Columbus project feud heats up, Dec. 6

I read with a great deal of interest Andrea Gordon’ s piece on the Toronto Catholic District School Board and its alliance with Villa Charities in a project that envisages the demolition of a historical and cultural icon such as the Columbus Centre.

There is certainly much rotten when two bodies entrusted by the community to preserve and enhance our cultural heritage ally themselves in a project whose ultimate outcome is the development of five hectares of the Columbus Centre campus for private gain.

And it is doubly rotten when a body such as the TCDSB, a creature of the province and sustained by taxpayers’ money, will build a new school on land to be acquired from Villa Charities for more than $20 million. Especially when it already owns two schools and about 6.5 hectares of land immediately south of the CC campus, plus an additional 1.3 hectares it acquired in January for $18 million from Sisters of the Good Shepard.

These forays in land assembly and land speculation should definitely be within the scope of the provincial auditor general.

Joseph Baglieri, Toronto

I have serious concerns about the “restructuring” (demolition) of the iconic Columbus Centre. I understand change is evitable and could be for the good, but with the current proposal, the entire city of Toronto will lose a huge treasure.

There are many official heritage sites within this great city and how the Columbus Centre is not one of them is a mystery. Villa Charities was founded in 1971, initially to provide affordable long-term care to elderly Italians who immigrated here and worked to build this city.

It blossomed into a centre that preserved and advocated Italian heritage and culture, and then into a multicultural centre filled with arts and programs for youth, adults and seniors. It is one of the most versatile, holistic and inclusive charities in the country.

The school board officials are interested in the 6.5 hectares of land here, not the people. They wish to acquire it for their vision and their legacy.

Linda Carvalho, Toronto