What Was My Vision for the 1915 Building
By Leisah Mare J.

I want people to know that there was someone who had a vision and a driven purpose for the 1915 (87/89 Colborne Street South Side) building

Before the My-Thai Restaurant was kicked out, I was allowed to explore every inch of the building.

I have the pictures I took of the place to prove its potential – (www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsangria/collections/72157623655097277).

Knowing my vision for this building, or something like it, will never be, is very hard for me to swallow.

I wanted the buildings, specifically this one to go back to the community for years to come. I wanted to be part of giving this one back to the city, and offering so much to the community of Brantford and its visitors for many, many more years to come. This building was meant to serve a purpose, they all were. They were all meant to stand until the world decided it was time they come down, not until the council, the citizens, or the developers decided they should come down.

My vision for 1915 building (formerly My-Thai Restaurant, Purdy's Pub, The Pelican, Carries Restaurant, The Tea Room, etc.) was to have it become a huge community-driven place that could also turn a profit to maintain itself and the programs/studies and other things it would have to offer.

The place has eight floors (inclusive of basement and loft). Every floor besides the loft and the bathroom floor are HUGE. The building already has dual accessibility from the street/front level as well as the back. To provide for accessibility, there is an elevator that goes from the basement and stops at all floors (excluding the loft/attic). There are stairs (most floors have stairs on both side of the room) that go from the basement all the way to the loft/attic. How many buildings in our city have exactly this extent of accessibility on all floors? I cannot think of any. How many buildings in our city do we wish had? Far too many. How many in our city have spent a crazy amount of money and/or demolished buildings because they did NOT have this extent of anything close to this dual accessibility? Far too many.

First, let me explain where some previous inspiration came from, long before I ever saw the 1915 building. There was a place in downtown Hamilton, "Infusions Coffee House” with a rooftop patio under the stars. An old world, European cafe. It was such a charming, beautiful. welcoming, inspiring place. When you entered you walks over hard wood floors (My Thai had so much of that), it was as though you had left Hamilton and gone straight to Europe. Book shelves with an assortment of books lined the walls of the back room, right beside the tables you sat at. Small sconces on the wall provided  dim, warm light. So many tables and chairs, and yet each place you sat had an intimate feel. There was a terraced balcony. The 1915 building has real, beautiful, exposed brick on the floor that was My-Thai.

The warm, inviting, want to stay forever feeling that those sorts of restaurants/cafes have are what make them original, unique, and what make you think they are worth preserving and protecting. With my concept there would be no moonlight stars above. I love the tin ceilings that were in My-Thai

Included in my vision for a community centre, offering and available to ALL ages and ALL income levels, and ALL cultures/ethnicities.

First Floor / Street Level - Huge cafe. Profit to maintain the building and what it offers to the community. Considered going for non-profit status.

One Floor - Classes geared towards arts, very interactive for ALL AGES, and ALL income levels.

One Floor - Studies, Natives, culture, history, heritage of our city, of Canada. Studies of things our city does not offer its youth, seniors, or anyone for that matter.

One Floor - Shop. All things created from the programs/classes and by anybody wishing to sell their creations or merchandise. Some profit to community driven centre and part goes to the artist/creator of those things purchased.

One Floor - Gallery Showing. Ever-changing.

One Floor - Bands/Performance/Dance Hall/Bar. (One floor used to be Carries Restaurant/Bar, Purdy's Pub, The Pelican).

Basement - Pottery, Glassware, and Woodworking programs/classes.

And one floor would be my photography studio.

But I hope that with this, you will see half of what I saw when I explored the 1915 building, which is a mere days away from being torn to bits.

Let it stand for the record, that I saw POTENTIAL. I DID have a VISION. I DID have a PURPOSE. I DID have a PLAN, for at least.. 87-89 Colborne Street, South Side, ready for demolition in a few days, if not already destroyed.

Here is the link to Lesiah Marie’s initial plea to the Ontario Heritage Connection community to help save Brantford’s Colborne St. buildings.