Evergreen Brickworks - a look back at abandoned factory

The Evergreen Brickworks is getting ready for a fun Earth Day Celebration on Saturday April 23rd, 2011 at the former Don Valley Brickworks factory and park. On Thursday April 21 the site will also try to make the world’s longest picnic table. Evergreen is also celebrating its 20^th anniversary of making cities more livable. It’s time to get your Green On and participate in some free eco-activities.

Here is a look back at the abandoned group of buildings that was slowly crumbling, with holes in the roof that on sunny days let in slices of sun, and walls full of bright graffiti. The bricks long since stopped being churned out of the factory complex, fences put up in an attempt to keep out people interested in seeing the desolation that unwanted buildings and empty workplaces can produce. It was ghostly and fascinating at the same time and you could always stand in a sunbeam and look for a rainbow and a pot of gold.

Photo Vault - Brickworks beam of light

The excitement of checking out the abandoned Don Valley Brickworks. The holes in the ceilings produced such great sunbeams when the conditions were right. Erin's breath comes out frosty in the cool of winter, highlighted in the bright light cutting through the dark building.

Evergreen Brickworks now open

The former Don Valley Brickworks, now christened the Evergreen Brickworks, has finally opened (September 5, 2010) to the public while much of their site remains under construction. The property seems to have everything under the sun including office space for lease and I am surprised they haven't squeezed a condo development into the mix. They have saved part of the brick making equipment and kilns and a lot of the graffiti that adorned any available, reachable space.

The old, abandoned factory is almost gone and urban explorers will have to find a new place to haunt because they come out of the brick work when you start to take pictures. I was told it was illegal to take pictures there now without a permit although I found no mention of this on their website.

The site is owned by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Region Conservation Area and they not only purchased the site, they paid millions of dollars to upgrade the old quarry. Give us your money but don't try to take a picture is an unfortunate message that they want you to have. Oh well, these may well be the last pictures that you see of the brickworks (following photo by fresh Joe).