The image is part of a larger stained glass window outside the Registrar's Office in Blackburn Hall. Originally from a farmhouse on the Trent campus, the window has been restored by the McCausland Company, the same company that made it in the 1880s, through a generous donation from Mr. B.D. ("Barney") Sandwell and his wife Helen, both long-time friends of Trent.

Dear President Patterson,

I have wanted to thank both you and Vice President Don O'Leary for generously giving of your valuable time last Wednesday to speak with me about the future of 3525 Nassau Mills Road, a.k.a. the Commoner, but now I am delighted to be able to say as well that I applaud your courageous and farsighted decision to halt plans to destroy this historic structure.

The Peterborough Examiner writes that the demolition is "delayed indefinitely". I am optimistic that Trent will now take seriously the option presented by the Basterfield & Associates Master Plan (2004) for Trent Athletics and Recreation, specifically "the renovation and retrofit of the old Commoner pub…into a state of the art office, retreat, and conference centre to support the goals and priorities of the New Commoner."

What could be more fitting? The Basterfield Plan was prepared for "an existing high quality landscape which must be preserved and enhanced." The Commoner, situated adjacent to the Trent -Severn Waterway in a remarkably bucolic corner of the core campus, embodies almost a century and a quarter of community and university history, and contributes in a unique and irreplaceable way to the "identifiable landscape that creates a sense of place."

Basterfield & Associates further provides that their development plan is a long term project that could potentially help reground Trent to its original ideals as a liberal arts and science institution with strong social consciousness." Although Trent University was conceived and built during the post-war decades when hostility to old buildings was the norm throughout this country, a different ethic prevails today. Yet, buildings still account for 35% of total waste in landfills. That Trent might contribute to this by destroying a historic structure on the very site of the proposed New Commoner, a facility dedicated to environmental stewardship, is unthinkable. I trust that your granting of a reprieve to the old Commoner may be taken as an indication of your agreement.

From my conversation with Don O'Leary I understand that the intent to demolish was based on the 2005 Facility Audit Report of the Commoner Building prepared by Erik Wilkie. Having been denied access to this report, I can neither agree nor disagree with the particular restoration costs suggested therein. I can say with certainty, however, that the eventual costs of loss by deliberate destruction will be far, far greater, and indeed, incalculable.

It is my hope that the Peterborough Branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario may be able to contribute to the pending deliberations which I am confident will lead to a satisfactory outcome for the Commoner.

Again, please accept my sincere thanks and commendations.

Yours very truly,

Edward Smith, Interim President
Architectural Conservancy of Ontario,
Peterborough Branch
110 Antrim Street,
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 3G2

The demolition of the historic 19th century building set for Monday (Oct. 2) has been called off for the time being. That has Edward Smith breathing a sigh of relief.

"The fact that they are prepared to delay it is a very good indication they [Trent University] are recognizing their responsibility here," says Mr. Smith, interim president of the local branch of the Architectural Conservatory of Ontario.

"Demolition is unjustified from any angle. You can always do a new building but there's no going back for something that has intangible value."
Mr. Smith says he received the good news early Friday afternoon from Don O'Leary, vice-president of administration for Trent University.

The Commoner was built in 1887. It is one of just two buildings left from the historic Nassau Mills community that was demolished when Trent University was built during the 1960s. From 1969 to 1999, it was used as a student pub.

"There's a long list of why demolition is inappropriate and completely wrong here," says Mr. Smith.

"It's a historic building with a deep, deep connection to Trent University."

The Trent University alumni association is holding a Commoner reunion and farewell Saturday (Sept. 30) from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Commoner parking lot.

Now that the demolition of the building has been delayed, Mr. Smith says that will provide a great opportunity for people to gather at The Commoner and show their support for the future of the building. 

Just days before its scheduled demise on Monday, Trent University has postponed plans to tear down the 19th century Commoner building, formerly a popular student watering hole.

Administration vice‑president Don O’Leary said the decision was made after consultation with the Peterborough branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, which raised concerns about the building’s historic ties.

Besides serving as a student gathering place for 30 years, the Commoner building is one of the last remaining relics from the 19th century Nassau Mills lumber community that resided on the land where Trent University now sits.

Plans to demolish the building were made after the university hired an architect to assess the building, which was heavily damaged during the 2004 flood, O’Leary said.  The building has been used for storage since 1999.

“It’s in very bad shape… we were just concerned about the building structurally and knew that something had to be done with it so we had an architect look at it and got that assessment,” O’Leary said.

