Byron barn battle takes another twist: volunteers vow to assist elderly man with hard labour
An elderly Byron man said he received numerous offers of help to clear away rotting barn rubble from his property, after a London, Ont. city council committee endorsed a recommendation to grant a demolition permit.
The catch, however, is that the work would have to be done by hand to avoid any further potential damage to what’s left of a pile of debris, which some believe could have heritage value.
Eighty-one year old John McLeod told CTV News he was prepared to do the work himself, one rotted and rusty nail-protruding board at a time, but he may not have to anymore.
“I can’t believe the support,” said McLeod, as he circled the large pile of refuse on his property on Halls Mill Road.
The story goes back to the winter of 2019-2020. Then, city council decided to designate the barn for heritage protection.
Amid an ongoing dispute with the city, McLeod would knock down the 130-year-old structure under the cover of darkness, and in defiance of council’s order.
This past Monday, council’s Planning Committee unanimously endorsed a recommendation to grant McLeod a demolition permit to remove the remaining debris, as long as it’s done by hand to prevent further damage to the foundation.
“The cart has gotten ahead of the horse multiple times on this property, and this is how we keep the cart behind the horse,” said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis at the Planning Committee meeting.
Councillor Anna Hopkins, whose ward the property is located in, said neighbours will want to keep tabs on the work being done.
“The debris will hopefully be removed without machinery,” she explained at the meeting.
Byron resident John McLeod can be seen in front of barn rubble located on his property on Halls Mill Road in London, Ont. on March 24, 2023. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
But since that time, McLeod said he has been humbled by waves of support from people offering to get their hands dirty, so the octogenarian doesn’t have to himself.
“Never ever thought that so many people would volunteer to help. Just blows me away,” he said.
It’s on the north side that the building’s foundation is most exposed, because it’s built into the side of a steep hill. It appears to have been constructed with numerous types of materials, including at least two different types of stone, as well as brick, all of which appear to be in rapid decay.
According to McLeod, the foundation has no footings, and there’s little actually holding the wall up as it leans precariously over the side of the hill.
McLeod said, this time, he’ll wait until the full council makes a final decision on the permit on April 4, before bringing in reinforcements to clear it all away.
“You look at the crumbling old wall, I have no idea why the heritage planner would ever think they’d want to designate such a thing,” he said incredulously. “What’s the purpose?”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.