Heritage fight over demolished barn reignites after stone wall council ordered to be saved—is destroyed

A Byron man who paid a fine for demolishing an historic barn without a permit told CTV News he now faces a $50,000 fine after being accused of removing a remnant foundation wall.

It’s the latest dramatic turn in the four-and-a-half year heritage dispute between heritage officials, city council, and 83-year-old John McLeod.

“Now they've, come up with another charge,” explains McLeod. “The wall is missing. They’ve fined me $50,000.”

In January 2020, McLeod knocked down the 130-year-old barn on his property two days after city council decided to designate it for heritage protection.

He eventually paid a $2,000 fine for violating the Ontario Heritage Act.

By April 2023, city council approved a demolition permit so that McLeod could remove the pile of wood and debris from where the barn once stood.

The permit came with conditions, including that the work had to be conducted by hand so that a stone and brick foundation wall would be preserved in situ until its remaining heritage value could be determined by provincial officials.

Specifically, the motion directed that, “The existing brick and rubble stone foundation shall be retained and be protected in situ until (after a) municipal council decision following receipt of the recommendation of the Conservation Review Board.”

However, the foundation wall disappeared before that evaluation could take place.

The stone and brick wall that was to be preserved as a condition of a demolition permit to remove wooden debris from the site. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)McLeod says last summer the pile of barn boards and other debris was removed manually.

”I took it down with the help of my son and my brother as we (were) supposed to. We took it all by hand. We weren't allowed to use machinery.”

He won’t say if he knows what happened to the wall because those details are a legal matter related to the $50,000 fine issued last week.

The agenda for this week’s Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) reveals a confidential discussion will be held with the city’s legal department about pending proceedings by the Conservation Review Board and potential appeals related to McLeod’s property at 247 Hall’s Mill Rd.

Four-and-a-half years after the barn was destroyed, McLeod hopes council wants to move on.

“We wish it was over. We thought it would have been over long ago,” he said. “Seems like the city wants to drag it o — make an example of us I think.”

Recommendations made by the planning and environment committee during the closed-door meeting will also be considered by council during a confidential session on Aug. 27.