The demolition of the old Eaton’s building structure is now complete down to the ground. Work activity at the site this week focused on the sorting of the remaining metal, concrete, wood and other materials and the clearing of the area for the start of the True North construction project.
McColman and Sons Demolition Limited used six 15-ton tandem trucks to haul salvaged material off the site to be recycled. The remaining rubble is being carted to a landfill. More than two hundred truckloads were removed this week. When the sorting process is complete, more trucks will be added to the fleet to speed the momentum of this final phase of demolition.
The removal and preservation of the Tyndall stone window bay surround that True North plans to mount in the entertainment centre is scheduled for this weekend. The City of Winnipeg is collecting additional sections of the Tyndall stone facade of the building for future reuse in a downtown project. The salvage and delivery of hundreds of the distinctive red bricks from the exterior of the building to Habitat For Humanity will take place the week of January 20th.
Habitat’s General Manager, Al Leighton, estimates that it will take a further two weeks to clean the bricks and prepare them for sale to people interested in a memento of the old building. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund Habitat’s mission to develop safe affordable communities for people in need by building and renovating houses.
The demolition, which started in August 2002, is scheduled to finish early in February. The building project will begin even before the site is completely cleared with excavation below the level of the former store basement, the shoring of the streets around the site and the pouring of the first piles for the Sports and Entertainment Centre.
For more information contact:
Jim Millican
Vice President Marketing and Communications
True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd
(204) 989 - 6813, cell 792 - 4145
[True North Construction Demolition Archive]
