Heritage committee co-chair quits
Len Inkster frustrated with council, feels suggestions ignored
Mayor Jim Diodati says he can appreciate the frustration of the former co-chairman of the Niagara Falls Heritage Committee who recently quit after feeling council ignored recent recommendations to preserve historical buildings.
However, the Niagara Falls mayor also says the city has an obligation to not only look at the heritage value of facilities, but also the cost to the public if those places are to be maintained.
“We don’t look strictly at the heritage value, we have to look at a number of other things, including what kind of hardship or onerous responsibility are we going to put the owner of that property under by forcing them to go in a certain direction,” said Diodati. Council made some controversial decisions during the last year, including to tear down the 154-year-old former courthouse and city hall on Queen Street. Staff said the building was full of mould and asbestos and would have cost an estimated $6.6 million to save and restore.
Council also decided to repeal the historic designation and tear down the 105-year-old former parks, recreation and culture building on Lundy’s Lane. The building had greatly deteriorated since it closed 15 years ago, even after the municipality granted the historic designation in 2010.
Earlier this month, council voted to permit the demolition of Avila Hall and not designate the Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre property under the Ontario Heritage Act. Politicians went against recommendations of city staff and the heritage committee and sided with
Mount Carmel Monastery, which said the 83-year-old building on Stanley Avenue has deteriorated to the point it couldn’t be saved.
In a recent interview with 610 CKTB, Len Inkster said he stepped down as cochairman of the heritage committee in January after it made recommendations to council that were “ignored.”
Inkster said the breaking point was council’s decision to tear down the former courthouse and the Avila Hall decision “was just icing on top.”
“It’s a buildup of a number of places that we’ve been looking at where the heritage committee have been asked to consult — we pass our feelings to the council and to the city and they just get completely ignored,” he told CKTB’s Matt Holmes.
“It’s despondent when you think, well, it’s a volunteer position, (members) put a lot of effort into it … I got to the breaking point where I said, well, I can go and offer my volunteer service somewhere else where it’s better appreciated.”
Inkster, who could not be reached for comment by The Niagara Falls Review, told the radio station it’s not always what a building looks like, but also what it stands for, that makes it important.
Diodati said council gave “serious consideration” to saving the former courthouse, but “it did not make sense to use taxpayer money on something that would not have a return on investment.”
He said in the past, the city invested “millions of dollars” into rebuilding and expanding the original Stamford town hall on Ferry Street into the Niagara Falls History Museum.
“We did purchase, and we have invested a significant amount of money, in buildings like the armoury.”
He said the city appreciates the value the heritage committee brings to the table, “but at the same time they need to understand we’ve got a number of other factors that we weigh.”
“It’s not an easy position to be in. If money grew on trees, it would be very easy, but unfortunately, we’ve got to walk that fine balance between needs and wants and we have to also be respectful of everybody’s financial situation going forward.”