"I Want To Live!"

"I Want To Live"
aka - Day Two, the ' Wick on Death Row
09 November 2008

This Sunday morning at 8:00 am, Turner Classic movies had on the 1958 Susan Heywood movie "I Want To Live" about a woman on death row trying to fight to stay alive until the very end. The theme seemed fitting with the current situation at the old Brunswick Hotel.

So I changed the channel and watched Spongebob with my daughter instead. :)

These photographs were taken Saturday night and Sunday just before Noon. As you can see the 'Wick was lit up all night.


If I had brought binoculars or my telephoto lens, maybe I could read the writing on the wall. (Pun intended for those of you into biblical scholarship). :)


These lights were not there when I left about 7:00 p.m Saturday night, but obviously there to light up the rear of the 'Wick.


I suspect the closing of this entire intersection is not very healthy for the businesses in the area. I would not want ot be driving Greyhound Buses right about now.

In addition to keeping the engine running on the truck all night for the lights, last night and today are very cold, that damp cold that just goes right through you, and I do not envy those those have to stand vigil all night long.


I saw this this machine arrive early Saturday morning just before 8:30 am. When I was there again at 4:00 pm and later around 7:30 pm, it was still there, so somebody has to pay for this machine & driver/operator for at least 11 hours of sitting and doing nothing.

The issue of costs:
Almost anyone and everyone on the street who stops to take a look is asking "how much is this costing? and "who's going to pay?" Sadly the answers are easy. One - lots of money, two - you and me through tax dollars.

In addition to the Ontario Fire Marshall, the fire truck & crew, the various people who came to repair the one hydro pole, the three to five police cruisers and police officers on constant duty, the economic loss to the businesses in the area, and more I possibly cannot imagine, the bill will be terrible.

To give a bit of back ground on what is happening, in no particular order, here goes:

1) Because of suspicion of arson, the main floor is a crime scene, and it has to be preserved and protected. This is why the 'Wick was lit up all night, and there are so many police on site. Soem for traffic control, and some to protect the site.

2) Asbestos is there is small quantities, not huge quantities because this building went up long before asbestos was in common use. But like mercury, asbestos is one of our present day enviromental "bogeymen". For example, while mercury is deadly dangerous, and we are all supposed to turn in our mercury thermostats and thermometers, everybody is strangely quiet on the issue of mercury that is used in compact florescent lightbulbs.

However, and I know I am cynical about this, but people are not sued ovr CFLs, but they do get their butts sued over the smallest hint of asbestos. This is why, in my opinion, whenever the term "asbestos" comes up, everyone slows down to a dead crawl, almost like walking on broken eggsheels made of sharp glass in bare feet. One slip, and the lawsuits come and get you. Anyhow, back on topic, the ministry of the Enviroment has to be consulted in a case like this regardless, and of course, being a weekend, well, have any of you ever tried to get anybody on an emergency basis on a weekend? Which leads to.......

3) The Weekend. Can we say "Nobody in the office, call back Monday" and if you can get somebody - "overtime." The really sad part is all the different people who did show up on Saturday couldn't do anything much to begin with. So we also have a whole major downtown interesetion closed for - well at least three days nows, because even if demolition by some miracle started early Monday morning, it will still be at least a day.

4) The demolition. Interconnected problems. First off the building as it stands is very dangerous, and could collaspe, so how do you send in somebody to inspect the crime scene and / or remove the asbestos? Well, you don't. What has to be done is to carefully remove the top two floors - much easier said than done I suspect - and then when the danger from overhead is gone, the other work can be done. However, to my un trained eye, as I am no engineer, that north-west corner looks very unstable, so I suspect it will be a real tough job to carefull take the 'Wick down.

...and that of course is going to cost more money than just knocking it down quickly all at once.....


Between the cold, wet and miserable weather, and the ever growing complications, and the long waits and time this is not only taking, but is still going to take, I suspect everyone involved is not having a good time, with stoic attitudes being the best we can, or rather should expect out of people on site. Seeing as the civic budget for the year will likely be shot to pieces over this, or at the very least take a major kicking in the shins, my one recommendation to the Mayor would be to go into the Tim Horton's across the street, buy a pile of those plastic Quickpay Tim Cards and hand them out to everybody involved.

Yes, a beer might go down better, but hey, the bar in the 'Wick is already shut down, so we'll just have to settle for a hot coffee.
:)