Any building that was built before 1982 and is made of bricks is connected to this once-active location; its history stretches across the city due to the bricks in most of the city being made here. Now, the former source of Toronto's bricks sits abandoned, its quarry turned into a natural park while the building itself rots away.
Location | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Don Valley | ||||||
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada) | ||||||
Built :: Closed | Status | Difficulty | ||||
1889 :: 1984 | Formerly Abandoned | ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ||||
Hazards Risk | Security Risk | AUE Rating | ||||
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ | ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ | ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ | ||||
Hazard Observations | Security Observations | |||||
None Specified | None Specified |
Located in the Don Valley (hence the name), the Brickworks once produced most, if not all, of the bricks used around the city, with the raw materials coming from the quarry out back. And, as is the case with all quarries, materials will eventually run out. The Brickworks was not immune to this, and with the end of the quarry in 1982, the closure of the Brickworks was imminent.
Most of the hazards at the Brickworks are due to the nature of decay; broken bricks and bottles, likely related to the parties that are held there occasionally, litter the grounds. Rusted metal is abound, and disregarding the hazard it poses is a surefire way to injury. Due to it's age, there is more than likely asbestos in the building, although this shouldn't be an issue unless you disturb it. Sections of the building have also collapsed, leaving holes in the roof. Word is that there occasionally may be a homeless person living inside the building, but very few have ever seen such a person. And while the site appears to have hydro, there doesn't appear to be any power to the decaying buildings.
Recently, Evergreen, the property owner, has begun to do some sort of renovation work on the grounds. They also now have active security on the site, probably to watch over the equipment that has been brought in.
Despite all this, the Brickworks is not that difficult an exploration to get into, and serves as an excellent location to take exceptional photographs.