‘Fake heritage’?

Dear Editor:

RE: Couple has $30-million plan for downtown Elora, March 17.

While I have absolutely no doubt that Kristy Hillis and Don Kogen have the best of intentions with their plan to refurbish and improve the collection of buildings which they have suddenly acquired in downtown Elora, I hope they will take care.

Yes, the building that houses the Gorge Cinema has been long overdue for renovation and the former Metcalfe bar building needed some TLC.

But wrapping stone veneers around everything in sight, including buildings that were never made of stone?  Putting down cobblestones where they have never been before?  That’s a mistake. Buildings in our town do need to be well maintained and renewed when necessary.

But please, let’s not turn downtown into some kind of Disneyland version of what this small town never actually was, and hopefully never will be.  The variety of building materials, facades and styles we already have are what give Elora its actual character.

Buildings should not be allowed to fall into disrepair, but having every building on a street in absolutely perfect condition will also seem false and charmless.  Interesting and real towns and cities are just not like that.

Yes, let’s preserve our heritage and maintain our buildings. But let’s not manufacture a fake “heritage” that never actually existed here.

Paul Taylor, Elora