Photo Galleries

Spring gallery A Year on the Land You are struck the minute you cross from the sea of houses in Markham’s Cornell subdivision. Suddenly you are surrounded by fields, broken only by the occasional woodlot or farm driveway. There may be a house at the end of that driveway or, just as likely only the remains of a human presence – lilac trees, a row of spruce, a tire swing swaying in the wind… You have arrived on the ‘airport lands’. The transition is not so striking from the north, where the lands border the Oak Ridges Moraine and prestige rural estates, or from the south where federal property abuts the provincial lands also expropriated and embattled since the early 1970s. But just below lies the massive urban sprawl of ‘south’ Pickering and to the east there is just a brief interlude of farmland before the wall of development that is the new face of Brooklin. These photos allow a seasonal glimpse into the beauty of the 18,600 acres of federal land that form a green oasis in the midst of sprawl. They require little in the way of explanation, only your finger to navigate and your mind to open up to the possibilities of a land trust where gentle recreation, wise farming, and well-loved homes for humans and wildlife can co-exist in harmony. Perhaps one day you’ll visit. In the meantime, enjoy ‘A Year on the Land’.

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Vacant Homes

For some years now Transport Canada and Public Works have had a policy of not re-renting any houses, regardless of their condition, once they become vacant. This is the latest in a decades-long policy of systematic de-population of the lands. While hundreds of homes, as well as commercial and farm buildings have been demolished, many others have been allowed to deteriorate. The process of decay begins as soon as a house is boarded up as salvagers strip eavestroughs, pipes and other materials, and vandals knock out doors and windows, leaving the building open to animals and the elements.

As you look at these pictures, be aware that many have had expensive repairs done immediately before or even after the tenants have moved out or been evicted. New roofs, furnaces, windows and siding have been installed, only to have houses either bulldozed or left vacant.

The home pictured at right, for example, is the Bentley-Carruthers House, one of the finest homes in all of Pickering Township. The two Bentley brothers built their houses in the 1850s – one was this impressive rural farmhouse, while the other became the dominant feature at the crossroads of Highway Seven and Brock Road, in the community originally named Bentley’s Corners. The Bentley-Carruthers House was in impeccable condition with barns dating back to the 1840s, when expropriation took place. This home became the site of the famous Last Stand, when three People or Planes women occupied the house leading to the cancellation of the airport. (For the full story on “The Last Stand”, go to the History page. For current news, go to Articles.)

In late 2009, just a few years after the heritage barns were demolished, the 30-year tenants were evicted and the house declared uninhabitable. Ironically the other Bentley House, which had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations to serve as the office of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, also lost its tenants, and now stands vacant in Brougham.

Few houses were as grand as the two Bentley homes. But whether they are sixties bungalows or structures worthy of heritage designation, all of the houses in this Photo Gallery were homes. And all of them could be homes again.

 

People or Planes

In many ways, the story of People or Planes’ inspired fight to stop the New Toronto International Airport in the 70s can be told in pictures – newspaper clippings, editorial cartoons, snapshots and news photos. The POP folks knew they had to grab attention and grab it fast if they were to do the unthinkable – fight and win against the federal government. We hope this sampling of images will give a sense of the mood of the time.

When the expropriation bomb dropped in the early 70s North Pickering had many thriving communities; a blend of farmers, business people commuting to and from Toronto, stay-at-home wives and mothers, as well as a vibrant artistic community. Luckily, among those living here and in surrounding communities were some resourceful and ingenious souls who knew how to use the media and stage an event. From Bulldozer Tea Parties to mock hangings, ‘creative’ defacing of public property to mass funerals and illegal occupation of buildings, these men and women knew that the pen and the photograph were truly mightier than the sword. They also knew that in no uncertain terms, this was war….

We are unable to show some of the more spectacular stunts or events, such as the landing of a hang glider on Parliament Hill and the back-to the-land rock festival, or to offer the voices of the men and women involved. But we can tell you that this battle garnered national attention, particularly when three courageous women occupied Ernie Carruther’s farmhouse to prevent it being demolished, and connected via ham radio to the world well beyond Pickering’s borders.

This is the sort of attention Land Over Landings seeks to re-create as we follow in the footsteps of POP, particularly as many original POP members form the nucleus of LOL. Today the hippies are grown grey, but many are still here, still fighting the good fight as solid citizens who have never given up the belief that this land, now more than ever, must be protected.

Once again we must make the protection of the last best farmland in Canada a national issue and an environmental priority. It truly is the longest continuous protest movement in the history of Canada – and it’s not over yet.

Land Over Landings thanks Peter Shatalow, Bill Lishman, Edwin Gailits, Arthur Horne, Brenda Davis and Gordon Willson for the use of these images and reminds everyone that a more complete look, plus video footage from the time and right up to the near present is available on Peter Shatalow’s excellent documentary, ‘Last Stand’.