Post #17272
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Cedar Hill Water Tower
The Record recently reported that the Cedar Hill water tower will be dismantled by the end of this year. According to the article, the tower stands 31 metres tall and held 4 million litres of water. It was the largest water tower in Canada when it was built in 1926. It has not held water for several years now.
I think it's actually rather beautiful in its own way, though I know that many would disagree. While its end was inevitable, the water tower is unquestionably a unique landmark and I will be sad to see it go.
Here are some photos I took yesterday.
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Post #17274
10-25-2010 04:56 PM
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Hamlet Member
Joined Jan 2010
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Perhaps the fresh new Council will recognise its heritage value as a cherished landmark (IMO) and consider designation.. I can dream.
Great photos by the way - thanks. |
Post #17284
10-25-2010 06:56 PM
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Kitchener
Joined Oct 2010
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Excellent set of pictures. It is a rusty eyesore but a little paint and creativity could turn it into a piece of urban art. |
Post #17287
10-25-2010 07:13 PM
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Waterloo, ON
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I will be sad to see it go as well. It's an awesome historic part of Kitchener and I actually like how it looks |
Post #17299
10-25-2010 07:38 PM
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Kitchener
Joined Dec 2009
4543 posts
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 Originally Posted by smably The Record recently reported that the Cedar Hill water tower will be dismantled by the end of this year. According to the article, the tower stands 31 metres tall and held 4 million litres of water. It was the largest water tower in Canada when it was built in 1926. It has not held water for several years now. I think it's actually rather beautiful in its own way, though I know that many would disagree. While its end was inevitable, the water tower is unquestionably a unique landmark and I will be sad to see it go. Here are some photos I took yesterday. Wow that happened kind of quickly and quietly. I remember it being talked about a year or two ago and there being a lot of fus about it. |
Post #17303
10-25-2010 08:19 PM
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West-South-West Kitchener
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918 posts
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Originally Posted by Spokes Wow that happened kind of quickly and quietly. I remember it being talked about a year or two ago and there being a lot of fus about it. Not enough fuss to keep it, apparently... per the Record story:
Badrul Khan, a regional engineer overseeing the demolition, said the water tower did not have any champions — nobody spoke up in favour of keeping it or reusing it. |
Post #17634
10-29-2010 08:46 AM
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Town Member
Kitchener, Ontario
Joined Jan 2010
123 posts
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I just heard about this and I have to say I'm disappointed. I personally love this tower!
There must be a group of residents with an interest in saving it. I'd be willing to take action to pursue heritage designation if I knew there were others backing me. |
Post #17635
10-29-2010 08:55 AM
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Panama/France/Canada
Joined Mar 2010
808 posts
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Originally Posted by van Hemessen I just heard about this and I have to say I'm disappointed. I personally love this tower!
There must be a group of residents with an interest in saving it. I'd be willing to take action to pursue heritage designation if I knew there were others backing me. I am as fond of the old tower as anyone, but if people seriously wanted to pursue heritage designation and protection, I hope they would come up with a pretty good plan of what to do with it and how to pay to maintain it. Urban sculpture, perhaps? Lookout tower? Fish farm?  |
Post #17639
10-29-2010 10:21 AM
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Kitchener
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495 posts
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Originally Posted by panamaniac I am as fond of the old tower as anyone, but if people seriously wanted to pursue heritage designation and protection, I hope they would come up with a pretty good plan of what to do with it and how to pay to maintain it. Urban sculpture, perhaps? Lookout tower? Fish farm? I'm with you panamaniac. I can't see how preserving a rusted out water tower is considered protecting heritage. I thought the point of saving heritage properties is so their life could be extended and the buildings would continue to be enjoyed and functional - perhaps under a different use (ie: heritage home now offices or an old steel bridge "saved" and now used as a foot bridge instead of for cars). But an old rusty water tower? Other than keeping it as something you see standing there from surrounding neighbourhoods, what new purpose would it serve? It's rusting out and can't be used to hold water anymore. I hardly consider it "sculputre". What would you do with it? Cut out windows and a door and call it a "condo"? Very useful for when global warming causes the water to rise. 
I'm sad as every one else that removing the water tower marks the "end of an era", but lets be serious here. Unless you want to put it in a museum as an artifact, it's life as a useful or even "historical" property is negligible. It's steel and will cost a fortune to maintain annually in its current "use" or "non-use".
Let's just take lots of photos, tell our stories and record them here for posterity. |
Post #17682
10-29-2010 05:21 PM
Unknown Author
Metropolis Member
Kitchener
Joined Dec 2009
4543 posts
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What would justify giving it heritage designation? |
Post #17698
10-29-2010 10:55 PM
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Town Member
Kitchener, Ontario
Joined Jan 2010
123 posts
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I generally agree that the point of heritage designation should be to preserve structure as well as function. But I think the Cedar Hill water tower is a different case. There are few structures that can be said to define a neighborhood but the water tower truly does DEFINE Cedar Hill (at least for me, and of course it's subjective) . It adds so much character and sense of place to the area.
