by Kathryn Hunt
The old wall of the Bronson Estate dates back to the 1830s, but concerns about its saftety have sparked a discussion about how best to preserve it. (Photo: Kathryn Hunt)
The limestone wall on Bronson Avenue, north of Laurier, is in trouble. The Bronson Rehabilitation Project and its implications for traffic patterns north of Laurier, as well as the deterioration of the wall itself, have caused serious questions to be raised about its safety.
The wall was originally part of the wall to the Bronson Estate, which was Henry Bronson’s first house before he built his better-known house on the site where the Juliana now stands.
By current building standards, the stone is “far from building grade material,” according to Bruce Kenney, manager of the Bronson Project, who has recommended either temporary or permanent removal of the wall for reasons of safety.
Suggestions for what to do with the wall range from reinforcement to complete removal to construction of a replica using stronger building materials. Some of these decisions may depend on what is planned for the reconstruction of Bronson north of Laurier, which does not fall under the scope of the current project.
Councillor Diane Holmes has, however, advised the Bronson Project that any replica of the wall would have to be constructed using similar materials and professional stonemasons, due to the historical significance of the wall. Her office has also suggested a frost fence.
In one place, a hole completely through the wall has been boarded up to stop people climbing through it, but the solution is only temporary. (Photo: Kathryn Hunt)
A hole right through the wall just north of the Nanny Goat Hill Community Garden—now boarded up to keep people from climbing through —is an alarming illustration of just how unstable the wall is.
Nanny Goat Hill gardener Clayton Mark remarked, “They should have taken it down 10, 20, 30 years ago,” pointing out the numerous, large trees growing close beside and through the wall, further destabilizing it. “One of these days that one’s going to come down into the street and endanger someone,” he added, pointing to a large tree which had already caused the top of the wall to bulge.
His opinion may not be representative, however. In a letter to the Bronson Rehabilitation Project from last October, members of the Nanny Goat Hill Community Garden noted that the wall had been deteriorating noticeably over the last six months, but stated that they felt the aesthetic and heritage value of the wall demanded it be reinforced rather than removed.
In response, the City consulted with McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd., who presented three options, all of which involve dismantling the wall and rebuilding it .5m from the bedrock face. They concluded that the bedrock supporting the wall is also insufficient to support the wall and presents a threat to the public.
It remains to be seen what impact plans for Bronson north of Laurier—including possible widening of the street and traffic redirection —will have on decisions regarding the wall.
(Note: on the day the May BUZZ was printed – Thursday, May 17 – the wall was dismantled. The future of the wall is still uncertain: the stones have been saved.)