“The recommendation was not to invest further into the building but to actually take it down.

Trent has taken the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s concerns to the city and from there will determine what to do with the building, O’Leary said.

“We’ve asked the city to provide us with some additional information, which they have, and we want to fully evaluate that information before we make a final decision, so we’re just going to take our time to do that,” he said.

But O’Leary said he’s not certain the house – which was built in 1887 – has any historic value.

“I don’t rally know if it is (historic) or not.  I know there are fond memories of it and people had some good times when it was a pub, but I’m not so sure in my opinion that it’s historic.  That’s why we’re evaluating the information that the city will provide us,” O’Leary said.

Edward smith, interim president or the Peterborough branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, disagrees and said his organization will fight to have the building saved.

“I’m certainly more optimistic because previous to today there was a plan to demolish and now, as far as I understand it, they’re reconsidering, so I’m very optimistic,” he said.

“I hope they take very seriously the university’s reputation for environmental concerns and sustainability issues and just general respect for the community.”

O’Leary said the demolition is postponed indefinitely and the university will take its time to make a final decision.

“A lot of thought was put into it and we make these decisions carefully,” he said.

The alumni association is hosting a Commoner farewell and reunion today during the Head of the Trent activities.  It takes place at the Commoner parking lot between 1 and 5p.m.

In some cities, a developer like Joe Jonatan would be heavily fined for his actions and even have his property expropriated.

In Toronto, we have no choice but sit by and watch as he lets a unique and valuable heritage site fall apart.

If Councillor Kyle Rae (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) gets his way, however, that could all change. He plans to introduce a bylaw that would force owners to maintain heritage buildings and ban "demolition by neglect."

Jonatan owns Walnut Hall, the only block of Georgian townhouses left standing in the city. They are on the north side of Shuter St., just east of Jarvis. Built in 1858, this four-unit terrace was designed by Irish-born architect John Tully. Despite decades of shameful neglect that predates even Jonatan, they remain a monument to Victorian urbanity, something we are just beginning to rediscover 150 years later.

From the moment he bought the property in 1996, Jonatan has made it clear he wants to tear it down. The previous owner, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, did its bit before him to destroy the complex by leaving it empty and unheated for 20 years. But when bricks started to fall to the ground recently, the city finally had to step in and order Jonatan to erect a fence around the building.

"It's heartbreaking," says Rae. "We've worked with the owner to give him additional density. We arranged for him to get a $20,000 heritage grant. We've given him every possible advantage the city can offer. But still he refuses to do anything."

As the manager of Toronto Heritage Preservation Services, Denise Gendron, points out, now bricks are starting to fall off the building. It has become dangerous.

"You turn off the power," she says. "You let vagrants go in, then basically you just sit there and let the building fall apart. The owner has neglected his responsibilities and allowed the building to decay."

As Rae rightly says, "It would be horrible to lose this property."

In recognition of the historical and architectural significance of the site, the city designated it in 1997. In her book, Toronto Architecture: A City Guide, Patricia McHugh praised "its beautifully proportioned façade, and exquisite details such as six-light sash windows, stone lintels and sills and Flemish-bond bricks."

Even through the crumbling exteriors, the boarded-up windows and the general rot, these townhouses, at 102 to 108 Shuter St., retain a surprising degree of their original dignity. They stand four storeys high and are built right out to the sidewalk. Above all, they speak of an age that understood what a city was about and knew how to build for it. Tall and thin, they take complete advantage of the site and even in the 21st century, have much to teach us about city-building.

Is it any wonder developers have such a bad name?

"It was part of a basket (of property) we purchased in 1996," Jonatan explains. "We built 10 semis north of Walnut Hall on George St., but we weren't sure what to do with the building on Shuter. For some reason, we just haven't been able to make it work from a business point of view. It's not unfeasible, but everything has taken much longer than expected.

"I know it has decayed a bit, but it will be a great place to live. I would have thought Kyle would be happy that I've moved up the schedule and put the place up for sale two weeks ago. I've had a couple of calls already."

Rae's bylaw, based on one from Miami, would require minimum standards of maintenance. Its intention is to preserve the interior, exterior and structural integrity of historic and architecturally significant buildings. If adopted, the new regulations would allow the city to impose fines of up to $5,000 a day. The city could also force owners to take remedial action at their own expense. Failure to comply would give the city the right to foreclose.

"We believe the building can be saved," Gendron insists. "We've compelled the owner to get an engineer's report on the state of the structure."

These townhouses are a major civic asset and deserve to be treated as such.