MacKenzie of the Pictou County Roots Society set up his tripod at 6 a.m. on Monday, ready to capture a piece of future history.
“I think this place here – as sad as it is to see it go – I think it’s seen its day,” MacKenzie said, questioning the stability of the bricks.
Though it was originally expected to be down by early November, the asbestos removal process took longer than anticipated, said Marinus Verhagen, the owner of the company contracted to take the building down, adding that the actual demolition was right on schedule.
MacKenzie intends to follow the process through, considering its significance to the town.
The building, which opened in 1915, used to house many businesses, MacKenzie said.
“I think it was New Glasgow’s first mini mall,” he said, listing dentists and insurance companies as just a few of the places you could go to within its seven storeys.
It even employed someone to operate the elevator at one point, he said.
“You didn’t need to worry about what floor, or who you were going to see. Mention a name, and zip, she could take you to that proper floor.”
His long days spent documenting the process are made easier by the courteousness of Verhagen’s crew, and the surrounding merchants.
He was also quick to compliment them on their dedication to safety.
“I’ve seen them look at things three times. It may be a small item, but safety, safety, safety, safety – it’s first and foremost with them. I guess you have to because that’s quite a height.”
He plans to supply Verhagen with documentation of the process, and share it with other historians and interested parties.
Verhagen said his crew has been hammering the concrete, and pulling at the brick walls with mini excavators, brought up to the top floors by a boom truck, in order to bring each storey down, often in small piles.
If all continues according to plan, he expects to see it down to the third floor this week, at which point they’ll be able to tackle it with a large excavator.
The remaining three floors are expected to take approximately a week to bring down.
On Twitter: @NGNewsAmanda
MacKenzie of the Pictou County Roots Society set up his tripod at 6 a.m. on Monday, ready to capture a piece of future history.
“I think this place here – as sad as it is to see it go – I think it’s seen its day,” MacKenzie said, questioning the stability of the bricks.
Though it was originally expected to be down by early November, the asbestos removal process took longer than anticipated, said Marinus Verhagen, the owner of the company contracted to take the building down, adding that the actual demolition was right on schedule.
MacKenzie intends to follow the process through, considering its significance to the town.
The building, which opened in 1915, used to house many businesses, MacKenzie said.
“I think it was New Glasgow’s first mini mall,” he said, listing dentists and insurance companies as just a few of the places you could go to within its seven storeys.
It even employed someone to operate the elevator at one point, he said.
“You didn’t need to worry about what floor, or who you were going to see. Mention a name, and zip, she could take you to that proper floor.”
His long days spent documenting the process are made easier by the courteousness of Verhagen’s crew, and the surrounding merchants.
He was also quick to compliment them on their dedication to safety.
“I’ve seen them look at things three times. It may be a small item, but safety, safety, safety, safety – it’s first and foremost with them. I guess you have to because that’s quite a height.”
He plans to supply Verhagen with documentation of the process, and share it with other historians and interested parties.
Verhagen said his crew has been hammering the concrete, and pulling at the brick walls with mini excavators, brought up to the top floors by a boom truck, in order to bring each storey down, often in small piles.
If all continues according to plan, he expects to see it down to the third floor this week, at which point they’ll be able to tackle it with a large excavator.
The remaining three floors are expected to take approximately a week to bring down.
On Twitter: @NGNewsAmanda
Philip MacKenzie grabs footage of the demolition of the Maritime Building on Monday, adding to his already 43 hours worth of tape. MacKenzie plans to provide the video and photos to the Pictou County Roots Society, as well as Marinus Verhagen, owner of the company who is bringing the building down. AMANDA JESS – THE NEWS
