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Toronto Totem Pole House

by Talking Walls Photography Posted on March 19, 2023March 19, 2023

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Exploring a house built in 1969 in Toronto. Vivid groovy wallpaper designs in the bathrooms.

https://www.talkingwallsphoto.com/houses/groovy-doctors-house-1969/

#abandonedplaces #ontarioabandonedplaces #toronto

This is known as the Shoemaker House. It's located in Ontario, Canada. The house's name comes from the assortment of shoes embedded in concrete on the property. It was vacated in 2021 after being purchased by a property developer.

Thank you to RP_Explorations for sharing this location with me.
https://www.instagram.com/rp_explorations/

https://www.talkingwallsphoto.com/bizarre-and-strange-places-in-ontario/the-shoe-maker-house/

#abandonedplaces #ontario #ontarioabandonedplaces #shoemaker #urbex

Taken by @urbex_outlaw

In the 1950’s the school went through several improvements and renovations. The gymnasium’s original wooden floor was by now rotten and required replacing. A cement pad was poured and tiles installed. The school crest was cut from tiles and placed in the center of the floor.

In 1954 letters of complaint were filed with the company that had laid the tile, Flint Kote Company of Toronto. The company passed the blame onto the installers of the cement pad.

The school’s Auditorium was rented out to community groups including the Volunteer Fire Department for their St. John’s Ambulance Course.
Also in 1954, the Crystal Beach Council protested the Ridgeway High School Requisition. The Requisition was a motion to dissolve the Fort Erie High School District and dissolve the Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School District. A new high school district compromising Fort Erie, Ridgeway and Crystal Beach districts would be created. In 1955 the Bertie District High School Board was formed. This allowed for a fair distribution of the student population and educational resources. Ridgeway Crystal Beach remained the academic-focused school while Fort Erie expanded their vocational and technical courses.

In 1956 a cafeteria was built on the south side of the school over the ‘BOYS’ entrance.

The school’s Football Team was part of the “Blue Devil’s” Varsity Program. Records indicate that between 1957 and 2016 the Blue Devil’s won 91 games, lost 70, tied 4 and made it to 7 championship games. The football team ended in 1974 and wouldn’t be reformed until 2010.

On October 26, 1959 it was announced that a new addition would be built. The addition, completed in 1960, was built on the north side (over the ‘GIRLS’ entrance) and contained administrative offices, Shop and Drafting, Home Economics, library, and additional classrooms to the north end.

In 1966, two science labs, physical education wing and more classrooms (rooms 110 & 111) were added.
Around 1966 Grade 13 was discontinued and students went to Fort Erie for their 5th year.

The school held a musical titled “Oklahoma”, to sell-out crowds in May of 1970.

In 1973 the south end was added to the school. This addition included classrooms for typing, accounting and a new library. The old library became a Science Laboratory and the old typing room was used to enlarge the guidance offices. The project cost $187,000
By 1976 the school population was 537 students with a staff of 31.

The RCBHS Reunion was held in 1984 which featured an open house at the school and a parade down Ridge Road, an Oldtimers Basketball game and other events at the West End Arena.

In 1984 the Pride Field was constructed out of a new surface technology. The Crystal Beach Kinsmen Club led the project with many donors and profits from the 1984 reunion.

In 1987, the Auditorium was refurnished with permanent comfortable seats on raised platforms. In 1989 construction began on an all-weather track, followed by a field house in 1991.

In 1993 a weight training and exercise room were added. In 1995, the Communication Technology complex was added.

In 2013 the decision was made to close Fort Erie Secondary School and Ridgeway High School. The Ridgeway High School and Fort Erie Secondary Schools would be amalgamated into a new school named the Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (‘Gee-FESS’). The school was built at a cost of $30 million.

In 2017, Fort Erie Town Council approved a recommendation to declare the front exterior of the school as being historically significant. This designation was signed on January 22, 2018. According to the Ontario Heritage Act, the official classification will mandate that any purchaser or developer of the property maintain the entirety of the building's front facade facing the road. In the event that a developer wishes to demolish the front of the school, they must first obtain written consent from the majority of councillors through Town Hall.

The property was listed at $10.9 million. A Farewell Open House was held on May 19th and 20th 2017. A buyer has since purchased the property. School Trustees approved the sale of the school during their April 27, 2021 board meeting.

Today, the school stands as the largest, tallest, and most significant building in Ridgeway, and it is the only structure of its kind in the Fort Erie community. It is often referred to as ‘the biggest little school in Ontario.’

Other notable events:
Ridgeway High School was the second school in Ontario to have their own radio station
A Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School student, Frank Kelly, was Mad Magazine’s cover artist from 1956 to 1962 and illustrated the famous Alfred E. Neuman?
Several popular bands played at RCBHS including April Wine, Max Webster, Rush (1971) and Helix (late 1970’s)

Researched by Talking Walls Photography

Exploring an abandoned warehouse in Niagara Falls which is being used for storing MarineLand items. Some of the items include an ice cream cart, hot dog carts, and antlers. There used to be video games in here as well but they're no longer there.

#abandoned #ontarioabandonedplaces #niagarafalls #marineland

Note: When I say abandoned, I don't mean that anyone walked away from the business. More than likely it was Covid that led to the business closing.

This beautiful stone house began as a clapboard homestead built in 1870 on 14 acres of land. It was constructed out of hand-cut lumber taken from the property, with a roof made of cedar shingles and batten outer walls.

In 1926, the property was purchased by Sarah and Stanley Gamble, who lived in Detroit. Stanley was a brick mason and had worked on the Empire State Building. The property served as a summer retreat for the couple but tragedy struck when Sarah and their infant son died during childbirth. In honour of his late wife, Stanley transformed the property into a cobblestone cottage using stones from the Thames riverbed.

Annie Edith Aldred, the youngest child of Robert and Alice Aldred, was passing by the Little Stone House. She saw it’s potential as a tea house while on vacation in Ontario. She formed a partnership with Stanley and they started the Little Stone Tea House. Annie eventually purchasing the property in 1935 with her brother Arnold (not sourced).

A west side addition was constructed, and a second chimney was added. Stanley salvaged windows and other items from salvage yards in Detroit for use in the construction of the cottage. Random items such as a cannonball can be found embedded in the walls, and tables and chairs were created during the winter of 1936 by Robert’s father and grandfather.

The western addition was named the Moravian Room, and a courtyard was built in the back of the house. A 16-foot-deep water well was dug by hand, and a trench was constructed to connect the water supply to the house, with a hand pump providing water for the gardens.

Stan’s older brother Roy was an artist and required a peaceful place to work, so Stan purchased an older pioneer cabin. After the foundation was built and the cellar constructed, the cabin was reassembled with brick mortar consisting of cement, lime, and sand. However, due to moisture getting into the logs and causing the structure to become unstable, the barn was taken down in 2003.

The Tea House gained popularity and was listed in the American Automobile Association directory. However, business declined during World War II, forcing the tea house to close in 1942. Annie moved to Ottawa to work in the government’s finance department but returned in 1946 to reopen the Little Stone Tea House.

Weddings were held on the grounds from the 1950s to the 1970s, with plant boxes and a wisteria vine plant taking over the front of the house.

Stanley passed away on the property in April 1952. Annie closed the business in 1958 and lived in the Little Stone House until 1980, when her health deteriorated and she moved into a nursing home.

https://www.talkingwallsphoto.com/houses/the-little-stone-tea-house/

Note: Please don’t trespass. The family has been seeing a lot of break ins.

This property is owned by a man in his 50's. He is a graduate of McMaster University.

While at university, he participated on the fencing team. He was named MVP at McMaster in 2001. He went on to compete in International Tournaments from 2001 to 2003 in Montreal.

The property has a lot of musical history inside. In the living room are two empty guitar cases and a piano. As you make your way past the living room to the kitchen, there are several vinyl record albums underneath the kitchen table. I found a Black Sabbath Paranoid album cover, no sign of the record.

There are many sheets of music and lyrics to be found throughout the house. He also collected DVD's and VHS tapes which can be found on both levels of the house. There were books and albums with classical music composers.

https://www.talkingwallsphoto.com/abandoned-time-capsule/abandoned-ontario-music-mans-house/

#abandonedplaces #ontarioabandonedplaces #timecapsule

In this video, we explore two properties along Lake Ontario. Both of them are going to be demolished. Excavators are on site at the first property already.

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