The National Trust for Canada is a not-for-profit organization aimed at preserving cultural landmarks in Canada.
Every year, the organization creates a top-ten list of historical buildings and places in the country that are at risk of being torn down.
One of the places on the list this year is in Sault Ste. Marie.
What was once the location of a proud employer in Sault Ste. Marie, the former St. Mary’s Paper Pulp Mill is now a shadow of itself.
Part of the property is home to a run-down building.
Chris Wiebe is the Heritage Policy and Government Relations Manager of National Trust for Canada.
"I think what stood out for us about the St. Mary's Paper Mill site is just the extraordinary nature of the complex itself. It's a remarkable complex of rich, Romanesque, stone buildings that is unrivalled by any part of the province." said Wiebe.
The former beauty of the property is what led the National Trust for Canada to name the pulp tower to its top-ten list of places that are in danger of being dismantled due to lack of funding or neglect.
Letting that happen would be a mistake says Julia Piskiewicz, the curator of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.
"Old buildings are a part of our community’s tangible past. They serve as reminders of the culture and history that our community has formed over the many years it has been here." said Piskiewicz.
The developer of the property, Justus Veldman, says he has no plans on tearing the building down, but hopes this list will bring awareness to the pulp tower and open up funding opportunities to help develop it.
