The National Trust for Canada has released its Top 10 Endangered Places List for 2017. Every year, the National Trust publishes the List as part of its mission to raise awareness of the value that historic places bring to quality of life, local identity and cultural vitality.
The Top 10 Endangered Places List is compiled from nominations received as well as from reports and news items the National Trust has been following throughout the year. The 2017 List includes (in no particular order of importance):
- The Black Horse Pub and Pig’s Ear Tavern (Peterborough, Ont.) – Not only well-known watering holes, but also landmarks in Peterborough’s downtown core.
- Cathédrale Saint-Germain (Rimouski, Que.) – An iconic Roman Catholic cathedral in limbo.
- Young Avenue (Halifax, N.S.) – Serial demolition undermines the character of a historic residential boulevard.
- Davisville Junior Public School/Spectrum Alternative Senior School (Toronto, Ont.) – An exceptional mid-century modern school facing demolition.
- Wallingford-Back Mine (Mulgrave-et-Derry, Que.) – A stunning industrial landscape that became a beloved local asset is threatened with destruction.
- Bryn Mawr (St. John’s, N.L.) – A historic former summer home and local landmark.
- Manie Opera Society (Lethbridge, Alta.) – The oldest building in downtown Lethbridge’s Chinatown district: empty, crumbling and awaiting reuse.
- Somerset House (Ottawa, Ont.) – Derelict for 10 years, this landmark downtown building is teetering on the brink.
- Hangar 11 (Edmonton, Alta.) – One of the last World World II hangars at the former Edmonton Municipal Airport.
- Sinclair Centre (Vancouver, B.C.) – Four federal heritage buildings make up the Sinclair Centre, at risk from office tower development.
First published in 2005, the Top 10 Endangered Places List has become a powerful tool in the fight to make landmarks, not landfill. The National Trust believes that historic places are cornerstones of identity, community and sense of place, yet every year, more are lost due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. By shining a spotlight on places at risk, the Top 10 Endangered Places List raises awareness about their plight and bolsters the efforts of local advocates working to save them.
Click here for more about these endangered places. Click here to explore past listings.