HomeMy WebLinkAbout298"Article copied from the Toronto Star, Thursday, February 7, 1991. page E4. written by Paul Irish.
Government-owned home should be preserved, conservationists say.
Some Pickering residents fear the 137-year-old Bentley House will soon deteriorate beyond
repair. They want it designated as a federal heritage building.
""It's beautiful and we'd really hate to see it destroyed by time and the elements,"" says Anna
Wilson of the local architectural conservancy. ""We really feel the federal government has been
dragging its feet.""
The building at Highway 7 and Brock Road became federal property when Canada's
Department of Transport proposed development of the Pickering Airport almost 20 years ago.
Conservancy members say the
house, an example of neo-classical architecture and built by William Bentley has been denied a
heritage designation and attendant generous federal funds.
""The government always uses the excuse that an airport might still be built,"" Wilson says.
""It says other houses should be designated first and there's not enough money. But time is
running out.""
In a report, Peter John Stokes of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Inc. says the house is
well constructed but now suffers a ""superficial lack of maintenance.
""Continued neglect will probably lead to more serious and less easily remedied problems.""
His report also says recent repairs, although reasonably well done by the federal government,
did not conform to appropriate conservation procedures. The building is being compromised,
he says.
A letter from AA. Ritthaler of Transport Canada to the conservancy says ""the best course of
action is to entrust the building to a responsible tenant and to make available the highest level of
(federal) funding/repairs commensurate with our severly restricted budget...""
A family is currently renting the structure.
Wilson says anyone interested in having the house designated should contact MP Rene Soetens.
"