Many were shocked by the sudden fiery demise of Oliver’s Leamington Mansions in October. Built during the First World War, the brick walk-up fell dormant in 2004, but
 was set for a resurgence when one of Canada’s biggest apartment managers recently bought it and had almost completed renovations.

Sadly, it’s gone forever. At least most of it. On the morning following the blaze, Dan Rose—a member of the OCL’s Civics Committee and founding member of Heritage Forward—worked diligently alongside the demo crew to save its stone entrance and name-plate from the wrecking ball.

“Keeping those remnants around is pretty much all we can do to preserve the memories that shaped where we are today,” he says. Rose is hopeful that the artifact will be preserved by the City and landowner, and eventually reused on another building site.