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Five questions about the Gould Street fire

Five questions that need to be asked about the fire that destroyed the historic William Reynolds Block at Yonge and Gould early Monday (January 3).

Was it arson or just an accident?

We won’t know the answer to that question for weeks. The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is still investigating. But as more than one observer has pointed out, buildings without hydro or gas do not just go up in flames.

Should the city be held liable?

The building was designated a heritage site last spring, shortly after a portion of the north wall collapsed on Gould. That move was a bit of an afterthought but gave City Hall a direct interest in the site. The building department issued three notices to the own-ers ordering repairs to the north wall. But did the city do enough to enforce property standards so the building wouldn’t fall into disrepair?

Should the owner of the property be held liable?

The Ontario numbered company that owns the building, based in Richmond Hill, hasn’t exactly shown a keen interest in preserving the circa-1888 gem. It applied for a demolition permit for the site to make way for condos before Toronto and East York Community Council intervened last summer with the historic designation. The owners have claimed they wanted to restore the building, but they also rejected grants totalling $32,500 from the city to fix the crumbling facade.

What can we learn from this mess?

Leaving a building unsecured is inviting foul play, especially downtown, where homeless people are looking for places to squat. Will the loss of an important landmark make the city more diligent about protecting heritage properties? It’s not clear that will happen, given the dozens of other examples of demolition-by-neglect that have occurred over the years. Local councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is suggesting that regs on heritage preservation should be incorporated into Ontario’s Building Code.

What next?

The wrecking ball will have to be called in. The building is a safety hazard. A structural engineer and heritage expert have already reported that the facade cannot be saved. Gone is the last example of Second Empire and Romanesque Revival- architecture left on the Yonge strip between Dundas and Gould.

enzom@nowtoronto.com

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