Today I happened to pass through the Village of Altona. Did you know it’s documented as an Ontario Ghost Town?

The Altona Inn was constructed in 1858. It was a meeting place for settlers and travellers, later a grocery store and in 1921 an apartment building. Now it’s gone! Since the building is within the Transport Canada Green Space Preserve lands it had been allowed to fall into disrepair to such a degree that it was demolished. As it happens, I did a watercolour of it just last summer. This makes me think that I should make try and paint the other heritage sites in this area before they too are gone. These lands are part of the proposed site of the Pickering Airport. Do we really need this airport???

Airport Expropriation Casualty (14" x 10")