A century ago it was one of the tallest buildings east of Montreal, but now the Maritime Building in New Glasgow, N.S. is coming down.
Built in 1915, it was a commercial marvel of its day – seven storeys tall, with businesses on every floor – but today it’s an eyesore, having stood vacant and condemned for several years now.
Piece by piece, it’s being taken apart, in a demolition that’s expected to cost just over $1 million.
Mayor Barrie MacMillan said it’s a price New Glasgow had no choice but to pay.
“We, as a town, we have an obligation under the…Municipal Government Act to do what we’re doing and that is to take the building down,” MacMillan said.
The work is expected to be finished by the end of the year, and Town Engineer Earl MacKenzie said it is proceeding smoothly.
“The method of demolition is working very safely and slowly, floor by floor, slowly demolishing and dropping the materials to the ground,” MacKenzie said.
Over the years, the businesses all left the Maritime Building. Its last owner declared bankruptcy and by 2010 it was falling apart and had to be condemned.
But for some, the building’s heyday lives on in memory.
“Somebody could park on a side street, walk down to the Maritime Building, and perhaps pay their insurance, then go see the dentist, then get several things done,” said Philip MacKenzie of the Pictou County Roots Society.
The demolition work has drawn a lot of attention from residents.
“It’s sad to see it go, but the building wasn’t stable anymore, so, and we have to move forward,” said resident Margie Stewart.
Currently, the building’s dismantled debris is falling piece by piece from the upper storeys, but MacKenzie said clearing the bottom floors will be a much quicker process.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh
