ISLAND OF MISFIT HOUSES

Historical buildings and spaces are the unique features of a town. They distinguish one town from another and give people pride in their community. All too often important buildings from the past get demolished for new development. However, there is legislation in place to help these struggling buildings, it's called the Heritage Act. Problem is that, it only protects buildings that are DESIGNATED HERITAGE.

What do you do with buildings that aren't quite important enough?

"How would you like to be a Spotted Elephant?"
"Or a Choo Choo with square wheels on your caboose?"
"Or a... HAND GUN?"

MARKHAM HERITAGE ESTATES

When you get to a certain age where you no longer serve a purpose in society but are still too healthy to die, you get shoved in a nursing home. Markham Heritage Estates subdivision is no different.

Where houses go to die!

When new subdivisions is getting built, the developers flatten the land, destroying everything that's on the property which can include historic buildings. Sometimes these buildings aren't quite important enough to be designated as heritage, which would protect them from being destroyed. So, Markham has come up with a way of protecting these historically misfit buildings.

Perfectly rehabilitated house

 Markham Heritage Estates is where historical buildings get relocated if there is no other possible means to protect them. The Town of Markham actually owns all of the 42 lots within the subdivision. They sell the lots below market value to offset the cost, to the owner, of relocating and restoring the buildings. This has so far been incentive enough to have many heritage houses brought here. Markham also requires that landscaping on the property must be in keeping with the time period of the house. This is for sure an innovative strategy in heritage protection.

16th Avenue and Heritage Corners Lane, Markham

 Many people oppose the idea of the Heritage Estates, stating that it gives an easy way out for protecting heritage. It would be far more beneficial to fight hard to keep the building in its original location which is the majority of it's historic value. Large scale heritage relocation can make it easier for developers to build continuous sprawl, therefore giving them more power over the municipality.

The idea of the Markham Heritage Estates is a great idea on paper and it has saved many buildings so far but some how in real life it's just plain creepy and sad, again a lot like nursing homes.


View Larger Map

Googal Streetview your way to the entrance and you can see new misfits being fixed up

:.

ARCHIVE DIP II

For all of those people who always wondered what a baby Chipmunk looks like. It's wrinkly and gross!

Lost it's mom in an unfortunate Pellet Gun accident!

Trust me, you do not want to see pictures of it's face.

:.

LET THE ARCADE BURN

The Arcade Fire just released a new music video, for their song We Used To Wait, that's more of a MULTIMEDIA GOOGAL-GANZA!

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

Go to the link above, type in the address of your childhood home and then click play (only works in GOOGAL CHROME).

:.

THE RETURN OF POCOCK

THIS GUY IS RIDICULOUS! He should be running for COUNCIL OF UNIVERSE!

I'm going to stop reading his blog now because it makes my life feel insignificant.

Another of my cedar strip contraptions rests at the side of
a New Brunswick highway. In 2007 I built this velomobile and cycled
it from Victoria, B.C. to St. John's Nfld., talking to kids about
Global Warming along the way.

:.

THEIR SKIN IS MADE OUT OF SKIN, THEIR BONES ARE MADE OUT OF BONES

Recently in Bangkok, a 31 year old Thai woman was caught, at the airport, with a tranquilized 2 month old tiger in her over sized bag, en route to Iran.

TO MARRIAGE THIS FACE, CLICK HERE

Apparently, exotic animal traffickers can't even smuggle REAL TIGERS in bags full of TOY TIGERS anymore. The bones of the real tiger tend to show up on the x-ray machine while the no-bones of the toy tigers do not.

TOY TIGER?

My suggestion to all future animal traffickers is to smuggle TIGGERS in bags full of RUBBA AND SPRINGS! That fools those x-rays every time.

Be on the look out for a 31 year old Thai woman named Christopher Robin!

:.