The Boathouse

[panamaniac]

There are generally three ways to add an addition to a building:
1. Make it look the same so you can't really tell the difference (eg Toronto's Royal York Hotel was built in two parts)
2. Make it look different (eg Toronto's ROM and the Crystal)
3. Make it a hybrid (eg The Seagram Barrelhouse and the Seagram Museum addition beside it)

I suspect that the Heritage Committee got involved because the structure is in Victoria Park and/or the Victoria Park Heritage District.


In an interesting side note, the existing boathouse, while first built in 1929, received its current roof profile in 1967 following a fire that gutted the second floor.  rych mills, in his "Flash from the Past" column, described the current roof as, "a quite hideous '60s-style roof"  I would wonder whether the new operating group could pitch adding the second story back to add a private dining room(s) and/or green room for bands??  But it might require an accessible lift. Perhaps the City could go splits on that cost?

That looks like a pretty expensive renovation... I'm really skeptical that it'll be a successful restaurant or a successful music venue, if they're still going for that. I was a regular before it closed in 2013, but only went once or twice during the years it was running under new management.

The pond is still kind of stinky sometimes and it's not all that nice to look at up close; floating goose turds and garbage washed down after storms...

It is interesting to see peoples perspective.  I frequented the boathouse often.  I really enjoyed sitting on the Muskoka chair on a sunny afternoon sipping on a local IPA.  I never once saw what you saw.  I saw a beautiful urban park that is what I would call a jewel to any city.  I always saw people of all walks of life enjoying the trails, having picnics, playing soccer, playing chess or checkers, mothers pushing their young kids strollers, the sound of the wind blowing through the willow trees rustling the leaves, the fragrance of the flowers in flower beds and sometimes a person yelling to themselves....  Again, I said an urban park...  My point is that while what you describe is your experiences, many of us have other experiences. So I am not skeptical and I am in fact hopeful that the group is able to move forward with their plans.

I'm with you - when it was open, the patio was THE spot for a cold one in DTK.  Every good urban park needs a cafe/patio/restaurant in in imo.

That (Bali-style?) roof would have been quite stylish in the 60's.  I seem to recall that the original pitched roof had some dormers, but I don't recall it being a two storey building.