this--I do remember Mady saying they planned to reconstruct the bell tower--I guess that was thrown out with everything else? I guess I can stop waiting to see that ever built. Gates of Glengarda...yet...no gates.

  • i'll agree that they're nice buildings, but i don't think they should in anyway bear that name.
    is Mady finished finishing off our heritage?

    thanks Andrew!

  • Well... the OHA may have been strengthened, but we still have instances like the former fire truck factory on Walker.

  • How many people where aware that the building on Walker Rd. had any historical past? The signage on the walls was Border City Fence, that has been gone formany years. When did they build fire trucks in Windsor? What about the Studebaker plant in Walkerville?
    If people are not made aware of the history and value of buildings, how can they be protectd?
    Maybe if the local heritage committe made avable a list of buildings and sites of interest to
    the public other could to preserve them

  • Just another waste of some of Canada's history, like the death & destruction of St Mary's Academy.

    I will never understand the reasoning behind this needless need to take away the heritage value & beauty of this city.

    I agree with Aaron. If you tear history down, you should not be privy to continue to rub salt in the wounds of those who believe in preserving history & continue to bear the name.

  • This is a common theme for developers in this town....give them a view and they will take it ALL....a SMART developer would have built (regardless of how ugly) the 2 new towers in behind the existing "historic" architecture...they would have afforded all of the same views, preserved and important part of our community, won the hearts of the citizens and could have built a mild less program into their development by transfering some of the program to the historic...re: health club, food ammenities, meeting rooms, and even a small guest boutique hotel....sorry chuck
    i've used this same theory before...if daimler chrysler had built their tower a block back, the Norwich block would have been preserved and filled with small businesses to service this new influx of density...coffee shops, printers, lunch joints etc.....it also would have done wonders for chatham and pitt streets....oops.
    everytime we allow some "under devoloped" developer to drop a tower right on the waters edge, we kill the value of all property behind it and completely discourage development.

  • Jim

    ya you're right...it was a better idea to yank it down...now we have an empty parking deck instead..much better.

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Andrew

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