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In: Between Darkness & Light
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If there was a symbol of Hamilton’s rise, fall, and rebirth, that symbol downtown would be the Lister Block. It also was one of the jewels of the Hamilton Urban Exploration scene and could make for a fun night of exploration, which, depending on access, would see an easy group including the Lyric Theatre, Tivoli, Royal Connaught and then Lister Block. After getting out, I grabbed slices from National Pizza. But those days are long gone, Lister and Connaught being restored, Lyric long gone, and Tivoli is sealed demolished. Among all the places I explored, Lister Block is one that I was around when itRead More →

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In: Between Darkness & Light
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The former Greenwich-Mohawk site in Brantford, Ontario, is why I enjoyed exploring the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant. While G-M is far smaller in scale than INAAP, they are both massive industrial sites that sat empty for decades and have become symbols of almost the city’s industrial decline. It also gave a post-apocalyptic vibe. I never actively sought sites with such a vibe, but I enjoyed the ones that did. I only visited the site once, and the best part was that the visit was legal, but we still got into trouble. The industrial growth on this site encompasses not one but three different companies onRead More →

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Honestly, I have mixed feelings and memories about this event. It was that I wasn’t in the right mood or the fact that I was getting sick. But looking back at these photos, I can’t help but wonder why I even decided to go to VDPEX. Detroit has always been an interesting spot to explore. It was home to a great deal of abandoned buildings, and while today it has made a comeback with a tonne of restoration work, in 2014, it was just getting started. The whole place left me feeling weirded out. But always one for an adventure, I loaded up my carRead More →

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If there ever was a location that became my local exploration, the Barber Mill became that spot after the Milton Consumer’s Glass plant went down. I was first shown the mill by a former member of my home church, who I worked for at the time. At a job in Georgetown, he took me over to the mill during a lunch break and taking note of it, I soon went back when time allowed. And since then, it quickly became an easy mark when I got the urge to explore. Plus, it had no security, and you could easily park, get in, and get outRead More →

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In: News & Updates
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Well we made it through another year. Like every years things did not always go to plan and that’s okay. Because it’s important to be flexible, especially when this blog and other channels is not a full time job. The year was a lot of fun despite being a little chaotic. I always have hope that things will eventually calm down, but they do in fact always calm up. There was a rather unfortunate bump through the fall with a five week support staff strike that did reduce some capacity for creation, but I had the chance to play catch up through October and NovemberRead More →

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If there is one thing that I didn’t get enough of when exploring it was old industry, massive sprawling complexes that were built up slowly over their life span. And Flintkote was one that I only visited twice, but it certainly matched what I wanted in an old location. Buildings that were slowly being absorbed back into nature. You had to know what to look for when trying to check the spot out as it was mostly hidden by trees with only a rusted water tower and brick smoke stack sticking up behind a rusted fence. For almost every site I’ve featured in this series,Read More →

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The industrial architecture of the early 20th century is interesting because it followed both form and function. Producing a building that could output the product and look good simultaneously. And in terms of defining this, look no further than the former McCormick Candy Factory in London. This beautiful example has white terracotta facings and lots of glass throughout the factory floors; this place was once known as the light palace as there was always enough natural light throughout the factory to help the workers. And even in its abandoned state, it still looks fantastic. Thomas McCormick arrived in Canada West, the modern-day province of Ontario,Read More →

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In: 1812:Revisited
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The war had become a stalemate, and peace negotiations reached an impasse. Drummond’s siege remained in place but had been reduced to ineffective artillery fire, and most of his troops were reduced by illness due to the ongoing rain and poor conditions in the camp. Drummond’s requests for additional troops had been granted, and elements of the 4th and 82nd Regiments marched with heavy siege artillery to Niagara. On 4 September, the American defenders of Fort Erie did attempt to dislodge the British attackers. The short skirmish resulted in several deaths, including the traitor Joseph Willcocks and many of his Canadian Volunteers in the shortRead More →

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In: Musings
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I guess you could say that this post comes out from a short I released on YouTube last month about why photo walks are important and that you should go on photo walks. When the average person hears the term ‘photo walk’ they tend to think of a group usually medium or large. And I’ll admit, large groups of strangers can be a bit iffy. But a photo walk doesn’t have to be in a group, you don’t even have to have another person with you. My good friend and fellow photographer, Michael Hurley, goes on solo photo walks all the time. In fact, he’sRead More →

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All along the watchtower Princes kept the view While all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too Well, uh, outside in the cold distance A wildcat did growl Two riders were approaching And the wind began to howl, hey – All Along the Watchtower Once known as the Altraz of Ontario, Millbrook Correctional had an unsavoury reputation among prisoners, citizens, and guards. Millbrook was for the worst of the worst and for those other prisons didn’t want. Set up well outside any urban centre, this is a rare example of a mid-century jail with strange ideas on prison reform. I only made it insideRead More →