Council caught between the stone wall and the anvil

0


Rodney Brown called on city council in a deputation on Monday to preserve the “rubble” stone heritage of the High Street retaining wall.

THUNDER BAY – A movement to save a crumbling rock wall is taking place behind a prominent local musician.

Speaking on behalf of the Save the Stone Thunder Bay Facebook group, Rodney Brown on Monday asked city council to reconsider preserving the High Street retaining wall.

The administration suggested replacing “rubble” construction with pressed concrete and paved the way for art depicting the city’s role in WWI. Neighborhood residents who attended a neighborhood meeting in June rejected the vision, asking the city to consider restoring the stone.

Brown’s page attracted over 500 members in its first two days, most of whom are city residents.

“I support saving all that is old. It gives us our past, an understanding of where we came from and who we are,” Brown said. “So we know who we are, why we are here and where we should be going in the future.”

Brown’s delegation was steeped in storytelling as a medium to present the timeless value of the wall to be placed. He told of an Italian immigrant stonemason who built it, then recalled his own childhood sense of moving from fortress-like imagery to meeting the view of Hillcrest Park.

Brown assured the council he supported public art, but insisted that the masonry built into the wall is already art in itself.

“I know a young artist who wrote to me and told me he was eager to compete and develop the design, but the artist’s commitment shouldn’t be used as a consolation for losing a point beloved landmark, ”he said.

“It might be best assigned to a project in a neighborhood where people could stop, contemplate and enjoy the work.”

Tales. Larry Hebert and Aldo Ruberto pledged to vote in favor of preserving the stone of the retaining wall. Brown was encouraged.

“I was impressed. There seemed to be a lot of support on the board to save what was there, so I think it went really well,” he said after the deputation.

“I think the city could save a lot of money by using what’s there and just fixing what’s there and keeping what’s there. I think that’s a plus. This wall can last forever and go on. telling stories in Thunder Bay. ”

Reconstruction of the wall is one of the 2017 budget priorities in Red River County. Brian McKinnon’s service, but he said his proposed cost had already reached $ 2.4 million.

Administration contacted the Algonquin College Stonecutting Program in hopes of exploring the restoration option.


Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.