15 years ago
Altona (ghost town)
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Recent status | Demolished |
Location # | 13953 |
Along with Swiss Chalet, Harvey's (both are part of the Cara Operations Group) once proudly occupied this prime location. It's been several years since either restaurant was in business here, and the former Swiss Chalet building was demolished not long after the restaurant closed. It's only very recently that a POE has opened up in the Harvey's building.
There were plans for the Harvey's building to be re-purposed as a NexCar Auto Leasing dealership, but those plans never came to fruition, & a crumpled banner on the floor inside bears testament to the failed rejuvenation. It looks like someone started a renovation, but stopped almost before they got started. It's a bit of a mystery why this building is still standing when the Swiss Chalet was torn down so quickly. Even the planned NexCar occupancy doesn't explain why it's still there after being abandoned for so long.
The washrooms are a total mess with ripped-out sinks, chipped urinals and total destruction of the stall in the ladies room. There's a nice wood strip running up the middle of the restaurant at the front, complete with lonely & drooping pot lights. This area might have been a salad or condiment bar. There's also a bit of interesting graffiti on the walls inside & front windows outside.
At the front of the building, there is a large area of floor space where moss is slowly taking over. It appears as though enough moisture is leaking in through the roof in this area to promote the growth. It was somewhat bizarre to see this mossy area on an otherwise bare floor. There are also a few lights hanging down on one wall were tables or booths used to be, but very little else in the way of fixtures remains.
The air quality inside is [b]moderate at best[/b], & a respirator is [i][b]highly [/b][/i]recommended. The POE has jagged shards of glass protruding, so make sure you wear good gloves to protect your hands. Although the POE is partially disguised by trees that have grown up in front of it, [i]caution is advised[/i] when making your approach, as this is a busy area with lots of traffic going by. I've made this location FM as a protective measure because of the local geography. I made my foray in at a time when not many people would be around, but I was still careful about using my flash inside as the front windows offer a lot of visibility.