Keeping in mind I probably have a different perspective since I'm not a local (have only been here for just over 3 years). It is somewhat enigmatic/charismatic to me. Cedar Hill will always be one of my favorite neighborhoods water tower or not. |
Post #17701
10-29-2010 11:44 PM
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Town Member
Joined Feb 2010
257 posts
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Originally Posted by van Hemessen I generally agree that the point of heritage designation should be to preserve structure as well as function. But I think the Cedar Hill water tower is a different case. There are few structures that can be said to define a neighborhood but the water tower truly does DEFINE Cedar Hill (at least for me, and of course it's subjective) . It adds so much character and sense of place to the area.
Keeping in mind I probably have a different perspective since I'm not a local (have only been here for just over 3 years). It is somewhat enigmatic/charismatic to me. Cedar Hill will always be one of my favorite neighborhoods water tower or not. I agree completely. Cedar Hill is one of my favourite neighbourhoods too, and that old rusty water tower does has a strange charisma. As much as I would like it to remain there forever, I think we have to accept that there is no chance of reuse. Even if it avoids demolition for now, maintenance will not get any cheaper. Its days are numbered no matter what. As Shawn said, let us enjoy it while it remains standing and document it in photos for posterity. |
Post #17735
10-30-2010 03:55 PM
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Town Member
Kitchener, Ontario
Joined Jan 2010
123 posts
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Concur. I admit fully that the money simply isn't there to maintain it, as much as I'd like to see it stay. |
Post #27451
03-15-2011 10:32 AM
Unknown Author
Moderator
Kitchener-Waterloo
Joined Dec 2009
4792 posts
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Looks like it will be coming down soon...
PERMIT IS TO DEMOLISH A STEEL WATER TOWER.
Permit No 11108025
Site Address 100 ST GEORGE ST
Status Under Review
Permit Category Non-Residential Demolition
Permit Type Industrial
Application Date February 17, 2011
Issued By
Issue Date
Final Date
Work Proposed Demolition Non-Res
Contractor SCHORN CONSULTANTS INC
Contractor Contact Info 155 LEXINGTON CRT WATERLOO ON N2J 4R2 phone 519-884-4840 phone2 519-884-4843
LAND_USE_SUBCATEGORY INDUSTRIAL |
Post #29235
04-29-2011 10:52 AM
Unknown Author
Hamlet Member
Kitchener
Joined Mar 2011
14 posts
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Often take noon time walks around downtown Kitchener and the water tower on St George St is now being prepared to be taken down... anyone know if there are plans to use this space? |
Post #29336
05-02-2011 02:18 PM
Unknown Author
Hamlet Member
Kitchener
Joined Mar 2011
14 posts
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Attended a Waterloo Region Food Summit held at Laurier School of Social Work where I heard that, for now, once the tower is demolished, the space will be available as a community garden for urban agriculture.
Took a walk up the hill today at lunch time and the massive torches are already at work. Work is in progress. |
Post #29573
05-11-2011 11:03 AM
Unknown Author
Moderator
Kitchener-Waterloo
Joined Dec 2009
4792 posts
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PERMIT IS TO DEMOLISH A STEEL WATER TOWER.
Permit No 11108025
Site Address 100 ST GEORGE ST
Status Issued
Permit Category Non-Residential Demolition
Permit Type Industrial
Application Date February 17, 2011
Issued By ANGELAD
Issue Date May 05, 2011
Work Proposed Demolition Non-Res
Contractor SCHORN CONSULTANTS INC
Contractor Contact Info 155 LEXINGTON CRT WATERLOO ON N2J 4R2 phone 519-884-4840 phone2 519-884-4843
May 10, 2011   |
Post #29582
05-11-2011 01:15 PM
Unknown Author
City Member
Panama/France/Canada
Joined Mar 2010
808 posts
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It is going to feel strange to look over to Cedar Hill and not see it anymore. Things change .... |
Post #29669
05-13-2011 06:38 PM
Unknown Author
Town Member
Kitchener, Ontario
Joined Jan 2010
123 posts
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Agreed. It makes me sad. But I realize there aren't any other options unless someone miraculously donates a few $$$ to restore it.
Happy that the space will be used for a community garden, though. |
Post #31852
07-10-2011 02:02 AM
Unknown Author
Village Member
Vancouver
Joined Jan 2010
76 posts
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Yeah, was never a huge fan of it (more to do with the state it was in, but it had potential for something creative) but it certainly was a part of Cedar Hill's sense of place. I hope somebody can post pics as it comes down. I assume this will happen during the summer months? |
