London’s historic Kent Brewery demolished by excavator

To make way for a new 23-storey high rise, the last of the Kent Brewery buildings was demolished Monday morning. CTV London's Brent Lale reports.

The last of the buildings associated with the Kent Brewery was demolished Monday morning.

“This building doesn’t deserve this,” said heritage advocate Anna Maria Valastro, who is a member of the North Talbot Neighbourhood Association. “It’s one of the most historical sites in the city.”

The leveling came after a pair of fires over the weekend. Four London Fire Department (LFD) engines and an aerial truck responded to a blaze Sunday morning. Two days earlier, LFD crews were called for a fire in the vacant property.

“Under the circumstances of the building planned to be demolished, we did bring in our fire prevention investigator for their thoughts on cause and origin,” explained LFD Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. “Ultimately it was decided there was no investigative value to look at this.”

Valastro expressed her disappointment Sunday morning when looking at what has become of the property.

She fought for years to preserve the brewery and the former brewmasters house, but council ultimately allowed York Developments to demolish the building with a promise to preserve some of the heritage features in a new 23-storey student-oriented residential building planned for the site.

Sunday morning, CTV News witnessed and spoke to a person who admitted to taking copper from the building.

“If you’re homeless and you need a warm place, can you blame them for breaking into an empty building?” asked Valastro. “The city really needs to protect the heritage buildings that are being left to rot. I feel really sad about the Kent Brewery because it really deserved to be protected for its heritage and for its history, yet the city just let this happen.”

Former tenant of Ann Street and George Street Skylar Farr told CTV News in an email Sunday that before they were displaced homeless had been trying to break into houses on the property.

She was “not surprised” to wake up to the news 197 Ann St. had caught fire.

The last tenant of 197 Ann St. was Mackensie’s Automotive.

“The building was old, and the interior brick was deteriorated and starting to crumble,” said Taylor Peach, the owner of Mackensie’s Automotive. “It was only a matter of time before something happened. It was a fantastic location, but it was time to go. I understand everyone’s frustrations with knocking down a ‘heritage’ building but…I’ve been by the property a few times since moving, and to see it in a state like this is a bit disheartening.”

Peach jokes he can’t wait to have a beer in the new brewery planned for the high rise.

The vacant building is now gone, but others remain around the city. Mosburger warns against entering any derelict property.

“You could have floorboards that are out that go right out down into the basement and railings that are no longer part of a staircase,” said Mosburger. “There’s lots of hazards that could be there like live electrical, plumbing and that sort of thing that can be a concern for people that are inside.”

Before it was demolished, Valastro took one last look at the historic site which was built in 1859.

“It’s sad and pathetic and it shouldn’t happen,” said Valastro.